Government Law
THE INTERFACE BETWEEN YOUR BUSINESS AND THE GOVERNMENT.
From taxes to regulations, virtually every aspect of Colorado business is subject to government controls. Some of these rules are enforced by private parties in civil claims, but others are enforced by government investigations, audits, or proceedings. Help ensure your business is in compliance or gets into compliance with the assistance of the Firm.
PAYING ATTENTION TO YOUR LICENSES AND PERMITS
Many businesses, including those involved in marijuana and construction, are subject to licensing and permitting requirements. The rules governing these kind of businesses can be complicated, be different from one city to another, and even change frequently over time. It is all too easy for a business owner to be unaware of a particular requirement or become lax in their permitting or renewals and end up in the wrong side of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies or the Marijuana Enforcement Division as a result. With representation, you can learn how to avoid these issues or clear them up if they arise.
MISCLASSIFICATION AUDITS AND DISPUTES.
A particularly fertile area for government audits or investigations is into the alleged misclassification of employees as independent contractors. This can come up in many places, from unemployment insurance to worker’s compensation and other areas. Make sure your workers are properly classified to begin with and make sure you have competent representation in any audit. You do not want to end up owing more in penalties or taxes or risk one bad decision to snowball into a larger problem as agencies share information.
GUIDING YOUR BUSINESS THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS.
Many state agencies have their own judicial system embedded within their agency called an Administrative Court. The administrative process can run by a different set of rules and evidentiary standards from regular court. Some of these even allow non-lawyers some leeyway to represent the parties involved. This may not be a wise idea, however. The record that gets made at the agency level can be binding on your company if you later have to go to the court system. So, you are better off hirring a lawyer who knows how to protect the record from the outset.
ADDRESSING WORKER’S COMPENSATION CLAIMS.
When a departing employee requests worker’s compensation, the employer’s deadline to act is very short. Sometimes the proper action is no action at all. But, where a response must be filed to correct an inaccuracy in the employee’s report, your company should move quickly to seek a correction. The Firm can help explain the multi-level review process, the importance of creating a full record for further review, and weigh the costs and benefit of challenging the claim.
ASSISTING IN PRESENTING ISSUES TO PLANNING AND ZONING.
There is an argument that the most complicated issues to research might, paradoxically, be those involving the smallest unit of government. When you need to obtain a variance or approval from a city counsel or a planning department to do something with your business, there are more lawyers of law involved that you might expect in a normal civil case. Your company may be subject to the local planning commission rules, the local municipal code, county regulations, state regulations, state statutes, federal statutes and regulations, and court decisions interpreting all of the above. The rules and laws related to your case may or may not be easily accessible online, particularly in the case of building codes. A lawyer is very helpful to collect this information and try to guide you through this process.