Category: Blog

What is 506(c) Offering and What Does It Mean for Financing Your Company?

A New Day for Startups Seeking Capital The Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act of 2012 was designed to assist startups – especially new small businesses – in obtaining capital without having to comply with some of the restrictions that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had put in place governing other types of transactions. However, a 506(c) offering may or may not be the best method of raising capital for your new business. Benefits of 506(c) Offerings in General The new...

JGPC Law - Alameda County Business and Corporate Mediation Attorneys

Is That a Patent, Trademark or Copyright?

Written by JGPC Business Law.

Gerald R. Prettyman, J.D., LL.M. If you wouldn’t know a patent if one bit you[1], you are not alone. Most of the public doesn’t know the difference, and there are lawyers who are uncertain of the differences. Today, though, you are lucky enough to have this article in front of you to learn the difference. Bear in mind, however, this is just an overview. If you want to know more, refer to the footnotes. Patents First – a patent provides a patent owner with the exclusive right to exclude...

Patent Attorneys Protect Your Company’s Investments

Written by JGPC Business Law.

When you acquire a new headquarters for your business or a valuable, tangible asset to help your company grow, you naturally (and wisely) take steps to protect that asset or property with insurance and security. Many business owners, though, fail to take similar measures to protect their intangible assets. Ideas, songs, slogans, and trademarks may not seem like “assets” in the traditional sense of the word, but for many companies, these items, their intellectual property, out value their...

What is Required in a California Non-Disclosure Agreement?

Written by JGPC Business Law.

All attorneys and paralegals from JGPC Business Law are working remotely and fully functional during the sheltering period. If you wish to reach us, send us an email or call the office. When your business hires a new employee, the last thing you as a business owner want is for your new employee to learn your company’s trade secrets and other confidential information and then leave to work for your competitor. Without a nondisclosure agreement (NDA), your new employee can be an attractive...

Intellectual Property Protection for New Product Inventions

Written by JGPC Business Law.

New Product Inventions Require the Right Protection Without the right intellectual property protections, your new product ideas and inventions are just as likely to benefit another business as your own. This is because copyrights, patents, trademarks, and other similar intellectual property protections afford you and the individuals or entities you choose with certain rights to use and reproduce the invention. Intellectual property law is exceedingly complex; therefore, obtaining the proper...

ADR Services That Work Best

Written by JGPC Business Law.

ADR Services – What Works Best in Your Situation? Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) forms can be quite helpful for business owners who find themselves ensnared in legal disputes and conflicts with customers and/or other businesses. Litigation takes time, and as the old saying goes, “Time is money.” The more time your business spends in the courtroom, the greater the impact those disputes and conflicts will have on your business’s profitability. In many cases, ADR can resolve a business’s...

What to Include in a California Business Contract

Written by JGPC Business Law.

Obligations and Non-fulfillment Clauses are Only the Start California business contracts are deceptively complex. The basic premise of a written contract is simple: The parties record the promises they made to one another so that each is aware of his or her responsibilities and rights. A contract that contains only this and no other essential terms is sure to lead to confusion and legal troubles. Ideally, a business contract will describe not only the obligations of each party but also what...

How to Register and Protect Your Trademarks

Written by JGPC Business Law.

Registration is Essential to Protecting your Good Name and Reputation Protecting your business’s intellectual property is a task best handled by a knowledgeable and experienced California trademark law firm. A trademark (sometimes referred to as a service mark) includes any word, sign, symbol, or device that is used by one business to distinguish its goods and/or services from another business. Registering your trademark is essential to protecting your company’s good name and reputation....

Rights in a California Franchise Dispute

Written by JGPC Business Law.

Your Rights in a California Franchise Dispute Many small business owners choose to open a franchise for various reasons. Franchise arrangements allow a new, inexperienced business owner to experience some of the benefits of small business ownership without having to completely “go it alone.” The franchisee – the small business owner – gets to use certain tangible and intangible property of the franchisor – in return for the payment of a franchise fee. Like other business contracts, however,...

Attorney for Creditor-Debtor Rights Dispute

Written by JGPC Business Law.

When to Hire an Attorney for Your California Creditor-Debtor Rights Dispute Creditor-debtor rights disputes can place a small business in a precarious situation. When the small business is in the position of the creditor, disputes with debtors can mean that the business is not able to obtain payment from the individuals and entities that owe the business money. When the small business is in the position of the debtor, the actions of creditors can deprive the small business of its monetary and...