The Business Firm
for Business People

When legal disputes arise, many people assume that the only way to really resolve them is through litigation—that is, filing a lawsuit and having your day in court to air your grievances and allow a third party who is thoroughly versed in the law decide the issue for you. Litigation, however, is an expensive, time-consuming business that rarely ever leaves either party truly satisfied in the end.  There’s a reason Read More

As a company owner, you naturally want to do everything within your power to minimize the business’s exposure to risk. Employee lawsuits, unfortunately, can impact that goal and even threaten business continuity.   These lawsuits can be inspired by several situations. The employee might complain that they are being harassed or discriminated against, or accuse you of violating state or federal laws. Even if you Read More

You may know articles of incorporation by other names, such as certificate of formation, or corporate charter, but no matter the name, the purpose is still the same. The purpose of the articles of incorporation is to formally establish and register a corporation under a state’s laws and regulations. Remember that a corporation, unlike a sole proprietorship, is considered a separate legal entity apart from the Read More

The difference between trademarks and copyrights is frequently misunderstood by business owners, much to their detriment. Don’t be one of those business owners that are in the dark about their intellectual property! This blog covers some basics. What is a trademark? A trademark is a mark—a symbol, word, device, number—that is affixed to a product to identify the manufacturer of the product to the purchaser. The Read More

Should you find yourself in the position of raising capital for a private fund, you should become familiar with a very common, yet often misunderstood, tool of this particular trade: the side letter. It’s a deceptively simple name for what can be a sophisticated and nuanced way to secure individual investors on their terms. Private equity funds are most often run as limited partnerships. By doing this, individuals Read More

With the advent of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, the issue of disabilities in the workplace became more well-known and understood. Employers learned more about their obligations with respect to disabled workers, and individuals with disabilities learned about their rights in the workplace. Despite this law, individuals with disabilities unfortunately still face discrimination in the workplace, in Read More

If you incorporate as a business in Florida, one of the things you must do in order to keep your corporation valid (and to avoid personal liability for the company) is to meet with your shareholders. Shareholder meetings are often perceived as giant and almost ostentatious affairs with large ballrooms filled with eager shareholders. Luckily for you, this is the exception, not the rule, for how shareholder meetings Read More

Finding the right brick and mortar to anchor your business can mean the difference between success and a more difficult road to success. With the phrase “location, location, location” probably running through your head on a loop, it is no wonder you can easily get overwhelmed with the task. Here are a few tips on how to find the right spot for your shop without bankrupting your business before it even starts. 1) Read More

Let’s face it. To run your business, you need vendors who can help with any number of services or items that are critical to your operations but are not in your area of expertise. While many vendors are moving toward standard form contracts for the sake of uniformity and consistency, it is still possible to have a negotiated contract with a vendor. Regardless of whether your vendor is asking you to sign a standard Read More

Last month I was lucky enough, along with just 10 other people, to get a private hour with Daymond John from NBC’s Shark Tank.  If time is money, then this was an extremely valuable hour, and I intended to make the most of it.  Some people in the small room asked questions about Shark Tank, some made small talk.  My goal for the session - which I planned out ahead of time - was to figure out how Sharks like Daymond Read More