Terms & Conditions

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By accessing this website or engaging Lakeside Compliance & Workforce Solutions ("Lakeside," "we," "us," or "our") for services, you ("Client," "you," or "your") acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions in full. If you do not agree to these terms, do not use this website or engage Lakeside for services.

Lakeside provides business, human resources, and compliance-related consulting and advisory services. Services may include, but are not limited to:

• Business advisory consultations regarding operations, systems, processes, vendors, and business decisions
• Form I-9 audits and compliance reviews
• HR compliance reviews and assessments
• Employee handbook review, revision, or creation
• Employee relations guidance
• Documentation and policy guidance
• Ongoing HR and business advisory services
• Other business and HR best-practice consulting services

All services provided by Lakeside are advisory, educational, and consultative in nature only. Lakeside provides information, options, observations, and general best practices based on professional experience and generally accepted HR and business standards. Lakeside does not provide prescriptive instructions that the Client is obligated to follow, does not make business, employment, or compliance decisions on the Client's behalf, and does not guarantee any particular result from the Client's use of that information. Any resemblance between Lakeside's guidance and a specific course of action taken by the Client is the result of the Client's own independent business judgment, not a directive from Lakeside.

Lakeside does not make decisions for the Client and does not implement, execute, authorize, or approve any employment, business, financial, or compliance action on the Client's behalf. All decisions regarding hiring, discipline, termination, compensation, policies, procedures, investigations, accommodations, vendor selection, operational changes, business structure, and compliance matters remain solely and exclusively the responsibility and discretion of the Client.

The Client acknowledges that:

• Lakeside's role is limited to providing information, guidance, and options for the Client's independent consideration.
• The Client, and not Lakeside, is the final decision-maker on every matter discussed, regardless of any recommendation, preference, or opinion Lakeside may express.
• The Client is responsible for determining whether, when, and how to implement any guidance provided by Lakeside, and for the consequences of that determination.
• Lakeside's guidance is based solely on the information the Client provides and the circumstances known to Lakeside at the time services are rendered, and may not account for facts, documents, or circumstances the Client did not disclose.

Lakeside is not a law firm, does not employ licensed attorneys acting in that capacity for the Client, and does not provide legal advice, legal opinions, or legal representation of any kind. Lakeside does not provide tax advice, tax preparation, or licensed accounting services. Nothing provided through Lakeside's services, written materials, templates, or conversations, whether verbal or written, should be construed as legal, tax, or financial advice, and no attorney-client, accountant-client, or similarly privileged relationship is created by engaging Lakeside.

The Client is strongly encouraged to consult qualified, licensed legal counsel regarding employment decisions, contracts, disputes, or any matter involving actual or potential legal risk, and to consult a licensed CPA or tax professional regarding tax or financial reporting matters. The Client's decision not to consult such professionals is made at the Client's sole discretion and risk.

Engagement with Lakeside does not create an employer-employee, joint employer, co-employment, agency, or partnership relationship between Lakeside and the Client or between Lakeside and any of the Client's employees. Lakeside acts solely as an independent contractor and consultant. Lakeside does not supervise the Client's employees, does not control the Client's day-to-day operations, and does not act on the Client's behalf in any employment, managerial, or representative capacity, except as may be separately and expressly agreed to in writing for a specific, limited task.

Lakeside is an independent contractor, not an employee, agent, partner, or joint venturer of the Client. Nothing in these Terms shall be construed to create any relationship other than that of independent contractor. Lakeside is solely responsible for its own taxes, insurance, licensing, and business expenses.

Lakeside offers fractional business and HR consulting and support based on Client needs and the agreed scope of service. Availability may vary depending on the nature of the request, urgency, and Lakeside's existing commitments to other clients. Where an ongoing advisory arrangement is in place, Lakeside will make reasonable efforts to respond to Client inquiries within twenty-four (24) hours during normal business days, but this is a service target, not a guaranteed deadline, and does not apply to emergencies, matters requiring third-party input, or periods of illness, leave, or circumstances outside Lakeside's reasonable control.

Business, employment, and compliance matters involve inherent risk that cannot be fully eliminated by any advisory service. Lakeside does not guarantee any outcome, result, or level of compliance, and does not guarantee that the Client will avoid audits, claims, complaints, investigations, penalties, fines, disputes, or litigation, whether or not the Client follows Lakeside's guidance. Guidance is provided based on the information supplied by the Client and Lakeside's professional judgment at the time services are rendered, and may become outdated as laws, regulations, and circumstances change.

The Client is solely responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of all information, documents, and records provided to Lakeside. Lakeside is entitled to rely on the information provided by the Client without independent verification, and Lakeside is not responsible for any inaccuracy, omission, delay, or error in guidance that results from incomplete, outdated, or inaccurate information supplied by the Client. Any reliance by the Client on Lakeside's guidance, documents, templates, or recommendations is at the Client's sole discretion and risk.

To the fullest extent permitted by Wisconsin law, in no event shall Lakeside, its owner, or any of its contractors or representatives be liable to the Client or any third party for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages of any kind, including but not limited to lost profits, lost business, lost data, or damages arising from any claim, penalty, fine, audit, investigation, employment action, or litigation, even if Lakeside has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

To the fullest extent permitted by Wisconsin law, Lakeside's total cumulative liability to the Client for any and all claims arising out of or related to Lakeside's services, however characterized (including claims in contract, tort, negligence, or otherwise), shall not exceed the total fees actually paid by the Client to Lakeside for the specific service giving rise to the claim during the six (6) months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

Nothing in these Terms is intended to limit liability in circumstances where such limitation is not permitted under applicable Wisconsin law, including liability for gross negligence, willful misconduct, or fraud.

The Client agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Lakeside, its owner, and its contractors and representatives from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to: (a) the Client's implementation of, or failure to implement, any guidance provided by Lakeside; (b) the Client's employment, business, or compliance decisions and actions; (c) inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading information provided by the Client to Lakeside; or (d) the Client's violation of any applicable law, regulation, or third-party right. This indemnification obligation survives the termination of services.

Lakeside will maintain the confidentiality of non-public business and employee information shared during the course of services, except where disclosure is required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or where the Client has authorized disclosure. This obligation does not extend to information that is or becomes publicly available through no fault of Lakeside, or that Lakeside is independently aware of prior to disclosure by the Client.

Fees for services are as quoted or invoiced to the Client at the time of engagement. Payment terms, including due dates and accepted payment methods, will be provided at the time services are scheduled or an invoice is issued. Lakeside reserves the right to suspend or decline further services for any account with an outstanding, overdue balance. Fees already paid for services rendered are non-refundable except where otherwise expressly agreed in writing.

Either party may terminate an engagement for services at any time, with or without cause, upon written notice to the other party. Termination does not relieve the Client of the obligation to pay for services already rendered as of the date of termination. Sections of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination, including but not limited to Sections 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 16, shall survive.

Services and any related materials, templates, or documents are provided "as is" and "as available," without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including without limitation any implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. Lakeside does not warrant that any template, policy, or document provided will be free of errors or will satisfy every legal or regulatory requirement applicable to the Client's specific business or jurisdiction.

The parties agree to attempt in good faith to resolve any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or Lakeside's services through direct negotiation before pursuing any other remedy. If a dispute cannot be resolved informally, it shall be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Wisconsin, and the Client consents to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.

These Terms and Conditions, and any dispute arising out of or related to them or to Lakeside's services, are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Wisconsin, without regard to its conflict of law principles.

If any provision of these Terms is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that the remaining provisions of these Terms remain in full force and effect.

These Terms, together with any separately signed engagement letter, proposal, or agreement between Lakeside and the Client, constitute the entire agreement between the parties regarding the subject matter herein and supersede all prior or contemporaneous understandings, whether written or oral. In the event of a conflict between these Terms and a signed engagement letter, the signed engagement letter shall control.

Lakeside may update these Terms and Conditions from time to time. The current version will be posted on Lakeside's website. Continued use of the website or continued engagement of services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the current version.