Recent Blog Posts
Which is safer: a SAFE or a Subscription Agreement?
When you’re managing your startup, one of the first orders of business is to raise funding for your ventures. This will involve attracting and negotiating with investors. These investors will trade capital for equity in your business. Managing these relationships (and funds) can result in a lot of pressure and liability for your young… Read More »
Subscription Agreements and Private Investments
In 2019, there were four million small businesses in California. But many of California’s smaller businesses are economically fragile and more likely to close during financial downturns like we’re currently experiencing. In the best of times, funding can be difficult to come by for small businesses. Your company may be too small and too… Read More »
Sweepstakes 101: What You Need to Know about Giveaway Contests
Sweepstakes, giveaways, and contests, oh my! For business owners and consumers, a giveaway always sounds like a great idea. Who doesn’t love free stuff? But if you’re running a giveaway contest in California, you need to know where the legal lines are. While a giveaway, sweepstakes, or contest may be perfectly legal, a lottery… Read More »
How to Conduct Raffles with Nonprofits in California
Everyone loves a raffle. It’s a quick way to raise money, and it seems like a great way to support everything from the school PTA to the local Humane Society. Raffles are among the most popular fundraisers for charitable organizations nationwide. But in California, the rules about raffles are stricter than in most other… Read More »
Responding to a Lawsuit
As a business owner, few ordeals are as nerve-wracking and potentially damaging to your company’s reputation as a lawsuit. Whether it’s a disgruntled employee, an unhappy client, or a discontented vendor, the repercussions could be permanently damaging without an attorney by your side. Moreover, a favorable outcome is not always guaranteed, even when you… Read More »
Why is it Important to Copyright Your Music?
If you’re a musician, you know that you invest a lot of time, effort, and passion into every piece. There’s a good chance, after all that work, that you would like to protect your projects. Filing a music copyright will help with this goal. If you copyright your music, you’re essentially protecting your government-given… Read More »
How to Manage Your Business Through a Legal Emergency
At some time, every business will suffer some kind of crisis or emergency. The nature of potential emergencies is as varied as the nature of businesses. A crisis can disrupt your business’ operations, threaten to harm people, damage your reputation, and negatively impact your finances. You are likely already aware of many of the… Read More »
How California’s Consumer Protection Laws Could Make the State a Hotspot for COVID-19 Lawsuits
Only a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 50 class action lawsuits, all related to the pandemic, have already been filed in California because the state is a particularly hospitable venue for consumer class action lawsuits. Why California? Specifically, the state’s newly passed, plaintiff-friendly, cybersecurity law, as well as the California Unfair… Read More »
What California Car Dealers Need to Know About the Consumer Legal Remedies Act (“CLRA”)
California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act (“CLRA”) has protected consumers since 1970, especially consumers who may not be especially savvy. You may know the law better by its colloquial name—the Lemon Law—and you may also know that it is used most often against used car dealers. Written Notice & Attorney’s Fees To file a successful… Read More »
Here’s Why the FDA is Rushing on COVID Test Kits
The need for urgent solutions to the global COVID-19 pandemic has led the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to speed the arrival of several diagnostic tests for the virus to the market. While it typically takes several months before the FDA will allow a medical device or test to be sold in the United… Read More »
