A trademark is more than just intellectual property. It is a symbol that represents the business’s quality, reputation and service. It differentiates a company’s product from any others. That is why California businesses must protect their trademarks. And it seems this is especially important in the current state of the business world. REPORT: A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT CASES…[...]

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A business partnership is often compared to a marriage. A partnership resembles marriage in many ways—close relationships, shared finances, shared responsibility for the “kids”, i.e., employees. And just like divorce, splitting with a business partner can be devastating both personally and financially. So, what if your business partner sues you? HOW CAN YOU DEFEND YOURSELF AND YOUR STAKE IN THE BUSINESS?…[...]

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It’s no secret that California lawmakers have recently made many employment law changes in the last year. Now that these laws are taking effect with the start of 2020, many businesses are now pushing back against them, and how they will impact their businesses. In November of 2019, yet another company engaged in a lawsuit against the State of California,…[...]

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As of January 1, Assembly Bill 5, commonly referred to as the gig-worker law, went into effect. California lawmakers passed the law in May of 2019. The law requires all employers to use the ABC Test to classify workers, which would significantly decrease the number of independent contractors in the workforce. The changes that AB5 would bring worried many employers as 2019…[...]

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Your company likely does its best to compensate employees in a fair and timely manner. Yet on occasion, a disgruntled employee might claim you violated wage and hour regulations. They may try pursuing a settlement, and you may worry that it will hurt your business’ reputation and finances. While your company may have made wage and hour mistakes, it’s crucial…[...]

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California became the first state to ban discrimination against employees based on hairstyles in 2019. The law especially refers to hairstyles that are typically associated with races or cultures. Like many other new California laws, the Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act went into effect on January 1, 2020. Some California employers may be aware…[...]

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The words “intellectual property” probably make you think about works that are copyrighted or trademarked like catchy company slogans or taglines. While this is true, it’s not all that intellectual property covers. Intellectual property (IP) also includes trade secrets, which covers private information related to your business, such as programs, processes, techniques and tools that give you a competitive advantage.…[...]

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When a business partner breaches their partnership or joint venture agreement with you, it can feel like a betrayal. You may feel the urge to take immediate action against them, but letting emotions take over could put the business at risk. California business owners facing a breach of contract dispute must make sure they understand the next steps they must take to…[...]

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Business mergers can be incredibly complex. It takes time and great care to negotiate a deal, navigate the legal process and merge businesses properly while reducing risks for both companies. The stress of a merger between two large companies might only increase if the businesses face a lawsuit, as in the case of the merger of Sprint and T-Mobile. SPRINT…[...]

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Employers can avoid significant risks if they take the time to understand the duties they have under the law. And it is easy to determine what these duties are when employers understand their employees’ legal rights. A recent case highlights one of the duties that employers should not overlook: their duty to provide reasonable accommodations for their disabled employees. WALMART…[...]

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