Business Law analyze legal issues

This project requires you to identify and analyze legal issues and make recommendations based on one or more fact patterns. The issues will relate to the concepts covered in weeks 1, 2, and 3 about the legal environment of business and business organizations. 1. As courts decide cases involving the Internet and new kinds of issues not addressed previously, what role, if any, does precedent play? What role should it play? What difficulties could arise? 2. Steve often purchases office supplies from Supplymax, a company with stores in many states, but none in Steve's home state of Missouri. Supplymax does, however, maintain a distribution center in Kansas City, Missouri. Supplymax does not advertise in Missouri except that it places a few advertisements in national magazines, some of which are sold in Missouri. Steve has an arrangement with its store in Chicago, and Steve will often contact the Chicago store and have it hold items for him to pick up when he is on one of his frequent business trips to Chicago. Last year, Steve purchased eight chairs from Supplymax to use with his conference table at his business. At a recent meeting with his local sales staff, one of the chairs collapsed, injuring Steve. Steve has sued Supplymax in state court in his hometown of St. Louis. Supplymax does not want to have this case heard in St. Louis, or anywhere in Missouri for that matter. But if it must be in Missouri, Supplymax demands that the case be heard in Kansas City. Discuss the issues and likely outcome of this situation. 3. Increasing numbers of consumer contracts contain arbitration clauses in which the consumer agrees in advance that any dispute related to the contract will be submitted to an arbitrator, often chosen by the other party to the contract. Agreements between consumers and insurance companies, as well as agreements between stockbrokers and their clients are two areas where these are increasingly common. What are the advantages and disadvantages to the consumer of such a clause? Should these clauses be effective to allow consumers to give up their rights to use the court system? Does it affect your analysis if you learn that many consumers are not aware of these provisions or do not understand them when they enter into these agreements? How enforceable should these mandatory arbitration clauses be?