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I recently wrote about how to find businesses for sale, and how to price them. Today I’ll discuss the very first contract typically signed by a buyer and seller in the life cycle of a small or closely-held business acquisition: the non-disclosure agreement (NDA). In nearly all deals outside of the straight “investment” or VC
Should Your Business Sue? Seven Questions to Ask Before Filing a Lawsuit A strong legal claim can still be a bad lawsuit. A customer refuses to pay, a partner diverts business to a side venture, or a former employee leaves with confidential information. Any of these may support a claim, but that does not settle
“You Were Never Really My Partner”: Proving an Informal Partnership Under Washington Law A missing signature does not mean a missing partnership. In Washington, how people run a business may matter more than the labels they use or the names on the paperwork. Before I ever litigated a partnership dispute, I lost one. I was
Harris Sliwoski Names Fred Rocafort and Jason Adelstone Partners Harris Sliwoski has named Fred Rocafort and Jason Adelstone partners. Fred has played a central role in building the firm’s U.S. and international intellectual property and Latin America practices, while Jason has established its international cannabis practice. Both earned their promotions through exceptional legal work and
Business Litigation: What It Costs, How Long It Takes, and When It Makes Sense At some point in a serious business dispute, someone says, “Maybe we should sue.” The suggestion usually comes after months of frustration. A customer has stopped paying. A partner walked out with the client list and half the staff. A supplier
“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” Warren Buffett said that. Buffett was talking about public companies, of course, but his maxim applies equally to purchases of small and closely-held business. Generally speaking, the lower the price, the better the value—if a buyer does their diligence, and assuming no fraud. At its
Buying a Business in the U.S., Part 1: How to Find Them Welcome to the first installment in a series on buying a business in the U.S. This post explains how to find business purchase opportunities, for anyone interested in owning a small or closely-held business. In future posts, I’ll cover how small businesses are
Why Startup Tech Companies Should Look Beyond BigLaw for Their Immigration Counsel The immigration law firm that is right for Microsoft will likely be a poor fit for a 6-person startup whose founder’s status expires in six months. Firms handling Big Tech immigration are built for volume. They manage hundreds or thousands of employee cases
U.S. Company Formation FAQs for Foreign Companies and Entrepreneurs Last week, in International Companies and U.S. State Registration Requirements and Doing Business in the U.S.: Choosing a State of Formation we wrote how foreign companies and entrepreneurs should choose a U.S. state of formation. The point was simple: there’s no perfect state. The right choice
International companies and U.S. state registration requirements We regularly help foreign-based businesses access U.S. customers by establishing a local presence. At the state level, the first step is choosing a state of incorporation, or registration. See Doing Business in the U.S.: Choosing a State of Formation. The state of formation is the primary jurisdiction where
