A limited liability company (LLC) is a type of business entity. When formed properly and managed correctly, this business type can offer some protection from liability. Many business owners prefer the LLC because it can protect their personal assets from being used to satisfy the debts of the business. An…
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are complex business transactions with much on the line. If a merger or acquisition is not successful, a business can lose substantial assets. Of course, no one would intentionally enter into an acquisition transaction knowing it would fail; however, reports have indicated that more than half…
Selling a business can be an extremely lucrative prospect, but like any business transaction, the deal can go wrong and can be unnecessarily costly. The sale of a business usually is not the sale of one asset; instead, all the assets of the business are sold or transferred. One way…
There are many California requirements for an investor to be a holder in due course. A holder of an instrument is entitled to enforce the instrument. However, a “holder in due course” has greater rights under the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) and the California Commercial Code (COM) than a holder…
An earnout is a type of pricing structure used in mergers and acquisitions that makes some of the purchase price contingent on the performance of the business after the acquisition has taken place. In this sense, the sellers must “earn” this part of the sale price. At its most basic,…
Section 544 of the Bankruptcy Code, commonly referred to as the “strong arm” clause, gives the bankruptcy trustee the rights of a secured creditor. This allows the trustee to avoid for the benefit of the debtor’s creditors transfers or obligations that could have been avoided by an unsecured creditor under…
Government contracts can be lucrative for many companies, large or small. Often, one company wants to bid on a government contract but needs assistance from another company to fully perform the contracted work. In such cases, the two companies would combine their resources to share the bid and the contract,…
Many considerations go into deciding which legal entity to choose when starting a business. In some cases, as the business grows, it may even want to convert into a different entity type. For example, if it began as an LLC and the owner now plans on seeking angel investment, he/she…
If your business employs at least one person, you should always be aware of the ever-changing wage and hour laws in California and your particular city. In addition, if your company has locations and employees in multiple states or cities, you need to be in compliance with the laws of…
As the owner of a corporation, LLC, or other business, you want employees on your team who improve efficiency and increase profits. However, as cautious as you may be during the hiring process, there is always the chance that an employee may become a problem. In some cases, talking to…