Articles Tagged with California corporate lawyer

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AdobeStock_507078931-300x169In the twenty-first century, information is power. Businesses are facing unprecedented challenges in the race to create, maintain and protect information. These challenges have become painfully obvious in recent years. Business owners have had to move their operations to an entirely remote format while still maintaining cybersecurity. Cybersecurity has been breached in multiple brazen attacks against some of the country’s largest companies. Information security can no longer be taken for granted by any successful business. The key to success starts with the right human infrastructure within your organization. The right Chief Information Officer can protect your company’s confidential client information, intellectual property, and trade secrets to prevent the legal liability and bad publicity that comes with a data breach.

How Corporate Information Changed During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The global economy has become increasingly interconnected in the early twenty-first. Business moved online as companies have expanded their reach across the world. For most companies, however, these online operations were merely supplemental to a workforce that primarily operated in person. All of that changed with the coronavirus pandemic. Suddenly, businesses were forced to move their operations entirely online if they wanted to survive. Data had to be secured to allow employees to work remotely via Zoom, Skype, WebEx, Facetime, and other video conferencing services. Two+ years into the pandemic, it seems clear that remote work will become more and more popular in the years to come. Businesses must find a way to facilitate this major change while ensuring the security of their data.

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AdobeStock_410226771-300x200The U.S. real estate market has been drastically changed by the effects of COVID-19. In the years before the pandemic, demand had already begun to outpace supply, but this problem became much worse very quickly when a global pandemic upended the market. The strong seller’s market is likely to continue throughout 2022. Learn more about interest rates, the factors that affect a real estate market, and how the corporate lawyers at Structure Law Group can help your business navigate these challenges.

Interest Rates

One of the key factors driving the real estate market has been low interest rates. Interest rates have, in fact, been at record lows for several years now. Low interest rates allow homeowners to borrow money at a low cost. Low mortgage rates lead to more homebuyers, which has slowly tipped the real estate market in favor of sellers. But there has also been inflation in 2022. For the first time in years, interest rates across the economy are starting to rise. So how will this impact the real estate market in 2022? Forbes spoke with three economic experts about their predictions for mortgage interest rates in 2022. Though their estimates ranged between 3.4 percent and 4.0 percent, all three experts predicted an increase in mortgage interest rates by the end of 2022. Rising interest rates tend to discourage some sellers from buying. While the rates can take some of the pressure off the current sellers’ market, it is important to understand that it is just one factor in a complex economy. Other factors will also determine whether 2022 sees a weak or strong real estate market.

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AdobeStock_497874499-300x169Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are quickly becoming one of the most popular digital assets online. An NFT is typically a unique piece of digital artwork that belongs exclusively to a single owner, with a blockchain-based digital ledger being used to record ownership. The NFT market surpassed $40 billion in 2021 and continues to grow in 2022. Unfortunately, as with any new technology, there are scammers who try to take advantage of this emerging market. If you are not certain about the legitimacy of a project, you can protect yourself and your business by getting legal advice about any digital asset you’re seeking to purchase.  Below are some examples of common NFT scams common in 2022.

1. Fake Websites and Social Media Accounts

Some scammers are able to replicate the website or social media channel of a legitimate NFT business. Often, these replicas are incredibly convincing, so it is important to use common sense security precautions before sending your crypto to buy an NFT or providing a website with any payment information. Check the website URL and verify it on the NFT marketplace. Confirm that social media channels are verified or are recognized on the company’s legitimate website. Look for security protection through antivirus software and other security protections on your network.

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AdobeStock_459683513-300x200Whenever a new president takes office, the business world speculates how their policies will affect corporate law and business. This speculation leads to some wild trading on the stock market, but business owners know they must take a more measured approach. The corporate lawyers at Structure Law Group are here to help you examine new Biden Administration policies and strategically plan for the effects they will have on your business.

Taxes

The Biden Administration has made no secret that its tax priorities are widely divergent from the tax policies of the Trump Administration. In general, the Biden tax policies are designed to curb the large tax breaks for large companies and wealthy individuals that were widely available under the Trump administration’s tax policies. Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda is focused on improving financial security for the middle class by easing tax burdens. U.S. Bank reports that these changes could affect taxpayers who:

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AdobeStock_309353202-300x199An equal split of shares between founders often seems like the fairest way to split equity in a young business. While this may be the simplest option, it comes with many hidden risks that most entrepreneurs are not aware of until it is too late and the business is in serious trouble. New companies can avoid this problem by working with an experienced startup lawyer from the very start. At Structure Law Group, we help entrepreneurs build a successful business from the ground up. Whether it is making decisions on your business entity type (i.e. choice of entity), your management structure, or your equity compensation, we advise and help design a company that is best suited to your unique needs.

Why Equal Split Of Shares Is the Worst Structure

There are many reasons why an equal split of equity can be the worst structure for the founders of a new business. Often, founders have different ideas about the contributions they will be making to the business. Some envision the creation of intellectual property, while others want to manage marketing and business plans. Some want an active role in the daily management of the company, while others want to invest more passively. These issues cannot be resolved in a single meeting. Often, founders must work together for a time in order to learn each person’s working style, expectations for each founder’s contributions, and vision for the company’s future. It takes partners time to know each other in a business relationship. And just as in a romantic relationship, legal agreements cannot always prevent painful and expensive litigation when the business relationship goes sour.

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AdobeStock_431953977-300x169A stock option pool has become an increasingly popular tool for startup companies. Entrepreneurs seeking to attract talented employees will often offer incentives that give employees motivation to make the company as profitable as possible, and equity compensation is a very popular option. There are different ways to offer these equity options to employees, and stock options pools are a popular choice. A pool allows a company to set aside a given portion of company stock to be issued to employees as stock options. While this is a convenient structure for many businesses, it is not always the best option. Learn more about the pitfalls of using a stock option pool – and the other options that might be better for your business.

The Difference Between Stock Options and Restricted Stock

Both stock options and restricted stock are forms of equity compensation made to employees. There are different restrictions that come with each form of compensation, and it is important for companies to understand these effects before making the choice of how to offer equity compensation. Restricted stock creates a role more similar to a traditional stockholder, and the employee may vote and receive dividends. Employers may also reserve the right to buy back restricted stock (or at least have the right of first refusal) in order to maintain control of the company. Stock options are more limited. Employees are usually limited to the right to buy company stock at a set price in the future. This right can create a windfall if company stock exceeds the set price, but it does not give the employee voting or dividend rights. Because there are no voting rights and no set number of shares, employers generally do not retain the right to buy back stock options. Both restricted stock and stock options can be subject to vesting requirements in order to encourage long-term employment.

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AdobeStock_73458159-300x157Venture capital is a critical source of capital for any new startup. However, venture capital does not need to come with overly draconian conditions. Venture capital may be contingent on the funders receiving Board seats, and funding is typically offered in exchange for equity. But just how much equity should venture capital investors receive? If too much is given away, founders may lose control of their own business. Founders must understand how to use equity strategically in order to get the maximum benefits.

Typical Apportionments or Dilution At Each Round Of Funding

Funding must account for the competing interest of founders, the initial seed investors, venture capital investors, and employees who receive equity compensation. This can make it difficult – if not impossible – to come up with a split that everyone considers to be “fair.” While each company has different needs, here is a common scenario at a Series A round of funding with venture capital:

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AdobeStock_239826817-300x200The Board of Directors is a critical factor in the success – or failure – of any new startup company. Entrepreneurs must therefore be strategic about if and when they give Board seats to investors. Entrepreneurs must also be cautious of the total number of seats that are given away. Board seats represent voting power, and if investors create a voting block, they could change the entire direction of the company. They could even vote the founders out entirely.

The Difference Between the Board Of Directors and an Advisory Board

The key difference between a board of directors and an advisory board is the authority to make binding decisions on behalf of the company. An advisory board provides strategic – but non-binding – advice about the management of a company. The Board of Directors has the authority to make binding decisions of a company. Some investors may be satisfied to receive a seat on an advisory board and simply consult about the direction of the company. Others may require a seat on the Board in order to retain the authority to make binding decisions. This is especially common in when financing from venture capitals. Because venture capitals usually involve a larger investment than angel or seed money, finance professionals want to protect their investment by staying directly resolved in the management of the startups.

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AdobeStock_299947443-300x162It is important to structure a business entity that will best meet your needs before starting a new business. Even once you have selected a corporation over a partnership or LLC, there are still choices to be made. S corporations and C corporations have some similarities. There are also critical differences, and it is important to understand how each type of corporation functions before selecting the one that will best meet your business needs. 

Only One Class Of Stock

There are several key differences in how ownership may be held in S corporations and C corporations. S corporations may issue only one class of stock, while C corporations can have multiple classes. S corps are limited to a maximum of one hundred shareholders – all of whom must be United States citizens or lawful residents. C corporations have no such restrictions on ownership. S corporations also cannot be owned by other S corporations, C corporations, LLCs, partnerships, or trusts. These stock and ownership restrictions make an S corporation unsuitable for many corporations. Be sure to consult with your business lawyer about your specific plans for issuing stock and apportioning ownership in your new business.

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AdobeStock_278805688-300x200Term sheets are, by design, made to be simple. They are supposed to give a general overview of a proposed investment in very broad terms. Despite this, a term sheet can contain provisions that could create complications for your business in the future. An experienced investment lawyer can help you fully understand the implications of all term sheet provisions in order to protect your business from future problems.

Investment Amount

The amount to be invested is usually the most important provision of a term sheet. Many investors, especially new investors, get distracted by the overall amount of the proposed investment, which can distract an entrepreneur from other important investment terms. The investment could be contingent on the business being valued above a set amount. It could come in installments. The installments could also be contingent on the business meeting certain goals by certain dates. Business owners must thoroughly understand the terms of any such contingencies and how they could impair the company’s ability to secure the full amount of the proposed investment.

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