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A corporate merger is a transaction in which two or more companies combine to form one entity. Due to the complexity of merger transactions, it is highly recommended that anyone contemplating entering into such a transaction retain legal counsel. Here are three examples of how an attorney can assist in a corporate merger.

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Mergers can occur in a variety of ways such as a reverse merger, horizontal merger or vertical merger with consideration being made with stock, cash, a combination of both and other variations. Each of these merger structures have various legal and tax implications that are often significant. For this reason, the advice of a skilled attorney is critical to structuring a merger transaction in the most beneficial way possible.

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Very generally stated, the Board of Directors of a California corporation is responsible for the way in which the corporation is run. California law requires every corporation in the state to have a board of directors and, according to the text of the law, “all of the activities and affairs of a corporation shall be conducted and all corporate powers shall be exercised by or under the direction of the board.” While this may make is seem as if a company’s board of directors participates in the everyday management of the business, this is usually not the case, and corporate boards regularly delegate management of a business to individuals who may or may not be a member of the board.

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How is a Board of Directors Formed?

When a company incorporates, it is required to file a document called “articles of incorporation” with the Secretary of State’s Office. This document establishes much of the basic identity about a corporation, including its name, how much stock it will issue, and the way in which the board of directors will be chosen.  California law requires that every board of directors has a chairperson or a president (or both), a secretary, and a treasurer or chief financial officer (or both), as well as any other named officers that may be required by a corporation’s bylaws.

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Starting a business entity is a complicated issue that can be compounded by things such as founder’s stock and each founder’s respective contribution. Equity considerations can be extremely important in starting a business, especially when one founder contributes intellectual property (IP) rather than cash or labor.

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What is Founder’s Stock?

Awarding a company founder stock is a relatively common practice in business formation, particularly in situations in which a startup is new and not yet generating income.  Doing so gives the contributing founder a measurable property interest in the newly formed entity. Typically, these stocks have a very low face value so that the founder receives a large amount of stock respective to his or her contribution.

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Contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers have many tools at their disposal to protect their rights under construction contracts. While the mechanic’s lien is one of the most common ways a contractor or supplier can ensure full payment for their services, this type of legal tool can only be used for private construction projects against the private property owners. For this reason, many people who enter into government contracts may wonder what their options may be under the law to make sure they are properly compensated for their work. One of the most important tools under such circumstances is the payment bond.

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What is a payment bond?

Payment bonds are common in many large-scale private construction projects and are further required in by California law for the following:

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Enforceable contracts that accurately describe an agreement between the parties are essential to any business, regardless of industry. Contracts arise in many relationships, including with partners, businesses, suppliers, employees, and client or customers, and a company of even moderate size could easily have thousands of contracts with various parties. For this reason, implementing a system to manage contracts and ensure compliance can significantly improve efficiency, improve compliance, and reduce the risk of incurring legal liability that can arise from contract disputes. In addition, an effective contract management system can help automate certain tasks, significantly reducing the risk of human error resulting in a costly dispute. Below are 4 ways in which implementing a contract management system can help businesses in every aspect of the contract lifecycle management process.

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  • Keep all contracts in a central repository – This benefit may seem simple, but consider the inefficiency involved in an employee searching through files upon files for a contract that may have been executed years ago. An effective contract management system can keep a copy of the contract itself while also summarizing key facts regarding the agreement in a way in which they are easily accessible to those searching.
  • Create a database of standard agreement and pre-approved substitutions – There is no need to reinvent the wheel every time your company enters into a new agreement. Creating a standardized contract for use in recurring situations as well as standard substitutions that are pre-approved for use can significantly improve efficiency in contract drafting and execution.
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Many individuals who are citizens of foreign countries want to take advantage of the economic market in the United States. More specifically, California is a particularly popular state in which to start a business as a foreign national due to the close connections with the tech industry and the large and diverse population, among other reasons. If you are a foreigner considering conducting business in California, there is good news for you—neither residency nor citizenship is required to do so. Instead, you need only go through very similar steps as a U.S. citizen starting their own business with the state.

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The following are some important steps that you must take to start your California business:

  • Choose your business entity – This is an important decision with many implications and your options, including corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or limited partnership, should be carefully weighed. An experienced business attorney can assist you in choosing the correct entity for your type of business and your goals.
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Too often, a contractor, subcontractor, laborer, or material supplier on a construction job does not receive the compensation they deserve for the work they have performed or supplies they provided for the project. Fortunately, California law provides a method by which contractors and others can pursue adequate payment. If the job is a private construction project, a primary tool for receiving payment is the mechanics lien. The following are some brief explanations for frequently asked questions amount mechanics liens in California.

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What exactly is a mechanics lien?

A mechanics lien is a tool that creates a security interest in the property on which you worked. After a certain amount of time and if payment is not received from the property owner, you can then sue to foreclose on the lien to satisfy the lien amount.

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Start-ups are popping up all around the country. As our society continues its shift towards a strong, tech-driven economy, more and more individuals are looking to find the “next big thing,” especially in the tech industry. Entrepreneurs are more and more motivated by success stories such as those of Uber, Facebook, and Airbnb.

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But tech start-ups, while popular, are just one of the types of businesses that are appearing in the commercial landscape. 514,000 people became new business owners in 2012. As the US economy continues to improve, that number continues increasing.  Venture financing is a driving force behind the dynamic growth of small businesses such as start-ups. The National Venture Capital Association estimates that venture capital firms manage nearly $193 billion in total capital.

Vesting Schedules

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When a person is considering starting a business, one of the first questions that often arises is which state to incorporate in. Many people simply choose the state in which they live and plan to do business, as it often seems to be the easiest and simply makes sense. In many cases, the decision to incorporate in your state of residence is perfectly fine and has no real long-term impact. It is important to note, however, that the choice of jurisdiction in which a business is incorporated has the potential to have a significant effect on a company’s tax liability and the way in which the business is run on a day-to-day basis. For this reason, anyone who is considering forming a business should discuss his or her options with an experienced Silicon Valley startup attorney familiar with corporate law throughout the United States.Fotolia_85658726_Subscription_Yearly_M-300x300

Why does it matter?

Corporations and Limited Liability Companies, two of the most popular business formations that can shield owners from personal liability, are created by state law. As a result, there are 50 different sets of rules that apply to business formation and corporate governance. Furthermore, each state has a separate state taxation scheme that can result in significant differences in tax liability. Some of the issues that will depend on where you choose to incorporate include the following:

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Articles of Incorporation are an essential requirement of forming a California startup corporation. This document is filed with the California Secretary of State’s office and establishes the corporation as a legal entity as well as certain key facts about the corporation, including the name of the corporation, its principal place of business, the name and address of its registered agent, the purpose of the corporation, and others. One of the most important decisions that founders are faced with when filing an Articles of Incorporation is how many shares of stock to authorize. There are many considerations that should be addressed when making this decision, so it is important for anyone considering forming a corporation to discuss their circumstances and goals with an experienced Silicon Valley business law attorney.Articles-of-Incorporation-300x225

Determining how many shares to issue can be complicated

Authorizing shares allows a company to divide ownership among many different parties and also makes it possible to raise capital. As such, it is important to authorize enough shares to accommodate growth but not so many as to make individual shares nearly worthless. Importantly, not all the shares that the Articles of Incorporation authorizes have to be issued, so a company can reserve shares for issuance at a later date. Some of the reasons it may be beneficial to authorize more shares than you plan on issuing include the following:

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