For the love of your business

Articles to LIFT Your Life and Business

Top 10 Legal Tips for Entrepreneurs

If 2015 is the year you decide to strike out on your own and start your own business, there are some basic legal issues you need to take into consideration as part of your start-up planning. Here are our top 10 legal tips for entrepreneurs: Choose the right business structure. Most businesses start life as […]

Read More

Preparing Your Company for an Eventual (and Profitable) Sale

If you are a small business owner, chances are that most of your personal net worth is tied up in your business.  So even if selling your company is not on your radar anytime soon, there will come a day you will want to cash out and sell it at the best possible price. Even […]

Read More

How to Create a Bulletproof Independent Contractor Agreement

One of the most common issues facing small businesses is how to govern relationships with independent contractors (ICs). Which is not really surprising, since many small businesses use ICs to perform critical work functions like website development, marketing, bookkeeping and other important functions that keep your business functioning and growing. To protect your company’s future, […]

Read More

How to Avoid a Trademark Infringement Dogfight

A New Jersey entrepreneur who sells organic dog treats under the label, “Snaks 5th Avenchew” has prevailed in her fight to keep the name after a short scrap with fashion retailer Saks Fifth Avenue. Carrie Sarabella, who sells her organic dog treats online and direct to retailers, received a cease-and-desist letter from Saks threatening litigation […]

Read More

The Best Time to Update Your Employee Handbook is Right Now

If business owners realized the role a good employee handbook can play in protecting their company from employee litigation, keeping it up to date would be a bigger priority. Alas, many employers neglect these documents until a glaring error decides a case in an employee’s favor. Historically, employee handbooks were used primarily to educate employees […]

Read More

Asset Protection Strategies for Female Business Owners

Female-owned businesses are one of the fastest growing sectors of the U.S. economy, with the number of women-owned businesses doubling over the past 17 years, according to a recent Forbes article. Many women who run their own companies often do double-duty as CEOs of their families as well. The tendency for many is to leave […]

Read More

A Simple Way for Business Owners to Document Their Legal Agreements

Sometimes you just want to document your own agreements without consulting with a lawyer. Written agreements are binding documents that define the obligations of all parties involved in a specific project or for the sale of a good or service. Written agreements are necessary to provide a clear record of agreed upon terms. That way, […]

Read More

Entrepreneurs: Are You Making Promises You Can’t – or Don’t Want to – Keep?

When you’re starting or building a business, things can move very quickly. Entrepreneurs typically starting new ventures reach out to dozens of people who may or may not become part of the final company, to ascertain interest or recruit talent. Often, an entrepreneur will take part in a discussion about equity allocation in the new […]

Read More

How to Choose a Trademark That Will Stand the Test of Time and Trial

The purpose of a trademark is to differentiate a company’s goods or services in the marketplace. A trademark also represents an intangible asset in the form of consumer goodwill that has been assigned to the company through its history. In the legal realm, the words or symbols chosen to represent goods (trademark) or services (service […]

Read More

When a Handshake Can Be the Kiss of Death for Your Company

Many business deals get done on the proverbial handshake — an email exchange, a discussion on the golf course — but those types of deals could be the kiss of death for your company if they go bad and there is little documentation to back up what you thought were the terms of the deal. […]

Read More

How to Properly Structure a Founder’s Agreement for Your New Venture

How to Properly Structure a Founder’s Agreement for Your New Venture We are a nation of entrepreneurs, but we are also living in a litigious society, so if you are starting a new venture and there are other founders involved, a founder’s agreement is essential to protecting your fledgling enterprise.  Here are some tips on […]

Read More

Looking for a licensed Family Business Lawyer?