|

Real-Estate-Investment-1-300x200It is often said that real estate, especially in California, is a strong and smart investment. Investing in commercial real estate in California can have both long and short-term financial benefits.  One may receive passive income from renting commercial real estate, which often includes operating costs for items such as tax, insurance, and common area and general maintenance and as Silicon Valley grows, the property may well appreciate resulting in substantial profits when the decision is made to sell the property. As such, many California companies are either investing in real estate or purchasing their own commercial properties to help offset the high costs of operating in Silicon Valley.

A common and effective way of holding commercial real estate is by forming a California real estate holding company – an entity that holds title to the real estate so as to attempt to minimize the owner’s overall liability in connection with the property and particularly with respect to litigation. The experienced San Jose real estate lawyers at Structure Law Group, LLP can evaluate your real estate investments and help you form an entity to protect your interests.

Benefits of Investing in Commercial Real Estate through a Real Estate Holding Company

Continue reading ›

|

AdobeStock_212993099-1024x683
Acquisition is the goal of many Silicon Valley startups. Whether you’re selling to another owner, dispersing your assets, or merging with an industry leader, there are three main types of private acquisition structures: merger, asset acquisition, and stock acquisition. There are benefits and fallbacks to each type of acquisition, and you should work with Silicon Valley mergers and acquisitions attorney at Structure Law Group, LLP to discuss your options.

Primary Private Acquisition Considerations

While there are many unique factors to consider before selecting an acquisition structure, corporate attorneys generally recommend you emphasize the following:

Continue reading ›

|

AdobeStock_125549643-300x200Employee benefits can be goods, services, or deferred compensation provided to employees in addition to wages. Federal law governs certain mandatory employee benefits, such as sick leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), while other benefits are voluntary perks of employment. In addition to the minimum requirements required by federal law, many states, including California require additional benefits.

For example, California requires employers to pay into or carry short-term disability insurance. Understanding mandatory employee benefits and the laws governing the same are crucial to starting a business in California. Business of all sizes that fail to adhere to federal and state employee benefits regulations may face costly litigation and/or tax penalties.

Types of Employee Benefits  

Continue reading ›

|

Trade-Secrets-300x169The federal Defend Trade Secrets Act (“DTSA”), which is mirrored by the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (“UTSA”) adopted by most states, provides employers with legal recourse after the misappropriation of their trade secrets. Whether employer trade secrets, defined as information that derives economic value by not being generally known, are illegally accessed by hackers or stolen by employees, there is no legal recourse for the theft under the DTSA if the trade secrets weren’t adequately protected. It is a necessary element of a claim for damages under the DTSA and related state legislation that an employer took reasonable precautions to protect its trade secrets. What constitutes “reasonable precautions,” however, is dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case.

Protecting Confidential Information & Trade Secrets from Employees

Not all confidential information qualifies as a trade secret. Accordingly, business practitioners recommend protecting confidential employer information from employee misuse through stringent employment contracts and confidentiality agreements. Its recommended employers insert the following clauses into their employment agreements:

Continue reading ›

|

AdobeStock_230581609-1024x683The future is here, and it’s blockchain technology. Originally developed as a means of trading cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, blockchain technology is a digital system that allows digital information to be shared without being copied or altered. It does this by acting as a transaction ledger for digital dealings, registering every change, trade, and attempted access for anything secured through the blockchain. One of the many benefits of using blockchain technology as a medium for trading digital currency is the relative ease of 24/7 international trade. However, this comes with its own dangers when personal information, including personal financial information, changes hands over international borders.

Selecting a Blockchain Company

Blockchain technology is a private, not public, development. The technology typically isn’t owned by any one government or corporation, and as such, many digital providers offer their own variations of blockchain technology. Different developers build private (or public) cryptographic ledger (“blockchain”) systems and offer use of the same to digital industry providers. For example, last year Forbes compiled a list of emerging blockchain companies offering their own cryptographic ledger services. Examples of these companies include:

Continue reading ›

|

AdobeStock_197945004-300x178California stock corporations are owned by their shareholders who then elect directors.  Directors, in turn, elect officers who handle a corporation’s day-to-day management. Accordingly, shareholders hold influential positions in a corporation through their voting power.

California requires corporations issuing more than one class of shares to designate the classes and/or series of stock in its articles of incorporation. A stock corporation’s capitalization, or “cap,” table is a type of ledger that designates shareholders’ percentage ownership and equity value.

Most early shareholders know the equity value of their ownership, but as companies add investors, assets, and shareholders, the shareholder ownership structure can shift. This may result in a dilution of shares, changing the structure of shareholder ownership. These changes can lead marginalized minority shareholders to file major shareholder litigation disputing changes to the corporate ownership structure.  While dilution may not affect the financial value of shares, it can have a drastic impact on voting rights and ownership structure.

Continue reading ›

|

Employee-Stock-Ownership-Plan-300x200The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reports that many companies are using stock options as a way to attract and retain employees in the booming California business market. Employees granted stock options can profit by purchasing shares at a set exercise price and trading them at a higher price. Stock option incentives not only make employees more involved in your company but also provide an incentive for employees to help your Palo Alto business succeed. The better your business, the better your employees’ eventual payout.

The experienced Palo Alto business plan and stock option attorneys at Structure Law Group can use their expertise to review your stock option plan. We can analyze market trends and help you choose the best exercise price for your goals while protecting your legal interests. To schedule your stock option consultation, call our Palo Alto, California business attorneys today at 408-441-7500 or contact us online.

California Stock Option Law

Continue reading ›

|

AdobeStock_279078466-300x188You’ve probably heard your grandfather complain that he did not patent the “mobile phone” he invented in 1942. If he had, he’d be a billionaire! Ideas come and go, but those who take the leap and protect those ideas often reap the benefits.

“Intellectual property” (“IP”) is defined as a unique “product of human intellect” protected by law. Intellectual property can be both in physical form, an idea, or even a design. Algorithms, programming techniques, song lyrics, and books are all forms of intellectual property. Federal law protects intellectual property from being used by unauthorized parties. Protecting business’s intellectual property will help the business maintain the value and benefit from their intellectual property. IP law is complex, and you’ll need the assistance of a Mountain View IP attorney from Structure Law Group to protect your rights under federal intellectual property law.

Types of Intellectual Property

Continue reading ›

|

AdobeStock_281012011-300x199
A market standoff agreement – also known as a lock-up agreement – is a legal contract which prevents company insiders from selling their shares in the company on the stock market for a certain period of time following an initial public offering (IPO). In most cases, the specified period of waiting time (i.e., the term of the market standoff) is typically 180 days. However, in some cases, the term can be anywhere from 90 days to one year.

The primary purpose of a market standoff agreement is to give the market time to “absorb” or “catch up” to the sale of recent new stock shares which are issued as part of the IPO. Otherwise, if company insiders or other individuals who hold stock in the company begin to sell their shares immediately, the stock’s value will more than likely decline quickly.

In most cases where company stock is issued to company employees, there is a standard clause in the written agreement which allows for insider sales to be locked during the IPO period. For more information about whether you or your company need a market standoff agreement, you should contact the corporate attorneys at Structure Law Group as soon as possible.

Continue reading ›

|

AdobeStock_69411638-300x200
Business law  frequently consists of contractual relationships. Contracts between business owners, shareholders, employees, clients, and vendors  are the very bones on which many businesses are formed. A single breach of contract litigation case in California, like a single broken bone, can cripple your entire business. For this reason, California law permits businesses to recover monetary damages for a breach of contract. Some damages are available by statutory law while others are specified in the contract. Strong business contracts can make or break your company. While you can’t prevent a breach of contract, you can often design contracts to maximum your position.

Litigating a Breach of Contract Case with a Los Angeles Litigation Attorney 

California Breach of contract litigation can get complicated, but a plaintiff Los Angeles Litigation Attorney must prove the following basic elements:

Continue reading ›