When I reentered the legal profession after a startup adventure, I was hesitant to secure and sign an office lease. I was immediately attracted to the “workplace as a service” or “coworking” model where business owners pay one set fee month to month for a private office, shared common area, internet, electricity, maintenance, coffee service…
The Importance of Documenting and Securing Intellectual Property When I interview a new client, one of my first questions is “what do you ultimately want to do with the business?” Very few people want to keep their business forever (for example, forgo retirement), and selling the business, hopefully for the maximum amount of profit, is…
Copyright Infringement Copyright law protects original expressions. Original expressions include: writings, art, songs, music, dance, software, blue prints etc. Protection is automatic (but enhanced with a copyright filing) and it is protected for the life of the crated plus 70 years. Copyright infringement (colloquially referred to as “copyright theft”) is when someone uses copyrighted materials…
Brand development is often perceived as the domain of big companies—the Targets, Walmarts, and Whole Foods of the world. But reality is a little different than most people’s perceptions. As an emerging small business, brand development is pivotal to helping you stand out from the competition and drive new business. A matter of fact, a…
My clients and I often notice that success in business growth requires organizational planning, leadership and talent management. Denver based, Liesa Taylor, is an organizational development and human resources consultant with years of experience helping all sizes of companies grow their management and employee teams (and she’s a friend of EmergeCounsel). She was just featured…
Many companies today are launched with multiple cofounders. While this is the best option for many start-ups, it also presents its own potential legal issues. One thing that you and your cofounders may not know is that the attorney you retain to represent the company does not also represent you or your cofounders’ personal best…
Inspiration from one niche product start-up We talk a lot about developing innovative ideas and protecting those ideas with intellectual property safeguards, such as patents and trademarks, but what happens next? How does that idea eventually end up in the hands of consumers? That’s why this story caught our eye. It’s about a simple product,…
At several points in your business cycle, you are likely to seek out investors to help fund your growth and future innovations. How you approach your investor agreements, from the first round of financing to the last, can have a huge impact on your business. It pays to think strategically when dealing with any investor…
Bring your idea to market intelligently. It can be tempting to rush the process, but there are several pitfalls that can get in the way between initial concept and successful, marketable product. Here are just a few places where entrepreneurs often run into intellectual property mistakes:
If your business has hit a bit of a lull, and if you’re looking for ways to innovate and grow, it might be time to get out of the office for a bit. Trust your staff to lead the day-to-day logistics while you get out into the business community to experience fresh ideas, conversation and…