While a business can protect its copyrights, patents, trademarks and tradenames by registration or a filing with the appropriate governmental agency, the protection of a trade secret is entirely up to the company that has developed it. Unless a busine...

      The idea that you can sell your own home without the assistance of a real estate agent or broker inherently appeals to one’s ego. After all, who is better at pointing out the virtues of your property to prospective purchasers than y...

The purpose of a buy-sell agreement is to ensure the orderly transfer of an ownership interest in a business to a fellow owner (or to the company itself) upon the occurrence of a triggering event such as an owner’s death, disability, retirement or withdrawal, whether v...

Homeowners have approached you about listing their $500,000 residence for sale. They inform you that they have paid off the mortgage on the property and own the residence outright. You check the comparable sales in the area, inspect the property, confirm that title is...

You make a $50,000 bridge loan to a fledgling movie production company. The purpose of the loan is to pay for certain pre-production costs for a film project. The loan is to be repaid by the borrower from the permanent financing being arranged through a large lender. A...

The typical residential real property invester seeks property that provides a decent rate of return. Frequently, however, there is a limited inventory of suitable property in the investor’s locality. And, importantly, underpriced real property that will almost certainl...

One of the major decisions a business investor must make is how to structure his or her investment in a small business.  Sometimes, investors will simply purchase an equity position in the business. For example, an investor might acquire a membership interest in a limi...

You run a small or medium sized business. Your company provides high quality services or products to its customers. Business is good and everything is going well. Then it happens: You are sued by a customer that claims you made a mistake. That's right, a simple mistake...

For years, you have gone to school and studied hard to meet the educational requirements for a professional license. You have completed the work requirements by spending a number of years gaining experience in your chosen field. You completed the licensing application,...