Chicken in Black (and Orange-Red)

Trademarks can be anything that tells me as a customer that this product or services that I am trying to buy today came from the same source as the last time I bought it.  Or put another way, when my nephew has something on his wish list, what can I use to make sure that … Read more

Happy Valentine’s Day

  We wish you love as steadfast and eternal as Lola’s love for cheese.   Don’t forget to sign up for our Strong Foundations IP Basics presentations here.

Wondering about Fan Fiction

Fan fiction is material created by fans of a piece of work rather than the owners or creators.  Movies, television shows and books all have fans that have spun off their own stories, drawings, movies and more.  The fans take characters created by another on new adventures, some within canonical fictional universe, some decidedly not.  … Read more

Bugging You about Buy/Sell Agreements

A buy/sell agreement is an agreement that discusses how a member of an LLC or shareholder of a corporation can sell his or her ownership in the company.  Often, it is its own separate agreement, but it doesn’t have to be.  Just as often, it is a provision in another company document like an LLC’s … Read more

My What Big Words You Have

Indemnification is not only a big word, it is a concept a lot of people don’t understand.  It isn’t their fault. Whenever someone encounters the word “indemnification,” it is usually in a contract provision that says something like: You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Company and its respective directors, officers, employees, service providers … Read more

GUEST POST: Insuring Your Buy/Sell

We have a fabulous guest post from Jason Guttenberg of Ace Insurance Group.  He helps explain how a company can use insurance to decrease risk related to death of a shareholder or LLC member.  Don’t know much about buy/sell agreements or provisions? Don’t worry, I’ll explain them more in a soon to be coming post, … Read more

Leave No Limits For Poker

Contracts provide a lot of information:  How payments are made, when deliveries are expected, and where lawsuits regarding the contract will be filed.  But one of the most important things a contract can do is allocate risk and costs associated with those risks.  Two provisions that help with that are limitation of liability and indemnification … Read more

We’re on a Mission

Mission statements are a formal summary of the aims and values of an entity, whether that is a company, organization, or individual.  What is it that makes you tick?  Your touchstone?  This should guide you when making decisions about your business. We have talked about strategic planning in the past (1, 2, 3 and 4).  … Read more

Dun-da-da DUNS!

A DUNS (or D-U-N-S®) Number is a unique nine-digit identifier for businesses.  Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. (“D&B”) created the Data Universal Numbering System, or DUNS Number, in 1962 as a way to identify business entities on a location-specific basis.  It is a proprietary system that is maintained solely by D&B including a registered trademark for D-U-N-S … Read more