Areas of Practice
Corporations, LLCs, Formation & Financing
Deciding whether to incorporate or form a limited liability company, whether shares or membership interests will be exempt from securities filing requirements, and what directors and officers must do to fulfill their responsibilities are matters every successful company must confront at some point. Savvy entrepreneurs soon realize that the issues they have cannot be answered by a LegalZoom site's one-size-fits-all form. We can guide you through the complex corporations laws to make sure your operation is set up properly and meeting your business objectives.
Insurance coverage
As any business that has suffered a casualty or had a claim asserted against it knows, having insurance and getting an insurer to pay for a loss can be two different things. We have unique experience both in advising certain insurance companies and in negotiating with other insurers on behalf of policyholders. We have also successfully litigated coverage and insurer "bad faith" claims on behalf of clients, resulting in favorable six- and seven-figure settlements.
Litigation, Arbitration & Trial
If your business has been threatened with litigation or similar proceedings, you will soon realize that the most nerve-wracking thing often isn't the process itself but the prospect of costs getting out of control as the litigation takes on a life of its own. With our years of experience, we are quite familiar with the sort of tactics many attorneys use to escalate costs and pressure their opponents to give up. As a result, we know how best to diffuse the situation and keep costs in check.
Franchising
For some, investing in a franchise promises the best of all worlds: an opportunity to own and manage your own business, but with all the work of establishing a market for the product or services already done for you. Disputes often arise, however, typically over such things as territorial rights, supply sourcing,and use of pooled advertising funds. The firm has guided prospective franchisees in due diligence and negotiations with franchisors and, when necessary, represented franchisees in litigation and arbitration. We are uniquely qualified to handle this field, which demands familiarity with not only the franchise legislation but the law of trademark and trade secrets, noncompetition and nondisclosure agreements, unfair business practices, and many other disciplines.
Intellectual Property Registration & Enforcement
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but in the business world, protecting your products and services from knockoffs and cheap imitations is crucial to success. It is not only unfair for a competitor to profit off your hard-earned, recognized name and designs. Infringement also deceives the public about the source and quality of the goods they purchase. We have extensive experience enforcing companies' intellectual property rights and have obtained support from the courts in prohibiting counterfeiters and other wrongdoers from profiting off our clients' innovations.
Employee & Labor Code Compliance
What happens if employees do not clock in and out for lunch and rest periods as they should? What if an employee who has just been let go claims illness or injury before their last day? We advise companies on the latest developments in state and federal labor and safety requirements, steering them on the right course to ensure that they comply with the law and avoid unnecessary claims. We have also defended companies against class action allegations.