Law journal 2009.

Budget cuts have become a fact of life because of the sputtering economy, but one place businesses can't afford to cut corners is legal advice. Fortunately, BUSINESS NORTH CAROLINA'S annual Law Journal can help. In the pages that follow, some of the state's best lawyers explain how to avoid problems that can cripple companies and how to take advantage of changes in the law and its interpretations.

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For example, how do you handle what employees publish on social-networking sites such as Facebook? What if their posts embarrass your company or clients? Should you check those sites for information about prospective employees? If you do, what precautions should you take? Other articles tackle such current topics as fraudulent investment schemes and the Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. You'll also learn how to protect against pay-discrimination claims, what company records need to be saved in case you get sued and how the courts are responding to shareholder challenges of corporate-board decisions.

The articles that follow won't give you all the answers for every situation--that's up to your counsel. But they can help you identify problems you might face and guard against the consequences. That can keep tough times from getting even tougher.

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