About Nancy Henderson
Nancy Henderson is an award-winning journalist who has published hundreds of articles in Smithsonian, The New York Times, Parade, The Wall Street Journal and other publications. The author of Sewing Hope and Able! How One Company’s Extraordinary Workforce Changed the Way We Look at Disability Today, she enjoys breaking stereotypes and often writes about people who are making a difference through their work. Over the years, she’s enjoyed listening to family stories about her grandfather, who prosecuted cases as a solicitor general in North Carolina long before she was born.
Articles written by Nancy Henderson
What Property Can I Keep in a Bankruptcy?
You can keep exempt property in Chapter 7 asset liquidation bankruptcy if it qualifies for state or federal exemptions. In a Chapter 7 filing, a bankruptcy trustee liquidates non-exempt assets to pay off creditors. Common federal and state exemptions include the homestead exemption, vehicle exemption, household goods, personal property, jewelry exemptions, tools of trade, clothing exemptions, and a wildcard exemption. Financial account exemptions include retirement accounts, life insurance, …
How Massachusetts Employers Should Handle Reasonable Accommodation Requests
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers with 15 or more employees to make “reasonable accommodations” for qualified workers with special challenges to help them successfully navigate the hiring process and perform their job tasks. The Massachusetts antidiscrimination law, enacted several years before the ADA, expands this even more, to businesses with six or more employees. Accommodations can range from installing an accessibility ramp or screen reader software to …
Clean Slate
How and why to seal a criminal recordFor years, a man had been passed over for promotions at the company where he worked thanks in part to the criminal conviction he’d gotten long ago. He was unaware he could actually do something about it. Then he contacted Elena Fast. “We worked on getting that conviction sealed to allow our client to be promoted within the company,” says Fast, a criminal defense attorney. A criminal record, even for a minor crime, can haunt you for life. In New York, it bars you from living in public …
Sharing Your Shelter
The ins and outs of subleasing an apartmentYour employer just announced that he wants you to handle an out-of-town project that will last a few months. Can you sublease your apartment while you’re gone? According to Peter Schwartz, who heads the real estate practice at Graubard Miller, this is a perfectly legitimate reason to sublease your place, since you plan to return when the work gig is up. But it isn’t as simple as handing your keys over to someone else. First, you’ll need to send a written letter to your …
The Legal Concerns of Subleasing a New York Apartment
Your employer just announced that he wants you to handle an out-of-town project that will last a few months. Can you sublease your apartment while you’re gone? According to Peter Schwartz, who heads the real estate practice at Graubard Miller in New York City, this is a perfectly legitimate reason to sublease your place since you plan to return when the work gig is up. But it isn’t as simple as handing your keys over to someone else. For specialized legal advice, contact a local …
'Once You Get Hit, All the Nervousness is Gone'
Bullfighting taught Karl Rutledge the art of quick decision-makingIn the late 1990s, in Karl Rutledge’s first tryout as a rodeo bullfighter, the stock contractor—a mountain of a man who resembled John Wayne—ordered Rutledge to stand on a spot marked with an X in the dirt. “Don’t move,” the contractor instructed. Rutledge did as he was told, only to be knocked off his feet by the first bull charging out of the gate. His potential boss was so impressed he hired him on the spot, saying, “I never thought you’d stay put.” Rutledge, now chair of …
When and How To Do an Internal Investigation
Conflict between employers and employees is common. For businesses and organizations, a proactive approach to handling any employment law dispute can make an enormous difference. Employers should never underestimate the importance of properly conducted internal investigations. The following provides insights for businesses considering an internal investigation after current or former employee complaints, government inquiries, or allegations of misconduct. For more information about conducting a …
Digging Deep
When and how to do an internal investigationA few years ago, when government regulators suspected a global automotive supplier of violating the Clean Air Act, the company quickly responded, “Everything’s fine.” “They were even going to take a position on the record that would’ve involved the executives saying that essentially under oath,” says Ron DeWaard, an attorney with Varnum in Grand Rapids, Michigan. “We slowed them down and said, ‘You really need an internal investigation, because your environmental compliance is …
My Land, Your Land
Five attorneys tell their stories of immigrating to the U.S.After visiting the U.S. as a tourist at a young age, Jazmin Alagha distinctly recalls jumping up and down on the bed with her sisters in Guanajuato, Mexico, pretending they could speak English. “We would just say gibberish [that meant], ‘One day, we’re going to live in the U.S.,’” she says. “My parents had their own business and their own home, so at the time it seemed completely far-fetched that one day we would leave it all behind.” The siblings’ talk wasn’t so unlikely …
Heart of a Lawyer
Jon Spiers brings surgical precision to healthcare lawThe first time he removed a patient’s damaged heart in a transplant operation, Jon Spiers felt both a rush of adrenaline and the gravity of the situation. “It will put you in your place if you’re not humble,” says the Houston healthcare attorney and former cardiac surgeon. “The cavity is not that big in itself, but you’re looking at a hole six feet deep if you don’t fill it.” As an avid bookworm who grew up in a small farm town in Georgia, Spiers read about a revolutionary heart …
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