Some tax law changes recently went into effect that that will have an impact on both individuals and businesses in San Jose and throughout the State: Yet Another Gas Tax Increase On February 28th the Board of Equalization approved a 3.5 cent gas tax increase, effective July 1, 2013. This…
Articles Posted in Corporations
Closing the Deal: Boring is Best
Having represented both buyers and sellers in mergers and acquisition transactions in Silicon Valley for more years than I care to admit, I have been through a number of closings. Some M&A closings that I have been involved in were smooth affairs, accomplished through an exchange of a single phone…
Do I Really Need to Formally Dissolve My Corporation?
A few years ago, I met with a new client here in San Jose about forming a corporation for his real estate management business. He wanted to use his name as the name of the corporation, e.g. John Smith, Inc., and he had no problems with using his name as…
2013 Changes to California Laws that Affect San Jose Taxpayers
Although 2013 is well under way, taxpayers in San Jose may not be aware of changes to California laws that may affect them. Some of these changes include: Proposition 30 With all the talk about federal income taxes going up this year, do not forget about the Proposition 30 retroactive…
More Case Law for Employee Non-Compete Agreements
Having practiced corporate law in Silicon Valley for 15 years, I must say that there is nothing more frustrating for my clients, who are mostly closely held businesses in the San Jose area, than spending months or years training an employee only to have her leave and go on to…
New Court Decision Prompts Websites to Revise their Terms
As a Silicon Valley corporate attorney, I work with a lot of Internet law and cyberspace law issues and am often asked by businesses to make sure their websites keep them free from trouble. Whether you are a large, multi-national corporation, a mid-size company, or a small business owner, chances…
Closing Conditions or Why Isn’t the Future What I Thought It Was, Part 1
Whether an acquisition is in San Jose, Cupertino, San Francisco, or anywhere else in California or the United States, any corporate lawyer will tell you that a buyer will not close a deal unless certain conditions are satisfied. Fortunately, closing conditions contained in mergers and acquisitions documentation have become standardized.…
Processing Delays at the California Secretary of State Continue for Business Documents Filings
In the past couple of years, corporations and limited liability companies that were formed or registered in California have had to deal with long delays from the Secretary of State in getting their documents processed. Whether the document that is being filed is a Statement of Information, Certificate of Dissolution…
When the Minimum Franchise Tax is Not the Minimum Franchise Tax
Every corporation, limited liability company and limited partnership, that either forms in California or registers to do business in California must pay an annual minimum franchise tax of $800. However, I just read an article in Spidell’s California Taxletter that really annoyed me (Volume 34.7, July 1, 2012, pages 75-76).…
U.S. Market Entry – The Flip-Up
San Jose and Santa Clara are such vibrant places to do business that many foreign companies want to relocate to Silicon Valley. As a corporate lawyer working with start-up companies, I have helped a number of ventures enter the U.S. market, and have worked with companies from Australia, Canada, China,…