It’s my favorite time of year. I do love celebrating the harvest as much as the next guy – but I really love November because the SEC Enforcement Report is published. If you work in securities, or have an affinity for all things Ponzi scheme (like me) – it’s a wonderful season. This post is … Read more
We help business owners buy and sell companies. It can be fun; it can be stressful. It always makes for a busy year end. Often, we first get asked about the deal once the buyer and seller have already found each other. Sometimes many of the terms are set. Great! Other times, a business owner … Read more
Words matter; but what you actually do matters more. When the words and actions don’t line up – trouble is brewing. This post is about Privacy Policies and why, just like other contracts, copying and pasting one from the Internet may not be the best idea. Read on for more information. Privacy Policies are notoriously … Read more
We previously talked about why a company would want restrictive covenants, but it isn’t just the company acting. The employees are agreeing to the non-compete, non-solicitation, or non-disclosure provisions, too. As for employees, they need to understand: 1) what they can and cannot do during their employment and afterwards, and 2) why it matters. Their willingness to follow … Read more
As an attorney fresh out of law school, I am all too familiar with the confusion and difficulty involved with starting something new, familiarizing yourself, and applying the intricate rules and procedures of whatever that new thing may be. For all the business newbies out there, today is your lucky day. Have you been banging your … Read more
We at OG+S are very excited to have two new employees this year. They are smart, capable young women who make us a better law firm. I wouldn’t trade either of them. But, you know what, they take a lot of my time. There is a boatload of training that goes into new hires. They are learning our systems, … Read more
This is a short post because the point is simple: If you choose to do business with individuals who do not like to run their business with written agreements, good governance, and sound policies – it’s to your detriment. We’ve written countless times about the need for all businesses to treat themselves “like a business” … Read more
Guess what often increases in the fourth quarter of every year? Buying and selling of businesses. Guess what else can increase during a recession? Yup, buying and selling of businesses. The first trend is not a surprise. You can close at the end of the calendar year, which is also the end of many a … Read more
After last week’s post, we know that for a federal trademark we need to have interstate commerce, often because we are selling across state lines. So let’s pretend that we know we can apply for federal registration based on sales. Now, we have to decide if it is a strong trademark: Is this mark protectible? … Read more
We firmly believe that the most important thing that a business can do is listen to their customers. Listen to what they are telling you, listen to what they are asking you, but also listen for their problems beyond their direct statements and questions. But don’t stop there. Then look at what you can do … Read more