There is a part of nearly every contract entitled “Notice.” No one reads it, but everyone should. What is the Notice provision, how does it work and why does it matter? What is it? Every contract is its own little city-state. The language creates a set of rules about…
In the olden days, before everybody carried their contacts around in a giant database on a tiny phone, there were Rolodexes; Big, circular carousels of sheets to which you glued or stapled collected business cards. They weighed 37 pounds, took up half the desk and, as a result, they…
Most people should not incorporate or organize their entity in Delaware. Now, I know that many advisers recommend organizing in Delaware and there are times when it is appropriate. Delaware has created and refined well-designed statutes and efficient, professional courts to make it easy, predictable and respectable to form…
Contracts are the trip wire of deals. Here’s why. With legit business people, you can’t get started on the work or the payments until you sign the contract. Your contract is your reason to write down what has to get done, what has to get paid and by when….
Much like a marriage, a business partnership is nothing to enter into lightly. Many possible perils await co-founders of a business when they haven’t carefully considered the pros and cons of such a relationship. Some of that includes considering the traits your business partner(s) brings to the table. As…
I knew I wanted to be a lawyer when I was 9. I had a rough childhood and I wanted to help people feel strong and validated. I wanted to help people get justice. I carried that vision all through college, working as a graveyard waitress, picking up my…
Your browser does not support the audio tag. Try updating your browser or downloading Google Chrome or Firefox. Read the transcript: Today, you’re going to hear my interview with Lynn Stout. Now, Lynn Stout is a rock star, and I’m not saying that…you know, everybody calls people rock stars…she…
A major entrepreneurial center in the country, the Kauffman Foundation, has ranked cities and states for small business friendliness. The results are interesting, but not as interesting as the reasons why some areas scored better than others. As it turns out, there are three things that make an ideal place…
This one is pretty law geeky, so stay with me. When you go to raise money for your company, you have to decide what you are going to give your investors in exchange for their cash. Your choices are usually a promissory note (if you call the cash a…
The first time I heard Blurred Lines, I assumed Robin Thicke had sampled parts of Marvin Gaye’s Got to Give it Up, not just because the feel of the songs is similar, I also heard common elements and grooves. Trouble is, the Gaye family also thought Robin Thicke took some…
