Question about Punctuation

Dana F. left a comment on my June 19 post "Missoula, For the Record," posing a punctuation question. She knows that I have an obsessive/compulsive penchant for proper punctuation (with this blog being a liberating exception to that compulsion), and probably thinks she can give me many sleepness nights with this puzzler.

Her co-worker, Jason P., followed up with a second comment, pointing out that the office was relying an Loic, a Frenchman! As brilliant as Loic is, I wouldn't turn to him for issues of English punctuations.

The question is: what would be the possessive form of a company named "Kip's"?

So, Dana, here is my advice. But before I proceed please note that I am answering it even though, in your comment, you (deliberately, to rankle me?) invoked my pet peeve, failing to put the period inside the quotation marks. Ugh!

My advice:

(1) Review the company's public financial statements to find out what management uses as the possessive form or, if that fails to yield an answer, ask company management what they use/prefer as the possessive form.

(2) If (1) is not an option, I would just try to avoid using the possessive form, by writing phrases such as "...the liabilities of Kip's..."

(3) If for some reason (2) is not an option I would just use "Kip's" as the possesive form. I would not use "Kip's'."

(4) If (1)-(3) are not options, I would hire a retired consultant, doubling the hourly rate that he charged before retiring, in order to coax him out of retirement.

Given that you have obviously already committed to (4), I suggest that we settle the fees with a couple of beers when I get back to Manhattan!

Note: I have a hunch that lots of other readers -- Court P., Steve W., Mel T., Leslie W., Larissa W. etc -- may have views on what would be the possessive form of "Kip's." Don't hesitate to submit your views.