Business owners have a natural inclination to bootstrap their way through everything. Running a successful business requires expert-level multi-tasking and management skills. If you’re already running day-to-day operations, handling finances, and managing employees, it doesn’t seem like a huge leap to tackle your business’ legal matters on your own. The rise of do-it-yourself (DIY) legal services has made the Read More

Growing your business enough to hire employees is an exciting time as an entrepreneur. Employees can help optimize the products and expand the services that your company offers. Of course, with that growth and opportunity comes more workplace regulations to manage. The bigger your workforce grows, the more challenging this becomes, but for this post, we will focus on just one key state employment law: job-protected Read More

Digital platforms are nothing new, but evolving legislation constantly pushes businesses to comply with more and more technology-related policies. In November 2020, California voters passed the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) to amend and expand upon the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and these changes went into effect as of January 2023. This post will review some of these changes, and the implications Read More

Growing your business through a merger and acquisition (M&A) can be a very exciting opportunity. A successful M&A can give your company access to new talent, new technologies, and higher revenue, plus diversify the products and services you can offer. For California businesses, however, M&A transactions have several additional regulatory hurdles to navigate and are subject to specific legal requirements. Read More

A professional corporation (PC) is a type of legal structure specifically designed for licensed professionals such as doctors, lawyers, accountants, and architects. It is a business entity that is typically formed by professionals who want to provide their services through a corporation rather than as individuals because this provides additional tax and liability advantages. California has some specific requirements Read More

Most people who go into business with a partner do so with someone they know. It's a daunting prospect to launch a new enterprise, logistically and financially, so it's natural to team up with people you have some reason to trust, such as family members, friends, or members of your community. Unfortunately, when people go into business relying on their personal ties, they sometimes overlook the kind of legal Read More

Remote work has been relatively common for decades, but it became even more so after the COVID-19 pandemic. This has created a lot of opportunity for business owners to hire from a broader pool of candidates and to rethink some of their operating costs, but it has created some new legal wrinkles too. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you decide to employ remote workers, particularly if they reside outside of Read More

A hot-button issue for businesses all over the country is the Federal Trade Commission’s proposition to end non-compete clauses in employment contracts, but this isn’t necessarily cause for alarm. There are many ways a business can protect its intellectual property assets without having to resort to non-compete clauses.  Employment Contracts That Utilize Copyright Laws Every employee contract should explicitly Read More

On September 27, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom enacted a new pay transparency law for the state of California. The law takes effect this month, and it requires all businesses with 15 or more employees to disclose a position’s pay within the job posting regardless of where the vacancy is posted. The pay rate must include either salary or hourly rates and may not include bonuses or stock options.  The wage Read More

Seeking legal services for your business generally starts when the business is first formed. At first, most companies just need legal assistance sporadically as they bring on their first employee, navigate various contracts, and so on, but as your company grows, so do your legal needs. Eventually, there comes a time when the volume or complexity of a company's requirements becomes a burden best handled by handing it Read More