Publications by
AARON MORRIS
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Articles
How I Defeated an anti-SLAPP Motion by Doing Almost Nothing
Sometimes delay can be a good thing. Here is the tale of an anti-SLAPP motion defeated by time. Because of certain changed circumstances, a massive company, we’ll call it Optimus, found itself in a bad situation. The facts are very complicated, but here is a simplified, made-up analogy that will set the scene. Picture that Optimus is in the cold-remedy
Putting the “Alternative” Back Into Alternative Dispute Resolution
A recent settlement victory showed me once again that you can achieve amazing results at a mediation if you never lose sight of the fact that you are unrestrained by any “negotiating rules”, even if (or perhaps especially because) no one else in the room understands that to be the case. Most who attend a mediation have in their minds
Save 35% On All Your Purchases!
There is a surprisingly simple way to get a 35% discount on most all of your purchases at retailers such as Target, Amazon, Nordstrom, and Macy’s, to name a few, as well as Lowe’s, Home Depot, and gas stations. Intrigued? Before jumping into the details, allow me to set the scene using Target as an example. You can do much
Shove Your Financial Statistics; I Choose Not to Participate
In a prior article, I discussed what I call the “cash tax,” referring to the fact that paying cash for your purchases comes at a very high price. As a simple example, one of my credit cards issuers is currently running a six-month promotion, affording me 10% cash back on all gas and grocery purchases. If I elect instead to
Morris & Stone Wins $3.9 Million Defamation Judgment
First rule of defamation defense: Don’t say anything you can’t prove. I would think this concept would be so obvious and self-explanatory that it would never arise in my practice, but it comes up over and over. Because of defendant’s failure to understand this concept, we obtained a $3.9 million defamation judgment against him. I see it often in the
The Gonzo Guide to Social Security
With my full retirement age approaching in a couple of years, I decided it was time to make some decisions about when I would begin receiving my Social Security benefits. After reading half a dozen books and innumerable articles on the topic, and viewing countless YouTube videos, I’ve come to an inescapable conclusion. Social Security is a joke. But it’s
Posturing Attorney Perils
A posturing attorney introduced me to a technique I had not yet experienced. Yesterday, I served an anti-SLAPP motion on the two attorneys listed on the complaint. This morning I received an email from one of those attorneys, acknowledging receipt of the motion, and asking that I change our proof of service going forward. He asked me to add six
Think Twice Before You “Upgrade” Your Credit Card
If your credit card issuer comes along and generously offers you an “upgrade” for an old credit card you have in your wallet, think twice. They may not be doing it out of the kindness of their heart. Way back in 1985, if you can believe it, I applied for and received a card called the Citi ThankYou Preferred (no
The 0% Credit Card Strategy – Best Financial Hacks
A financial guy on the radio you might know (rhymes with “brave chimpanzee”) recommends certain “baby steps” to financial independence. Step 1 is to save up a $1,000 emergency fund, and then with that extremely limited financial buffer, you move onto Step 2, which is to pay off all your debts. Only after all your debts are paid off do
Why Instant Gratification can be Financially Savvy
As a general financial principle, it is important to be able to postpone gratification. You have to be able to delay getting the stuff you want today, so you can save for tomorrow. But let’s consider a scenario that might justify instant gratification. Jack is a very financially responsible person. He has six months of savings in the bank for
Game Changer — Chase Freedom Flex Credit Card Review
If you are into earning cash back or travel points on your credit card purchases (as you should be), the Chase Freedom card has always been a no-brainer. Cards with high annual fees may offer 4% on certain categories year round, but the Chase Freedom is free, and offers 5% on usually desirable rotating categories, such as grocery stores, gas stations,
Never Spend Your Points on Amazon (or Cash Them Out)
I haven’t always been the Prince of Points, the Monarch of Miles, the Count of Cards, the Guru of Globe-Trotting. Back in the day, I was but a fool, having not yet learned the lesson that you should never spend your points on Amazon. I had the sense to get credit cards with cash back or travel points, just because
The Case of the Thin-Skinned Councilman — Loving the Law
The Facts Our (future) client — we’ll call him George because that’s his name — was retired and looking for something to do. He eventually settled on politics. Not as a politician, but as a gadfly (his word, not ours). He became a fixture at local city council meetings, and would routinely take to the mic to express what a
9 Employment Myths that Will Bite You in the Butt
I spend a good part of my days at my law firm explaining basic employment law to callers, and on occasion I get a caller who tells me I obviously don’t know what I am talking about, because what I am saying is contrary to one of their most cherished employment myths. The sad thing is, I usually get that
The Importance of a Side Gig and Why You Need to Know Your “Hourly Rate”
Remember way back before the pandemic hit, when people would go to restaurants? Back then, Denny’s had a promotion where they were giving away free breakfasts. I saw on the news that at some locations people were waiting in line for hours. And they weren’t homeless or poor. When interviewed, they said they just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to
Why You Need this Credit Card – Discover It Review
I won’t bury the lead. The Discover It credit card is one that everybody should have in their wallet. You may already have this card, because Discover positions it as a starter card, for people beginning their credit journey. If you don’t yet have it, let me tell you why you should, and even if you do, I’ll tell you
The Case of the Man Who Needed Some Tough Love — Loving the Law
Epic Tough Love – Bell v. Igal Feibush Every once it a while I get a case that is so epic, it erases and occupies the space of all the legal nonsense I’ve had to endure for the prior five years. The Case of the Man Who Needed Some Tough Love is just such a case. The case involved a
The Case of the Posturing Attorney — Loving the Law
This story is yet another cautionary tale of a posturing attorney, showing that such tactics are unnecessary and unsupportable. It can be hard for some to view a court dispute with the dispassionate eye of a business person looking only at the bottom line. Some attorneys, intentionally or not, fuel the litigation fever with unrealistic promises of what can be
