In previous posts, I talked about some issues that potential partners should be discussing when it comes to the planning stages of entering into a partnership. Some of those things included making sure the partners are compatible and ensuring everyone has expressed their expectations, and that...
Business partnerships can seem perfect at the get-go. But, what happens when someone wants to get out? One key topic I often advise on is having an exit strategy. When people go into business together it is almost always a peachy-keen-rose-colored-glasses atmosphere. Things are positive and...
One of the listserves I belong to recently posted a very interesting question, and it is a question that comes up quite frequently in the small business world: How do partners resolve disputes? And, most importantly, how do partners resolve disputes when they are fifty-fifty...
Having spent several years in litigation practice, day in and day out all I dealt with were partners who were suing or being sued. I concluded that while litigation is an important part of the American legal system, it is also very wasteful. It is...
Last week I attended the American Bar Association Spring Intellectual Property Meeting in Rockville, MD. There was only one session, which shall not be named, that didn't get me jazzed about intellectual property work. Needless to say, I had a great time and I learned...
This is the third post in a five part series on Essential Contract Terms for Consultants, Independent Contractors, and Freelancers. This post will focus on dispute resolution clauses. If you are in business long enough, you will encounter a dispute of some sort; be it with...