If you have ever reviewed a contract — whether you are the one handing it across the table or the one signing it — you have almost certainly seen an arbitration clause. They are everywhere. Most people skip right past them. That is a mistake, because whether an arbitration clause belongs in your ...
When a buyer and seller agree in principle on a deal, the first document they usually sign is a letter of intent — an LOI. A lot of people treat this like a handshake on paper, a non-binding agreement that just gets the conversation going. That's a mistake that can cost you leverage, money, and m...
A lot of people hear "trust" and think it's for wealthy families with complicated estates and teams of accountants. So they put off estate planning, or they sign a basic will and assume that's enough. I want to dispel that myth, because it keeps too many business owners and their families unneces...
You've built a successful business. You're thinking about selling it — or maybe you've already started having conversations with potential buyers. There's one thing that can quietly derail or devalue that transaction that most sellers don't think about until it's almost too late: your commercial ...
Most business owners spend years building something, then spend about four weeks trying to sell it — and wonder why the deal falls apart or they leave money on the table. If you're thinking about selling in the next one to three years, the time to start preparing is now. The first thing I tell c...
Your customer list. Your proprietary recipe. Your pricing model. Your manufacturing process. These aren't just valuable to your business — they may be legally protectable as trade secrets. But trade secret protection doesn't happen automatically. You have to actually take steps to keep them secre...
Your landlord sent you a lease renewal notice. Maybe you love the location. Maybe moving feels like too much hassle. Maybe things are busy and it's just easier to say yes. I understand all of that — and I'm going to encourage you to slow down anyway, because lease renewal is one of the most under...
Most business owners have thought about who will run the company if something happens to them. Far fewer have actually put anything in writing. And almost none have made sure their business succession plan is coordinated with their personal estate plan. That gap can destroy value that took a life...
You hired a designer to create your logo. A developer to build your website. A consultant to write your training manuals. You paid them. You assumed you owned the work. You may be wrong. This is one of the most common and most expensive IP mistakes I see in growing businesses. Ownership of creat...
You found a business you want to buy. The numbers look good. The seller seems motivated. And you're already picturing yourself running the place. I get it — that excitement is real. But before you sign anything, there's a process that separates smart buyers from sorry ones: due diligence. And mos...
We talk a lot about what happens when a business owner dies. But there's a scenario that's just as disruptive and more likely: what happens if you become incapacitated — temporarily or permanently — and can't run your business? A serious accident. A medical emergency. A prolonged illness. Any of...
You've spent years building name recognition. Your logo is on everything. Customers come back because they trust what your name means. And you've never filed a trademark. That's a risk most business owners don't fully appreciate until someone else starts using something confusingly similar — and ...
When a landlord hands you a commercial lease, that document was drafted by their attorney to protect their interests. Which is completely reasonable. What's not reasonable is signing it without understanding what you're agreeing to — because a commercial lease can lock you into obligations that f...
Early in my practice, I made an assumption about trademark law that I now know was completely wrong — and I've since seen it cost business owners real money. When a client came in wanting to register a logo that prominently featured their business name, it seemed to me like a logical two-for-one....
Forming multiple LLCs isn't enough. Learn the two legal theories that can undo your protection — and the daily habits that keep your entities truly separate.
Trying to decide between an LLC and an S-Corp? Here's a plain-English breakdown of the key differences — and how to choose the right structure for your business.
Think you can run your business on handshake deals? Find out the 5 essential contracts every business owner needs in place — before something goes wrong.
After years of working with business owners, I've noticed a pattern: The most successful clients don't just have good lawyers. They know how to use them well. That sounds simple—but it's rare. Most clients either: underuse their lawyer, or misuse them entirely The ones who consi...
Within the first 90 days of working with a client, I can usually tell whether they're going to be successful. Not with perfect certainty—but enough to pay attention. It's not based on their revenue, their industry, or even how sophisticated they are. It comes down to something much simpler: H...
When business owners think about selling their company, most of the attention goes to the deal itself—valuation, tax efficiency, negotiation strategy, and closing mechanics. But there's a quieter question that many founders don't ask until after the deal closes: What does life look like after t...
Not every business needs a full-time, in-house lawyer. But many growing businesses reach a point where legal issues become too frequent and too important to handle reactively. This is especially true for companies that have moved beyond the startup stage and are now managing employees, contract...
For many businesses, the most valuable asset they own is not their equipment, inventory, or even their operating company. It's the brand. That brand may include: trademarks and logos proprietary systems or methods training materials written content recipes, formulas, or...
Many business owners are advised at some point to create a holding company structure. The advice usually sounds something like this: “You should separate your businesses and assets into different LLCs.” So the owner does exactly that. They form a holding company and several subsidiary LLCs...
Many business owners believe that once they form an LLC, their personal assets are protected. Unfortunately, that belief is often wrong. An LLC can provide powerful liability protection—but only if it is respected as a separate legal entity. Courts do not automatically shield owners simply beca...
It happens all the time in small businesses. An employee quits or gets fired, and suddenly there's a dispute about money. Maybe the employee damaged equipment. Maybe they never returned tools or uniforms. Maybe they still owe the company for an advance. The owner thinks: “Fine. I'll just deduct...