The US Patent and Trademark Office has issued over 10 million utility patents to this date under its current numbering system, which dates back to 1836.  That’s 10 million patents and counting! Let's step back and get a perspective on…

A patent provides rights related to an invention for a certain period of time, typically twenty years from the priority filing date of a patent application on which the patent is based.  Although many people believe that having a patent…

As a business seller, you want a customized front-loaded letter of intent or LOI.  By having a customized front-loaded LOI, containing your ideal deal structure and terms and conditions, you substantially increase your ability to get your ideal sale transaction…

As a business litigator, I have seen many disputes arbitrated where arbitration was not the best forum for the dispute, even though my client agreed to arbitrate in its contract. Many times, arbitration is the best choice for one of…

With the launches of Disney+ and Apple TV+ this month, along with the expected introduction in 2020 of HBO Max, the subscription video-on-demand service from WarnerMedia, and the to-be-named ad-supported service from Comcast/NBC Universal, the programming playing field of Netflix,…

A question that we're asked all the time is to explain the difference between "authorized shares" and "issued shares" or "shares outstanding".  Clients are often confused about why they have 10,000,000 shares authorized for issuance but we only issue them…

A good, comprehensive, and accurate current business valuation is both objective and subjective. While it typically accentuates the positives, it should also identify the negatives that could reduce a company’s value.   Although there are many quantitative aspects to it, in…

There is a real difference for employment and self-employment tax purposes between being a partner and being the employee of a partnership (references to a partnership include a limited liability company or a limited partnership).  Partners are liable for making…

A lot of our clients freak out when they get their first franchise tax notice from the state of Delaware.  It usually goes something like this “You told me my franchise tax in Delaware wouldn’t be more than $1,000.  I…