This is the first entry in my new blog, about legal matters of interest to people who care about business. I’m Fortune’s legal correspondent – my formal title is senior editor (legal affairs) – and I practiced law for five years before becoming a full-time journalist many years ago. Like everything I write for Fortune, the blog is intended for nonlawyers and lawyers alike. Please join in with suggestions, contributions and temperate comments, or e-mail me with the same at rparloff@fortunemail.com. I’ll be feeling my way for awhile in this new medium, so please bear with me.