Protecting Your Business Ideas with NDAs and Patent Timelines When a business or startup comes up with a new, potentially patentable idea, timing and documentation matter. The moment a concept is …
READ MORE →Every departing employee walks out the door with knowledge about your business. The question is whether they also walk out with your competitive advantages, your client relationships, proprietary …
READ MORE → When Business and Personal Finances Mix, Courts Can Come After You Starting a corporation or LLC does not automatically protect your personal assets. That protection only works if you treat your …
READ MORE →Planning Ahead for Business Exits Every business owner will eventually exit their company, whether planned or unexpected. What matters most is whether that change leads to stability or leaves behind …
READ MORE →For decades, Minnesota employers relied on a familiar playbook: hire a key employee, have them sign a non-compete, and count on that agreement to keep proprietary information from walking out the …
READ MORE →Your best employee just told you she’s staying at the company, not because she’s satisfied, but because no competitor will hire her. Not because of a non-compete agreement. Because your competitors …
READ MORE →If your business has employees, contractors, vendors, or partners who access any confidential information (and nearly every business does) you need non-disclosure agreements. Not eventually. Now. This …
READ MORE →Key Takeaways A unanimous written consent allows a board or shareholders to take formal action without holding a meeting, provided every person entitled to vote signs the document. The consent must …
READ MORE →You’ve built something valuable: a process, a formula, a method, a system that gives your business a competitive edge. Now you need to protect it. And the first strategic question is one that …
READ MORE →Key Takeaways Service suspension temporarily halts your performance but does not eliminate the customer’s obligation to pay owed amounts. Your contract must include clear suspension clauses …
READ MORE →Your company’s most valuable assets may not appear on any balance sheet. Customer lists, proprietary processes, pricing models, supplier relationships, software algorithms, strategic plans, …
READ MORE →You can have the most valuable trade secret in your industry (a formula, a process, a customer database that took years to build) and lose all legal protection for it because you didn’t take …
READ MORE →Until 2016, if your Minnesota business discovered that a former employee or competitor had stolen your trade secrets, your primary remedy was a state court claim under the Minnesota Uniform Trade …
READ MORE →When an employee leaves your company and takes proprietary information to a competitor, when a former partner uses your customer list to start a rival business, when a vendor reverse-engineers your …
READ MORE →Key Takeaways Escrow funds are generally not taxable when received but become taxable income when control or ownership is established by the recipient. The timing of income recognition depends on when …
READ MORE → Choosing the Right Business Attorney for Your Needs When you’re building or running a business, legal guidance isn’t a one-size-fits-all matter. Business law covers a wide range of issues, and the …
READ MORE → How One Simple Monthly Habit Can Cut Your Legal Costs by 80% Hiring a full-time attorney isn’t feasible for most small or midsize companies. Yet, legal problems can quickly become expensive if not …
READ MORE → How Business Owners Can Get More Value from Their Lawyers Many entrepreneurs only reach out to their attorney once a problem has already taken root. But that reactive approach leads to higher …
READ MORE →Key Takeaways Unauthorized stock issuance can lead to legal liabilities, including civil and criminal penalties for individuals involved. Such actions dilute existing shareholders’ ownership and …
READ MORE →Key Takeaways Minnesota law does not require vacation benefits but treats earned vacation as wages when included in employer policies or contracts. Employers must pay out accrued vacation upon …
READ MORE →Key Takeaways Meeting minutes must document date, time, location, attendees, absentees, and quorum to establish meeting validity and authority. Minutes should record motions, discussions, decisions, …
READ MORE →Key Takeaways Waivers of claims are legally valid when clearly worded, voluntarily agreed upon, and supported by consideration in settlement agreements. Courts enforce waivers that unambiguously …
READ MORE →Key Takeaways Indemnity obligations survive termination to cover liabilities arising from acts during the contract period, even if claims arise later. Contracts must explicitly state indemnity …
READ MORE →Key Takeaways Contracts signed without proper signatory authority risk being void, unenforceable, or subject to legal challenges by the principal party. Courts may uphold contracts if the signer had …
READ MORE →Key Takeaways Quiet enjoyment clauses guarantee tenants undisturbed possession and use of leased premises without landlord interference or harassment. Breaches include unauthorized entries, landlord …
READ MORE →Key Takeaways Use disclaimers to limit liability scope and reduce exposure in low-risk or minor breach transactions without transferring responsibility. Choose indemnities to explicitly transfer …
READ MORE →Key Takeaways Disputes arise from unclear vacation accrual, payout policies, or employer changes without proper employee notice. State laws vary on whether accrued vacation is earned wages and require …
READ MORE →If someone signed a contract on behalf of your Minnesota business without authority, the starting point is clear: that contract usually does not bind you. Under Minnesota agency law, a person can …
READ MORE →Key Takeaways If you quit or resign, your final wages are due by the next regularly scheduled payday under Minnesota Statutes section 181.14 (with a limited delay to the second payday, never more than …
READ MORE →Key Takeaways Courts may impose penalties, damages, or contract rescission for refusal to negotiate in good faith, undermining contract enforceability. Bad faith negotiation in employment or …
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