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Meal and rest breaks are mandated by the state and allow employees to re-energize and reset during their workday. Surprisingly, providing a lunch break is not a federal requirement, however allowing employees to take breaks can reduce safety-related incidents in many industries. Failing to give an employee adequate breaks can result in steep fines from the state.

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California Law: Meal and Rest Breaks

Employees in California are legally owed meal and rest breaks depending on the amount of time worked. Here are the standard requirements for meal and rest breaks under California law. Continue reading ›

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If you suspect you may be sued due to an incident at your company, or if you’ve been served with a lawsuit, it’s important to act swiftly to protect yourself and by extension any evidence that may be relevant to your lawsuit.

Gathering and saving documentation is an important first step in protecting yourself. In court, there can be severe penalties if you fail to save all evidence that is relevant to your case, documentary or otherwise. Here are 4 things to consider in advance of a lawsuit to help ensure you aren’t accused of withholding information.

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4 Considerations if You Suspect You May Be Sued

  1. Hire Counsel

Hiring an attorney will help protect you and your business. An experienced attorney knows the ins and outs of the legal system and can advise you on how best to prepare if a lawsuit is coming. An attorney may also be able to help you avoid the lawsuit in the first place. Continue reading ›

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Purchasing real estate for investment purposes can be an excellent decision for individuals and businesses alike. Real estate tends to appreciate over the long-term, and both residential and commercial investment properties can generate significant rental income while building equity. Unfortunately in spite of the benefits, investment properties can also expose investors to significant legal liability as well.

Whether your property is an apartment building or a retail lot, issues that commonly arise within a building all have the potential to cause serious injury or financial loss. Fortunately, forming an LLC can help limit real estate investors’ personal liability and protect them from potential financial disaster.

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LLCs Protect Investors from Personal Liability

An LLC, or limited liability company, is a type of business formation that combines the liability protections of a corporation with the flexibility afforded by a partnership. They are particularly attractive to smaller companies and individual investors. LLCs can be owned by individuals or other businesses. Continue reading ›

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Selling your business can make a good profit when sold to the right buyer. When you decide to exit the company, selling your business may be a good strategy. A business sale may not be easy, but there can be many rewards and benefits. If you’re interested in selling your business for profit, there are 3 things to keep in mind to make sure the process goes smoothly and without a legal hitch.

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3 Tips for Selling Your Business

  1. Hire Counsel

You’ll need someone in your court with a background on financial and business transactions. An experienced business attorney can help you prepare necessary documents and close the sale. You’ll want to lay out all finances to see how they may impact your personal wealth. You also won’t want to let the stress of the sale process lead to missed deadlines or late filing of documents. There are a lot of planning, structural, legal, and financial issues involved with the sale of a business, so having an experienced business attorney will be critical to ensure you’re making the right decisions. Continue reading ›

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If you employ workers, chances are good that your business is subject to a number of labor laws enacted by the United States Department of Labor as well as the California Department of Industrial Relations. Failure to comply with these labor laws can cause a lot more than disgruntled workers; non-compliance can result in sanctions by the federal or state government and/or potential legal actions from employees to recover damages. Business owners are often not aware that they are violating the law until it is too late and they are facing costly legal consequences. The best way to preemptively avoid any labor law dispute is to consult with an experienced employment law attorney to ensure all of your policies and practices are in line with the law.

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Topics Covered By Labor Laws

Labor laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the California Labor Code cover a wide variety of topics related to employees, compensation, and more. The following are only a handful of issues that labor laws may affect: Continue reading ›

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A commercial lease is the agreement between a landlord and a business that outlines each party’s rights and responsibilities as they pertain to the rental of a property that is to be used for commercial purposes. Commercial leases are distinct from residential leases in that the party renting the property uses the property for business purposes rather than as a place to live. All too often tenants make the mistake of assuming that a standard form commercial lease will not hold any surprises; this assumption can have catastrophic consequences.

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Your monthly lease payment may be among the largest outlays for a business. Even if it is not, issues that arise regarding your use or access to the property that you rent may have a significant impact on your ability to effectively operate your business. For businesses that require a physical presence in order to sell their goods or services, a misunderstanding or dispute regarding your lease may effectively put you out of business, and could potentially reach your personal assets. As a result, making the investment in having an experienced business attorney review the terms of your lease can save you from making costly errors. Continue reading ›

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Among people who are actively involved in business, Delaware is known as the state that is perhaps the most corporation-friendly in the United States. According to the state of Delaware, it has been “preeminent” as a place for businesses to incorporate since the early part of the 20th century, and more than half of all Fortune 500 companies are incorporated in Delaware. Clearly, there must be certain benefits of incorporating in Delaware that have been attracting businesses for more than one hundred years. Some of the most commonly cited benefits of incorporating your business in Delaware are detailed below.

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Flexible laws – The Delaware General Corporation Law provides corporations and shareholders tremendous flexibility in the way a corporation operates. In fact, an official publication distributed by the Delaware Department of State indicates that its corporate law has been written with a “bias against regulation.” Continue reading ›

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If you’ve just been served with a lawsuit summons, you must work quickly to ensure you don’t compromise any of your rights. There are firm deadlines when it comes to lawsuits and steep penalties for missing them. Here are 5 things to keep in mind once you’ve been served.

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What to do When You’ve Been Sued: 5 Things to Keep in Mind

  1. Don’t Go At It Alone

Consult an experienced attorney who can help guide you through the litigation process. Getting sued is naturally stressful and draining and having a seasoned professional by your side will put you at ease. A lawyer will be able to explain the claims against you and what they mean, and advise you of your options. Continue reading ›

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California has distinct wage and hour laws in place to ensure the proper pay of employees. Employers often need clarification on California wage and hour laws. Each industry is different but here is an overview of requirements in the state.

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California Wage and Hour Laws

Minimum Wage

California’s minimum wage is set at $9.00 per hour. Unlike some states, California does not allow for tipped employees to be paid less than the state’s minimum wage.

Overtime

Employers often ask when they need to pay overtime wages.  Whether or not an employee is “salary” or “hourly” is not determinative of overtime pay entitlement, rather, it matters if the employee is “exempt” or “nonexempt.” “Nonexempt” employees are entitled to overtime at the rate of one and a half times their regular rate of pay for:

  • All time worked in excess of 8 hours in a workday
  • All time worked in excess of 40 hours in a workweek
  • The first 8 hours of work performed on a seventh (or more) consecutive workday

Continue reading ›

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If you’re thinking about starting a nonprofit, there are some steps to take before you begin. Forming a nonprofit organization is much like starting a regular corporation, except there are several additional steps you must take to ensure tax-exempt status, which includes a rigorous application process. Here are some common questions and their answers about forming a nonprofit organization.

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Forming a Nonprofit Organization: Common Questions and Answers

What does ‘501(c)3’ mean?

Being a 501(c)3 corporation means a company has been approved by the IRS as a charitable organization, exempt from specified taxes. The IRS may grant your nonprofit organization tax-exempt status if the nonprofit was formed for religious, charitable, scientific, literary or educational purposes, so long as the nonprofit does not distribute profits to individuals above reasonable compensation. Continue reading ›