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AdobeStock_79495533-300x200Business disputes arise for many reasons. For example, a vendor might have a unpaid invoice that is several months overdue. Or an insurance company may refuse to pay on a claim after your factory suffered fire damage. Or perhaps you recently had a fallout with a partner and have been going back-and-forth on how to separate them from the business.

At a certain point in the process, you may need to send a formal document known as a demand letter to try and break the logjam. Conversely, another party may send you a demand letter. In either case, it is always best to work with an experienced California business litigation attorney who can advise you of your rights and responsibilities when it comes to demand letters. The team at Structure Law Group assists many California businesses in this area, and we can put that expertise to work for you.

How a Demand Letter Works

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AdobeStock_600446210-300x200Anytime you wish to file a lawsuit against someone in California, you need to be mindful of the statute of limitations. This is the legal deadline for initiating action on a particular type of claim. Failure to comply with the statute of limitations often means your case will be dismissed without consideration of the merits.

An experienced California business litigation attorney can help ensure that you meet the statute of limitations and all other legally mandated deadlines in your lawsuit. The last thing you want is for your case to be thrown out of court before it has even begun. The team at Structure Law Group can guide you through this process and make sure that does not happen.

What Are the Deadlines?

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AdobeStock_750357071-300x200The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the world through new trends, regulations, and shifts in user behavior. While AI offers numerous benefits, it also introduces significant risks, particularly concerning accuracy, accountability, data privacy, and security. By proactively implementing mitigation strategies, businesses can harness AI’s potential while protecting their operations and reputation. Below, we explore key considerations for deploying AI across business processes while minimizing legal and regulatory risks.

AI Accuracy and Accountability

A major obstacle to fully realizing AI’s capabilities is concerns about its accuracy and accountability. The core of this issue lies in the quality and quantity of the data used to train AI models. The accuracy of AI models directly reflects the data sets they are trained on. If these data sets are biased or inaccurate, the resulting algorithms can perpetuate hidden discrimination against certain groups. This lack of transparency raises questions about the reliability of the output data, which can be misleading, biased, or incorrect.

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AdobeStock_272289224-300x182A partnership involves two or more people agreeing to do business together for profit, even when you do not intend or there is no written agreement to form the partnership. Legal partnerships must comply with registration, filing, and tax requirements applicable to any business, and a Texas partnership attorney can assist people throughout the state who are considering forming partnerships.

You need to decide which kind of partnership you want to create, as there are several different kinds. General partnerships are the most common kind of partnership, and partners are entirely personally liable for all partnership debts; limited partnerships (LPs) allow for both limited and general partners, and the limited partners will not be liable for business debts beyond their own investments in the business although general partners will remain fully liable for an LP’s debts; limited liability partnerships (LLPs) afford protection to partners from business liabilities they had no hand in creating themselves; and limited liability limited partnerships (LLLPs) allow limited partners to have liability for business debts capped at the total amount of their investments.

Choose Your Partnership Name

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AdobeStock_625494364-300x200The escape clause is a clause, term, or condition in a real estate contract allowing one party to the contract to avoid performing their duties in relation to the contract. Escape clauses can offer both buyers and sellers of homes to exercise legal rights but can also be subject to abuse, so it is important to work with experienced Austin, TX real estate attorneys when you are in the process of buying or selling a home in Texas.

When an agreement is created for the sale of a house, a buyer might include an escape clause to allow themselves the opportunity to escape from the contract without being liable for breach of contract. Similarly, a seller might include an escape clause to allow them to accept a better offer for a home.

How Escape Clauses Work

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AdobeStock_300361069-300x200Texas is an at-will employment state, meaning at-will employees may be terminated at any time for any reason, as long as it is not an illegal reason when the decision is in the best interest of an employer. Terminating employees is rarely an easy decision, and any business struggling with employment decisions should work with an Austin employment lawyer.

The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) notes that no advance notice of termination or resignation is necessary, but when advance notice of resignation is given, it may be accepted, rejected, or modified by an employer. When a notice period is rejected, an employer does not have to pay for the time not worked by an employee since the duty to pay ends on the date a work separation becomes effective.

Planning Terminations

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AdobeStock_533470666-300x200Chapter 134A of the Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code is known as the Texas Uniform Trade Secrets Act, and Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code § 134A.002(6) establishes that a trade secret is defined as “all forms and types of information, including business, technical, scientific, economic, or engineering information as well as any design, formula, pattern, prototype, compilation, plan, program, code, program device, device, technique, method, process, procedure, financial data, or list of actual or potential customers or suppliers, whether it is tangible or intangible and whether or how compiled, stored, or memorialized physically, electronically, graphically, photographically, or in writing when an owner of a trade secret takes reasonable measures under the circumstances to keep the information secret, and the information derives actual or potential independent economic value from not being generally known to and not being readily ascertainable through proper means by another person who can obtain economic value from the disclosure or use of such information.” Trade secrets are valuable because there are considerable efforts to protect the information, and people will need to work with a Texas business attorney for help protecting their trade secrets.

A legal cause of action for exposed trade secret information is known as misappropriation of trade secrets. This occurs if a trade secret is improperly acquired or is otherwise disclosed or used without consent.

Reasonable Measures to Maintain Trade Secrets

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AdobeStock_527614812-300x200Enacted in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), enacted in 2022, stands as a pivotal United States federal law with a multifaceted approach addressing inflation, climate change, and healthcare costs. Representing the largest investment in climate action in U.S. history, the IRA is poised to achieve a substantial 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

This groundbreaking legislation incorporates diverse provisions strategically designed to curtail greenhouse gas emissions, foster renewable energy initiatives, and catalyze job creation within the burgeoning clean energy sector. Notably, the IRA allocates a substantial $369 billion investment in clean energy and climate change mitigation. This encompasses tax incentives for renewable energy projects, capital infusion into clean energy manufacturing, and financial support for climate research endeavors.

Emphasizing its commitment to advancing technologies that actively contribute to carbon neutrality, the IRA prioritizes Negative Carbon Use (NCU) technologies. These innovative solutions play a pivotal role in offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, offering companies a spectrum of benefits, including tax credits, government funding, and heightened market demand. Consequently, the IRA presents a momentous opportunity for corporations specializing in NCU technologies.

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AdobeStock_295110466-300x132Sexual harassment training is not necessary for non-government workers in Texas but is required for all state employees. If you are dealing with sexual harassment concerns in your workplace, makes sure you speak to a Texas employment attorney.

Changes to Texas sexual harassment laws last year have now made more companies view sexual harassment training as being more of a necessity. Sexual harassment training in the workplace may help employers avoid costly lawsuits and reduce potential employer liability.

New Texas Sexual Harassment Laws

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AdobeStock_238503198-300x200July 1, 2024, marks an important deadline for nearly all businesses in California. The new Workplace Violence Prevention Policy, SB553, goes into effect, aiming to enhance safety measures in the workplace. Here’s what you need to know:

What Does SB553 Entail?

SB553 mandates that all California businesses create and implement a comprehensive written plan which addresses various aspects of workplace safety, including risk assessment, prevention strategies, incident response protocols, and employee training.

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