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August 2025 The Contractor’s Advantage
HarrisonLawGroup.com (410) 832-0000 jwyatt@harrisonlawgroup.com
People outside the legal field might assume attorneys are constantly at each other’s throats. The reality is almost the opposite. In my experience, the vast majority of attorney-to-attorney interactions are collegial, even friendly. There’s good reason for that. When someone hires me, they’re hiring a problem solver. And being good at that job usually means working with whoever’s on the other side of the case. Every once in a while, though, that balance disappears. Right now, I’m in the middle of a heavily litigated case where the opposing attorneys have decided to be, frankly, antagonistic. It’s not that their arguments are especially clever or that they’ve outmaneuvered us in some dramatic way. It’s the tone of deliberate, unprofessional hostility. And while that’s still rare in my day-to-day work, I’ve noticed more of it, not just in law but across the board. It feels like something is shifting in the way we handle disagreements. The volume is up, the patience is down, and more people treat those who think differently as enemies rather than neighbors. Maybe it’s political. Perhaps it’s tribal — and I think that’s a good word for it. In a time when the U.S. is so dominant globally, it can feel like we don’t have anyone left to fight but each other. That reminds me of what happened in ancient Rome after they defeated Carthage. Without an outside threat to unify the people, the conflicts turned inward, and civil strife became more common. The fall didn’t happen overnight, but the signs were there. One moment in particular stands out: the death of Clodius. He and Milo were two Roman politicians locked in a bitter rivalry. Both men traveled with armed entourages, and one day, the two groups met on the road, and Clodius was killed. His supporters brought his body to the Forum, set it on a funeral pyre, and the fire ended up destroying the entire building. It’s a dramatic story, but not just for the sake of drama. It marked a turning point when civil discourse started leading to civil collapse. A Civil Approach Holding the Line on Respect
We’re not in Rome, of course. But some of the echoes are hard to ignore.
In legal work, as in life, escalation doesn’t solve many problems. That’s why I keep coming back to something simple: civility. The closer I can get to a one-on-one conversation — ideally face-to-face but at least over the phone — the more likely we will have a civil, productive exchange. Something about that kind of meeting brings the temperature down. You’re not just throwing accusations across email. You’re talking person to person. Even Zoom doesn’t always help. It may be “face-to-face,” but it also makes it easier for people to posture or grandstand. And the bigger the meeting, the more that dynamic shows up. When there’s a group on either side, people start playing to the room. Smaller conversations with a handful of people at most are better. That’s when you’re likely to get honesty, even if you’re miles apart on the issue. I’ve had many conversations with opposing counsel when we left it all on the table during the hearing or deposition, then set it aside and grabbed a beer afterward. That’s not just a
nice moment. It’s a reminder that respect is still possible and civility isn’t dead. And in a world that sometimes feels like it’s inching toward Clodius’ funeral pyre, I’ll take as many reminders of that as possible.
-Jeremy Wyatt
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DOMINATE YOUR DOMAIN
Smart Tactics for Small-Business Triumph
“Success” as a small business means different things to different people, but everyone knows failure when they see it. Regardless of the product or service you’re attempting to sell, consistent growth in any market depends on your business’s willingness to embrace proven tactics. If you feel your budding enterprise is running in place — or worse, running on fumes — here are three basic pointers to help you reevaluate your mission and avoid missed opportunities. You don’t know everything, but your employees might. Every business with a staff requires a managerial hierarchy to ensure everything operates smoothly. Still, not everyone at the top of the pyramid may know the business as well as those working in the trenches every day. Suppose you’re an owner/manager prone to taking a my-way-or-the-highway approach to employee engagement. In that case, you may be setting up your operation for ruin by not welcoming feedback — and even criticism — from your workforce. Consider reevaluating your business culture to allow for a more participative environment across all segments of your team. One way to accomplish this goal is to host regular meetings where staff members are encouraged to present new ideas or voice concerns.
A manager may have an idea for a more streamlined production process, or you may have data-entry personnel with thoughts on reducing redundant steps. Many businesses survey their customers, and following a similar path in-house will encourage greater buy-in and may alert you to issues influencing employee turnover and other operational concerns.
Give your competitors some business (really). Do you want to better understand how your chief
competitors earn and retain their customers? Become one of their customers yourself. See how they market their products or services to you, consider the strength of their customer service skills (or lack thereof), and identify any key strengths they have over your current model. If you own a Mexican restaurant, there’s nothing wrong with going to the one down the street to sample their enchiladas. You can also research your competitors by reviewing their websites, online customer reviews, and social media content. If your business focuses on trade-specific areas, such as technology or manufacturing, gain a leading edge by staying updated on trade publications and other industry-specific news sources that analyze consumer trends and their potential impact on you and your competitors in your field. Train, train, train. If you’re concerned about training an employee because they might take the knowledge you’ve paid for and leave for a competitor, imagine how bad it will be if you don’t train them and they stay . Investing in ongoing employee training — especially with in-house mentorship and leadership-building programs — helps your workforce stay productive and innovative. From role-specific certification to technical webinars to presentations by guest speakers, the opportunities for better educating small-business employees are endless. They could serve as a strong incentive to attract and retain new staff over the competition. While the strategies mentioned herein aren’t groundbreaking, they are powerful and among the most overlooked in the push for business survival and profitability. Implementing one or all of them will help keep your market position strong while you focus on what matters most: your customers.
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accolades by delivering goods that live up to its name. Last spring, the company was named the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Small Business Manufacturer of the Year for New Hampshire. In addition to honoring the company for its ingenuity and rapid growth, the SBA’s announcement on the award also credited Velasquez’s resourcefulness in seeking “SBA-backed funding provided
by Mascoma Bank, support from the Monadnock Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) [and] the Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) funds, and the backing of local investors” to help make his goals a reality. In addition to consistently seeking financial assistance when needed, Velasquez also benefited from admirable economic foresight. In 2019, long before COVID-19 and today’s concerns over tariffs, he negotiated locked-in rates from his cashew suppliers in Vietnam and South Africa. Revolution Through Ravioli Based on its astronomical sales in 2024, it’s no surprise that Clean Simple Foods has major plans for the rest of this year and beyond. Its dairy-free ravioli line is set to expand significantly, and the company intends to increase employment opportunities in New England. By focusing on finding solutions to his physical and financial needs, Velasquez began an animal-friendly entrepreneurial adventure that shows no signs of slowing down. If there’s one critical lesson from his meteoric rise in the retail food world, it’s this: Never count out the person living on your couch.
HAVE A Laugh
Frontier Ingenuity at Its Finest HOW 1800S PIONEERS TURNED TREE STUMPS INTO COZY HOMES
A cozy home carved into a towering tree stump might sound like something straight out of a fairytale, but in the rugged 1800s, it was a reality for America’s earliest settlers on the West Coast. Back then, the forests were filled with trees so massive their trunks could measure 20 feet across or more. Once felled, these stumps were too big, stubborn, and
abundant to remove easily. So, the pioneers did what pioneers do best: They got scrappy. They turned the stumps into homes, post offices, barns, and even dance floors! One of the most legendary stump homes was the Lennstrom Stump House in Edgecomb, Washington. Crafted from a cedar stump 22 feet wide, it sheltered three adults and three children! In a time when luxury was a warm fire and a sturdy roof (or stump) over your head, these quirky homes captured the best of pioneer spirit: grit, resourcefulness, and a little bit of magic.
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
Jeremy Wyatt jwyatt@harrisonlawgroup.com HarrisonLawGroup.com (410) 832-0000
40 West Chesapeake Avenue, Ste. 600 Towson, MD 21204
Inside This Edition
1.
Facing Conflict Without Combustion
2.
Powerful Paths to Profit
3. The Wild History of the Wild West’s Stump Houses 4. Plant-Powered Profits
From Couch to Culinary Star A CASHEW KING’S COMPELLING RISE
A little over a decade ago, Joshua D. Velasquez called his aunt’s sofa in the Bronx his home while attempting to make something of himself in New York City. At the same time, he struggled with a health issue affecting more than 30% of the U.S.
based cheese using an uncommon source: cashews. Soon, he and Hamilton launched Clean Simple Foods, Inc. — New England’s first plant-based cheese producer — and brought their creations to market under the brand Nuttin Ordinary. Last year, the duo rebranded their products as Shire’s Naturals. Unsurprisingly, the clearest sign of the company’s growing success was that Velasquez could finally stop couch surfing. Now based in Peterborough, New Hampshire, Clean Simple Foods, Inc. manufactures its ever-popular items out of an 8,000-square-foot facility. Shire’s Naturals products are available at over 300 food retailers in the Northeast, including Whole Foods and Market Basket. Last year, the company’s sales rose 96% from April through December, marking a dramatic increase in market recognition and profit. A Health-Focused Honoree With plant-based diets growing in popularity across the U.S., Clean Simple Foods, Inc. continues to generate sales and
population: lactose intolerance. One day, he had an epiphany: Why not address both problems simultaneously by going into business as a plant-based cheesemaker? Fast-forward to 2025: Velasquez and his partner, Adam R. Hamilton, lead one of the nation’s most respected plant-based food companies … and it all started by finding inspiration in a popular snack. From Crunch to Capital In 2014, Velasquez transformed his parents’ basement in Harrisville, New Hampshire, into an ad hoc fermentation lab to develop the perfect non-dairy cheese. After four years of research and development, he succeeded in fermenting plant-
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