Business Law At the Law Offices of Linda Switzer we help new and growing businesses start off on the right foot and help keep them out of trouble in the future with preventative law practices. With our help, businesses can avoid disputes, injuries and damage claims and can help strengthen their defenses when lawsuits are unavoidable. We can help your business by reveiwing your business records and practices, review or draft documents such as purchase agreements, sales agreements, loan agreements, leases and other contracts. In addition, we can prepare you for various situations such as when a business deal goes sour, an employee is injured or when a customer complains about a product or service. Contract Perparation & Review Business Litigation Breach of Contract Partnership Agreements Business Buy/Sell Agreements Debt Collection General Review of Documents Lease Negotiation & Preparation Small Claims Court Preparation Some Interesting Links Common Mistakes Made by Start-Up Companies Not properly licensing technology patented by others. Issues to be addressed are technology developed by employees and looking beyond a specific patented device to the process that supports it. Incautiously hiring former employees of a competitor, especially when the new hire had access to trade secrets. Beware of restrictive covenants of noncompetition and nondisclosure that new employees may have signed with previous employers. Failing to conduct a timely trademark search to make sure that any word, name, symbol or design has not already been claimed. Improper maintenance of organizational records. Selling securities to unaccredited investors during startup, which causes problems later when conditions set out by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, aren't strictly followed. Not adopting an employee stock-option plan before granting the options, which can impose tax liability. The plan must be in writing and meet other legal requirements. Failing to institute a trade-secret-protection program, which can make the firm vulnerable to competitors. Internal controls should dictate which employees need access to confidential information, how it should be stored and what obligations departing employees have to keep data secret. Failing to obtain good title to intellectual property, including patents and copyrights, which can cause the underpinnings of the company to crumble. Creating a "cheap stock" option, which can lead to problems when the SEC decides there is a significant difference between the actual value of the stock and the price at which it will be sold in an initial public offering, or IPO. Availability Please contact us at our email address: [email protected] or call at: (713) 397-7082. Please fill out the questionaire at this site and submit it to us. We generally are able to respond to you within 24 hours.