Category: News

“Close Corporation”: Probably Not The Right Choice

Written by JGPC Business Law on March 15, 2016.

One type of entity people sometimes ask us about is the California statutory “close corporation.” In general legalese a “close corporation” means a closely held corporation, a corporation that has only a few shareholders, usually people who work for the corporation. But there is a California statutory creation for small closely held (small number of shareholders) corporations created by the California legislature in the early 1990’s for people who wanted their corporation that functioned like...

4 Steps For Start Up Capital

Written by JGPC Business Law on February 26, 2016.

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 you...

What’s the Best State to Incorporate In?

Written by JGPC Business Law on February 6, 2016.

When you first startup your business you’re going to get a lot of advice as to which is the best state to incorporate in. Some of that advice will be solid. Some of it will be well-meaning, but misguided. Some of it will be wrong-headed and dangerous. So we want to warn you. If someone tries to tell you that they know “the best state to incorporate your business in,” without first thoroughly checking the facts in your particular case, they probably don’t have a clue what they are talking about....

JGPC Law - Alameda County Business and Corporate Mediation Attorneys

California Construction Dispute Resolution Attorney

Written by JGPC Business Law on December 22, 2015.

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 lawyers...

Intellectual Property Protection

Written by JGPC Business Law on December 2, 2015.

What Every Startup Founder Needs to Know About Intellectual Property Protection Most startup entrepreneurs aren’t the least bit concerned about intellectual property protection. That’s a big mistake that could cost them their entire business. They may not realize it, but every startup has at least one kind of intellectual property: their business plan! You may not think of your business plan as intellectual property but it certainly is. And if you don’t own your intellectual property it could...

Trademark Issues: A Cheat Sheet for Entrepreneurs

Written by JGPC Business Law on November 30, 2015.

Understanding trademark issues isn’t easy. Today’s post will give you a quick overview of some issues that entrepreneurs and established businesses face when establishing and keeping trademarked status. When entrepreneurs are selecting a name for their company they tend to think that if they form a corporation or and LLC with a name or they have a domain name that they have the right to use that name in their business. That’s not necessarily the case. The fact that you have a corporation named...

Ownership Issues For A Startup Business

Written by JGPC Business Law on November 25, 2015.

Ownership issues for your startup: Getting clear about who owns what? Not being crystal clear about ownership issues can come back to haunt the founders and investors of a new startup. Founders are sometimes pretty sloppy when they start up their business about who the owners actually are. As soon as possible, if you are serious about getting into business, you need to form an entity and allocate ownership interest to people. In other words you need to issue stock or membership interests to people...

Maybe You Don’t Need a Small Business Law Firm After All

Written by JGPC Business Law on October 22, 2015.

For many small business owners the major drawback of setting up an entity is of course the cost. It’s true that there are some costs, for example formation costs, these are minimal but you may not regard them as minimal if your budget is small. Some businesses aren’t real businesses, as they are operated out of somebody’s house and they’re operating more of a hobby than a business. For those people, forming an entity may not be feasible because of the costs involved. Even though the...

Do I Really Need To Form A Corporation?

Written by JGPC Business Law on October 9, 2015.

If you’re a business owner or a startup entrepreneur you need to set up the correct entity for your specific business. You have four basic options: Stay a Sole Proprietorship Form a Partnership Form a Corporation Set up a Limited Liability Company (LLC) Each of these business structures has different benefits and drawbacks. Businesses often start out as sole-proprietorships or partnerships These two structures are not advisable because they are both subject to unlimited liability. Why a sole-proprietor...

Two Types of Liability Protection You Need To Know About

Written by JGPC Business Law on September 30, 2015.

What kind of liability protection do you have for your business? Do you feel confident that both your business and your personal belongings will be safe in the event of a law suit? In today’s post, we’ll explain the difference between “inside” liability protection and “outside” liability protection. You’ll discover some best practices that may keep you out of trouble. What is “Inside” Liability Protection? Inside liability concerns the business owner’s liability for things that happen within the...