Category: Blog

JGPC Law - Alameda County Business and Corporate Mediation Attorneys

Nondisclosure Agreements for Technology Companies

Nondisclosure Agreements and Technology Companies While intellectual property laws present a significant amount of protection to individuals and companies, some “creations” are not capable of being protected through patents, copyrights, and/or trademarks. This is why many companies (especially companies on the cutting edge of technological developments) will have their employees sign nondisclosure agreements. These agreements essentially prohibit the employee from taking trade secrets and...

What Constitutes Copyright Infringement?

Written by JGPC Business Law.

Sometimes the most valuable assets a California business owns are not the physical buildings which house the employees or the land upon which such building sits, but the ideas, creations, and inventions that the company’s employees develop. Having any one of these creations stolen, pirated, or reproduced can rob the creating company of not only the idea or creation itself but also the time and resources that went into developing the creation and bringing its existence about. When the...

Securities Law for Startups Part I

Written by JGPC Business Law.

(Part I – The Basics) Is your startup planning to raise money from outside investors? Then you might want to have a basic understanding of securities law. Don’t worry. You don’t have to become an expert. But you do need to know what securities are and how (and why) they are regulated. In today’s post we are going to get you up to speed on the basic securities law issues that startups face. In a future post, we will show you how to raise capital using the major federal and state securities law...

What is Crowdfunding? (and how can it help your startup?)

Written by JGPC Business Law.

Crowdfunding is an innovative way to raise money for a project by pooling small contributions from a large number of people. It’s a simple idea that – when combined with the reach of the Internet – can lead to profound consequences. Barack Obama’s unlikely 2008 campaign was largely paid for by small contributions to his online crowdfunding machine. And Kiva.org – a crowdfunded micro-lending site – has helped over 1.9 million low-income entrepreneurs and students get...

Business Disputes that Require a Business Attorney

Written by JGPC Business Law.

Even though Americans pride themselves on their rugged individualism and independence, there are some things that simply should not be attempted by amateurs or those without the proper knowledge and experience. For example, working on your car’s transmission when you have difficulty replacing the headlights can ruin your car and end up costing you thousands of dollars in repair bills. In the same way, it can be disastrous for your business if you attempt to resolve every dispute or issue...

4 Steps For Start Up Capital

Written by JGPC Business Law.

Startup Capital: How to Get Funding Without Losing Control of Your Business Raising startup capital is one of the first steps to getting your startup business going. But the process is not simple. If you aren’t careful you could lose control of your business to someone else. In today’s post we are going to show you the basics of raising startup capital in a way that will keep you in control of the business you create. Special Note: If you need startup advice about structuring your startup...

California Construction Dispute Resolution Attorney

Written by JGPC Business Law.

Contract Litigation, Mediation, Arbitration A dispute can arise suddenly and without warning in any construction project despite the existence of detailed schedules and expertly-drafted contracts. When such a dispute does arise, the key to quickly resolving the dispute and keeping your project running on time and on budget is the prompt retention of experienced construction dispute resolution counsel. At JGPC Law, our knowledgeable and talented California construction dispute resolution...

JGPC Law Offices - Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution in the San Francisco East Bay

Suit As An Effective Settlement Strategy

Written by JGPC Business Law.

Suit As An Effective Settlement Strategy by Thomas von Thury, Esq. Most lawyers know that the objective of a lawsuit is settlement, not a trial. After all, one can never absolutely sure what a judge or jury will do. By the time that most clients seek a lawyer’s assistance with respect to a dispute, at least many who come to me, they have already expended considerable time trying to resolve the matter themselves. In those situations my recommendation is almost always to promptly initiate a...

LLC Design and Implementation

Written by JGPC Business Law.

LLC Design and Implementation Tax Considerations and Consequences LLCs come in four basic forms based on tax treatment which is usually chosen by the members. The four forms of LLC’s based upon tax treatment we shall call: (i) LLC-D’s (those LLC’s taxed as a disregarded entity) (ii) LLC-P’s (those LLC’s taxed as a partnership) (iii) LLC-S’s (those LLC’s tax as an “S” corporation) (iv) LLC-C’s (those LLC’s taxes as a “C” corporation) These four forms of the LLC are functionally very different...

JGPC Law - California Collections Law Firm

LLC Asset Protection Strategies

Written by JGPC Business Law.

LLC Asset Protection Strategies Inside-Out Liability: As far as inside-out liability, members of an LLC have the same level of personal liability protection as the shareholders of a corporation. That is, creditors of the entity, whether corporation or LLC, cannot get thru to the owners, shareholders or members, unless the shareholders/members have personally guaranteed a corporation/LLC debt, have received an improper distribution or a court allows a piercing of the corporate/LLC veil because...