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AdobeStock_777848814-300x168The world of corporate law might seem dry to some, but television shows and movies have a way of bringing it to life with drama, intrigue, and high stakes. While these portrayals are meant to entertain, they also offer valuable insights into the complexities of corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, and employment law. Let’s take a look at some of the lessons we can learn from how corporate law is depicted in pop culture.

Mergers and Acquisitions: More Than Just Business

If you’ve ever watched Succession, you’ve seen how the show dramatizes the intricacies of mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Hostile takeovers, shareholder activism, and the challenges of merging different corporate cultures are all part of the storyline. While these elements are heightened for dramatic effect, they mirror the real-world challenges of M&A. Businesses involved in these deals must navigate complex legal frameworks, manage stakeholder interests, and integrate operations—all while striving to remain profitable. The show highlights the critical importance of strategic planning and legal due diligence, reminding us that any misstep can lead to catastrophic consequences.

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AdobeStock_439037030-300x215Businesses of any size can benefit from the services of an experienced San Jose employment attorney. The employment lawyers at Structure Law Group represent companies ranging from one-member LLCs to Fortune 500 firms employing thousands of workers. Here are just a few examples of what our employment attorneys can do for you and your business.

Making Sure You Have Effective Employment Practices

The moment that your company employs its first worker, whether it is a W-2 employee or a 1099 contractor, you incur a number of legal obligations and responsibilities. These relationships require effective management both from a personal and a legal perspective. A qualified employment attorney can help you with the latter in a number of ways, including but not limited to:

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AdobeStock_277580884-300x200No matter what size Texas business you run, social media has become critical for brand visibility, customer engagement, and market insight. Compared to traditional advertising channels, social media is a cost-effective marketing tool that builds brand loyalty, targets specific audiences, and provides a platform for direct customer interaction, which drives sales and growth.

Social media is essential for staying competitive in today’s digital landscape, and companies need a social strategy. This includes figuring out how your business should use social media to promote its goods and services. It also means establishing the right social media policy for your employees.

Many Texas employers are uncertain of their rights when regulating employees’ social media use. Indeed, there are a number of potential traps that an uninformed employer may fall into when attempting to come up with a consistent set of rules. A qualified Structure Law Group Texas employment attorney can assist you in drafting, reviewing, and revising a social media policy that can work for both management and your employees.

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AdobeStock_790253626-300x158Artificial intelligence (“AI”) is rapidly transforming the workplace, with significant implications for hiring and employment practices. While AI can offer potential benefits such as efficient and streamlined operations boosted workforce productivity, improved decision-making, and enhanced employee experience, it can also introduce significant legal challenges. This article examines the key legal considerations that businesses operating in Texas should address as they navigate the evolving AI landscape for hiring and employment practices. By understanding these challenges and implementing proactive strategies, Texas-based businesses can harness the power of AI while mitigating legal risks and ensuring fair employment practices.

The Growing Use of AI in Employment

Employers are increasingly utilizing AI-powered platforms in recruitment to identify potential candidates, often relying on data from social media. Algorithms are used to assess candidate profiles, sometimes making initial decisions about their suitability for a role. Automated interviews conducted entirely or partially by AI are becoming more common, employing natural language processing and facial recognition to analyze candidate responses. Beyond hiring, AI tools are also being used in performance evaluations, helping to assess employee strengths, weaknesses, and potential areas for development.

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AdobeStock_503316415-300x200If you have established, or are thinking about forming, a corporation in California, then you’ll need to create a set of corporate bylaws. This may sound like an unnecessary formality – especially if you are a start-up with just a handful of shareholders and employees. However, no matter the size of your corporation, bylaws are a necessity that can help protect you and your business. The experienced Los Angeles corporations lawyers at Structure Law Group can assist you in preparing corporate bylaws that will help keep your business on the right legal path.

The Purpose of Bylaws

Corporate bylaws serve as the governing rules for managing a corporation. A corporation’s board of directors is responsible for adopting, revising, and repealing bylaws. While the bylaws don’t need to cover every minute detail of the corporation’s day-to-day operations, they should provide a fundamental “roadmap” for how the business will be conducted.

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AdobeStock_742719368-300x86As with personal relationships, business partnerships can also reach their conclusion. This can be a planned event or an unexpected change, such as a partner’s death or retirement, which necessitates winding down the partnership. In such situations, the Silicon Valley partnership attorneys at Structure Law Group can provide expert advice on how to dissolve a business amicably and on good terms.

Why Do California Partnerships Dissolve?

The reality is that most Silicon Valley businesses do not last indefinitely. This is especially true of partnerships, which depend on the ongoing participation of the individual partners in the business. There are several reasons a partnership can dissolve, including but not limited to:

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AdobeStock_505784791_Editorial_Use_Only-300x200Although platforms like Slack and Teams have become indispensable tools for modern collaboration, their widespread adoption raises crucial legal and compliance challenges for organizations. These platforms store a vast amount of user data, including messages, files and even employee metadata. They are subject to stringent data privacy regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The GDPR has stricter regulations for EU citizen data privacy, demands explicit opt-in consent and grants extensive data subject rights like access and erasure. On the other hand, the CCPA, which is focused more on California residents, prioritizes data transparency and consumer control through access, deletion and opt-out mechanisms for data sales. Yet/overall, both regulations emphasize the importance of user empowerment regarding their data, requiring organizations to implement robust data protection measures and obtain informed consent for data storage and usage.

While conversation platforms offer significant collaboration benefits, their use necessitates navigating data privacy and compliance complexities. As such, organizations must prioritize user rights by:

  • Informed User Consent: Organizations must obtain explicit user agreement for data storage and usage. This involves clearly outlining the types of personal data collected, the purpose of collection, and how the data will be used in accordance with data privacy regulations.
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AdobeStock_711416963-300x200Acquisitions can significantly enhance a company’s capabilities and market reach, but they also can bring substantial cybersecurity and privacy risks. These risks are particularly pronounced in states like California and Texas, where more stringent data protection requirements and privacy laws apply. Properly addressing these risks is critical to ensuring a smooth transition and maintaining compliance with legal requirements. This article highlights some factors that mitigate post-acquisition cybersecurity and privacy risks, including document retention, records management, legal preservation, and data privacy.

Document Retention

Document retention policies are crucial post-acquisition to mitigate cybersecurity risks and ensure legal compliance. In California, under the stringent provisions of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) companies must retain personal data only for as long as necessary for disclosed purposes and securely dispose of it thereafter. Similarly, Texas, under its Business and Commerce Code Section 521.052, mandates the protection and proper disposal of sensitive personal information, emphasizing the importance of employing secure document destruction methods. Key strategies include identifying critical data for long-term retention, aligning retention policies with state-specific requirements to avoid penalties, and implementing secure disposal methods to safeguard against unauthorized access to sensitive information.

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) and generative AI have been revolutionizing various sectors, and the legal industry is no exception. The deployment of these technologies is transforming how legal professionals operate, enhancing efficiency and opening new avenues for creative problem-solving. The use of AI in the legal domain encompasses a diverse range of services:

  1. Legal Research Using Specialized Technology Legal research can be time-consuming. AI-powered legal research platforms like Co-Counsel can analyze and summarize vast amounts of legal data to identify statutes, and regulations. These technologies can sift through databases to find relevant information quickly. By leveraging natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms, these tools help lawyers build stronger cases faster using fewer resources.
  2. Rewriting Emails and Letters Generative AI excels in tasks involving language generation and rewriting. Lawyers frequently draft, revise, and personalize emails and letters. AI can assist by providing polished drafts, suggesting edits, and ensuring that the tone and language are appropriate for the intended audience. This not only saves time but can enhance the clarity and effectiveness of communication.
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AdobeStock_38444038-300x201Business Partnership Lawsuits — Disputed Between LLC Members, Shareholders, General Partners, or Limited Partners

Nobody enters a business partnership or relationship expecting to end up in litigation, but disputes may arise that can only be resolved through a formal legal process. If you are involved in such a lawsuit, the San Jose partnership lawyers at Structure Law Group can provide you with professional advice, guidance, and representation throughout the process.

Why Partnership Lawsuits Happen

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