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AdobeStock_390212429-300x200Intellectual property theft costs businesses billions each year. If you believe that someone is misusing your patent, copyright, or trademark, you need to act quickly to protect your interests. The California intellectual property attorneys at Structure Law Group, LLP discuss how to respond to IP theft issues.

Types of intellectual property

Companies have legal protection over patented designs or processes, trademarks, and copyrights. Trade secrets are something else entirely. Theft of patents, trademarks, or copyrights can result in lawsuits against other companies or individuals.

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AdobeStock_366696178-300x200Many startups jumped onto the cryptocurrency bandwagon by offering Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) in lieu of IPOs. But there were pitfalls here as there are with any new technology. ICOs can act like IPOs which are typically securities offered to investors.

If so, then the SEC governs the transaction. On the other hand, not all IPOs are securities. These are known as utility tokens and do not offer a share of the venture, but rather some other benefit, such as free services or the right to purchase a stake later.

Even with some confusion over the ICO itself, major investment banks are beginning to jump on the ICO bandwagon. In this article, a Silicon Valley cryptocurrency attorney discusses the pros and cons of ICOs to generate investment capital.

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AdobeStock_196855233-300x200When any party is in the process of merging or acquiring another company, due diligence is absolutely necessary, and many recent mergers and acquisitions (M&As) cases have demonstrated the importance of conducting thorough due diligence reviews or evaluations. When you are in the process of buying another company, you will want to be sure you seek the help of a Texas business lawyer.

Due diligence activities in any M&A transaction can be very expansive, and the costs of conducting due diligence reviews or evaluations are often justified because performing this work typically means companies can avoid the significant costs associated with not performing due diligence. There are five major issues all due diligence reviews should be sure to focus on.

Target Company Overview

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Untitled-design-54-300x214If you have an LLC from another state, you might wonder whether you need to move it to California. This process of conversion (also called “domestication”) does take time and effort. There are, however, important reasons why you should invest in this legal protection. The San Jose LLC attorneys at Structure Law Group are here to answer all your questions about out-of-state LLCs. Our San Jose business formation lawyers have helped many business owners find the right business entity, form their business properly, and domesticate out-of-state businesses as California LLCs. Learn more about how to move your out-of-state LLC to California properly.

How do I file paperwork to domesticate a “foreign” LLC?

The Office of the Secretary of State handles conversions of out-of-state LLCs. (The term “foreign” business refers to any business established outside of California, even if it is inside the U.S.) Forms and fees must be submitted to this office, and it is important to be sure that your paperwork is completed correctly. Errors can leave your business without LLC protection.

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AdobeStock_283587757-300x200People can create a partnership whenever two or more people agree to do business together, and there is no formal paperwork required to establish the partnership when people agree to do business with one another. It is still recommended that you hire Austin business partnership attorneys for assistance in ensuring your partnership enjoys full legal protections.

You also need to consider which kind of partnership you are forming because the general partnership that is the most common type of partnership means the partners will be personally liable for all partnership debts. Limited partnerships (LPs), limited liability partnerships (LLPs), and limited liability limited partnerships (LLLPs) can all offer liability protections.

Steps to Starting a Partnership

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AdobeStock_330337077-300x200Money changes hands frequently in the United States, and debtors refer to people who owe money while creditors are the parties who are owed money. It can often be a contentious relationship between these two parties, and an Austin, TX creditor and debtor rights attorney can help both sides exercise their rights.

Each side of a debt issue will rely on unfair generalizations about other parties, such as creditors being overly aggressive and greedy while debtors are supposedly lazy and unreliable. The truth is usually much more complicated.

Debtor Rights in Texas

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AdobeStock_427349372-300x147Here in San Jose, intellectual property (IP) is the most valuable asset many companies own. Individuals, too, have IP rights that must be protected. The San Jose intellectual property attorneys at Structure Law Group, LLP help businesses and individuals protect their intellectual property. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recognizes different tools that can be used to protect different types of IP. Keep reading to learn more about the four  distinct types of intellectual property that are recognized by law.

Patents

According to the USPTO, patents are an IP tool used to protect technical inventions. These technical inventions can be chemical compositions, mechanical processes, or machine designs. When a technical invention is protected with a patent, the patent holder may prevent others from using the invention in any way without their permission.

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AdobeStock_180825526-300x184One of the first steps to starting your business is forming the business entity.  For a variety of reasons, a limited liability company (LLC) can be an attractive option. There are several benefits to creating an LLC, and an Texas LLC lawyer can help you take all of the necessary steps to help you take advantage of them.

If you are starting a business, one of the biggest advantages to an LLC is that it can limit your personal liability for debts the business incurs, meaning that your home and personal bank account cannot be used to pay business debts or any liabilities if you or a business partner are sued. Additionally, you may deal with less paperwork once the LLC is up and running, there may be certain tax advantages, and you have flexibility to make the LLC operate how you want it to when it comes to ownership, management, and how profits are shared and distributed amongst the owners.

Steps to Starting an LLC

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Untitled-design-14-300x214While record inflation may be having a negative impact on home sales nationwide, Texas stands out as a sort of exception to the rule. Multiple housing markets in Texas continued to see increases even while many other parts of the country were suffering.  If you are considering entering the real estate market in Texas, you will want to work with a Texas real estate attorney.

Several statistics and figures outline the continuing growth that Texas is experiencing. Many investors are, in turn, looking to Texas for their next commercial real estate investment project because there is so much potential.

Commercial Real Estate Facts in Texas

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One of the legal services that corporate attorneys provide is advising startups with strategies to protect their long term interests. Each business entity has specific tax requirements and a San Jose business attorney can help you determine which is best for your venture. In this article, we’ll discuss specific business entities and how they’re taxed.

  • Sole proprietorship

A sole proprietorship is not a business entity. It’s the default state of an individual who owns a business. Those who run sole proprietorships are taxed as individuals with assets and profits. The biggest pitfall of the sole proprietorship is that you end up paying both the employee and the employer side of social security. These are typically split between employer and employee.

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