What to do Before You Sign a Contract

Congratulations! You made a deal, reached an agreement, or resolved a dispute and now you’re ready to sign a contract to make it all official.  If this contract is important enough to you, pause for a minute, read it carefully, and ask an attorney to review it. Why? There are 2 reasons: Whoever drafts the contract will include terms and provisions that are in their favor. They have no obligation, duty, or interest (generally) in watching out for your interest. But your lawyer does. Every time I review a contract and explain the various clauses to my clients, there are a few clauses that my clients did not understand or was against their interest and invariably had to be negotiated and revised. You may have an engineering degree from MIT and be the smartest person in the room but unless you’ve seen the same clauses day in and day out and have seen their implications in the litigation context, you may not have an accurate understanding of the contract. Contract pitfalls to look out for. This is by no means an all-inclusive list. … Continue reading

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What to Do When a Client Doesn’t Pay

This is the first post in a new series called “What to Do” where I will discuss “what to do” in various common situations that come up in small and medium sized businesses. Feel free to send me your “what to do” question. Today’s topic is what to do when a client doesn’t pay. This is a common problem that businesses big and small face and if you’re in business, you’re selling services or products in exchange with the expectation that you will be paid for those services or products. The cost to your business of unpaid invoices is not just the dollar amount on each invoice but the opportunity cost of the investment you could make in your business from that income. Additionally, it costs your business time and money to collect on unpaid balances. Thus, the cumulative effect of multiples unpaid invoices, even for small outstanding amounts, is detrimental to your business’s viability and growth. Before starting work: For the proactive business here are some tips to help you avoid or minimize the change of having a client … Continue reading

In: California Civil Litigation, Contracts, Starting a Business, Uncategorized, What to Do | Leave a comment

Employee Handbook: Your First Line of Defense

Many business owners, managers (other than human resources professionals), and employees view employee handbooks as pesky hindrances to flexibility and growth.  The contrary is true, and knowing when and how to use your handbook could save your business from hours of lost productivity, low morale, and expensive lawsuits. Solutions to 3 Common Issues Await in Your Handbook  1.  Time Off/Leave Requests Your employee handbook could guide you through the following analysis: Does the employee have a right to time off? You are likely familiar with common requests for leave due to illness,pregnancy, disability, and jury duty.  However, you may not be aware of lesser-known leaves such as those for victims of domestic violenceor for alcohol rehabilitation.  Thus, when the leave request is uncommon, check your employee handbook to confirm whether the employee is entitled to time off. Whether and what type of documentation must the employee provide? Is the time off paid or unpaid? Does the request for time off trigger your duty to engage in the interactive process? Does the request for time off trigger your duty to accommodate? Although … Continue reading

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