Maybe the person that you want to start a business with is your college roommate, and you have been friends for three decades. Perhaps you have industry connections that helped you, an enthusiastic investor, connect with an entrepreneur who has a truly cutting-edge...
Business and Commercial Law
Let Your Hair Down: Proposed CROWN Act Seeks to Prohibit Discrimination on the Basis of Traits Associated with Race
For those familiar with the classic Schoolhouse Rock video, “How a Bill Becomes a Law”, you know that legislations journey from bill to law can be full of debate, rejection, acceptance, and requires a lot of patience. This is exactly the case for a piece of federal...
Music copyrights – how to keep it all straight
With our state opening up again and more and more people getting out to enjoy the lakes, restaurants, and all that summer in Minnesota has to offer, people are trying to get back to business as usual. Businesses in turn are creating their state-mandated plans to keep...
Your Guide to – Alternative Dispute Resolution, or “ADR”
Your Guide to - Alternative Dispute Resolution, or "ADR"Because of how complex, expensive, and uncertain lawsuits can be, almost every case nowadays involves some form of alternative dispute resolution, or "ADR." When I started practicing law nearly thirty years ago,...
When is the right time to incorporate my small business?
Many individuals start their small business as a sole proprietorship or as a simple general partnership with a friend. At some point, the question always arises, "Should I form an LLC or a corporation?" Minnesota has a variety of different types of corporate entities...
Alternatives to Court
The courthouse is not the only place to resolve civil disputes. Many cases are settled through alternative forms of dispute resolution ("ADR"). Two of the most common forms are mediation and arbitration.Mediation is a forum where a neutral third party facilitates...
Changes to LLC Law Take Effect January 1, 2018
For anyone who established a limited liability company (LLC) prior to August 1, 2015, you probably received an email from the Minnesota Secretary of State recently letting you know of certain changes in the law. Effective January 1, 2018 all LLCs will be subject to...
Buy-Sell Agreement: a Multifaceted Tool
A buy-sell agreement is typically associated with the ownership of a small business. As the name might imply, a buy-sell agreement defines the terms under which an owner of a business can buy out or sell out to others - other owners, third parties, etc. With multiple...
Selling a Business
Selling a business: If you're the owner of a small business and are in the market to sell, don't be intimidated by what sounds like a herculean task. Move forward by breaking the business selling process into manageable pieces. The preliminary steps are often the most...
In the Spirit of Competition
It's tournament time in Minnesota, and that reminds me how much we relish competition. Sports, music, television and movies all compete for ratings and rewards. Even Aunt Sally's choke cherry jam might win a blue ribbon at the county fair. And in business, we have...