An employee handbook is a valuable resource. Every company is subject to local, state and national employment laws, but these regulations typically set minimum expectations. A handbook assists with informing employees about what is necessary for their success. For the employer, a handbook enables the employer to set expectations, decreases the frequency of misunderstandings, and defines standards for professional Read More

Collaborating with a partner is a popular and effective route to take when starting a business. The partners may have complimentary strengths that will enhance the business’s potential for success, and they may be personal friends and family, which can make the startup process exciting and fun. However, when a personal relationship exists, there may be little or no discussion of what to do should a dispute arise. Read More

Your ability to deliver your own goods or services to your clientele depends on your vendors. The quality of their deliverables enables you to satisfy your own clients, or if they are of poor quality, vendors can cost you business. One way to make sure your vendors come through is with a vendor service agreement. This type of contract outlines the expectations that a vendor must fulfill to be paid, with penalties for Read More

Every business needs a partnership agreement to define your relationships as partners, outline your roles, and prevent disputes! Your agreement can be as brief or as thorough as you want, but as attorneys, we always advise our clients to err on the side of caution. It's better to be safe than sorry, after all. We've outlined a few common scenarios that can cause conflict within a company—and how you can prevent them Read More

You may be tempted to hire in-house counsel for your business. Knowing your attorney is on-site gives management a sense of security and a feeling that the attorney is actively involved, especially in highly regulated industries or entities that handle a high volume of contracts. For many businesses, the in-house counsel route is not practical. The best option is often to hire outside general counsel, whether it is Read More

Considering the many different issues that can come up in a construction project, it's important to have a solid foundation that starts with a construction contract to minimize your liability. For the best protection against legal trouble, your contract should have certain key components. Familiarize yourself with these elements before you get started on your project. 1) The project's scope. “Scope of work” is a Read More

If you own a business, many aspects of your operations are directly under your supervision. But if you want to grow, some areas need to be delegated to staff. Assuming that you cannot do everything yourself, a business owner has no choice but to hire employees and share details about your processes and customers. How do you protect your investment of time, effort and money on training employees and prevent them from Read More

Many business owners’ worst fear is losing their home or their money in a lawsuit. For this reason, they incorporate their businesses. If you're the owner of a corporation or other business entity, your personal assets are generally safe from legal action against the company because the entity is considered a separate legal person that will be liable for its own actions. A lot of things have to go wrong before your Read More

Relationships are critical in business, especially when it comes to your co-owners or partners. It is crucial to place your trust in people who will work hard, bring complementary skills to the table, and keep up with their responsibilities to your business—and it's equally important to have a contingency plan in case anything should happen to your partners. A buy-sell agreement is intended to clearly spell out your Read More