Does your lawyer understand your company's business strategy? Does your lawyer need to understand it? These may seem like unusual questions, but they are critical to your business's success. Put simply, your lawyer should understand your strategy. Why? Most importantly, your strategy is ...
Category Archives: Legal Strategy
Entrepreneurs: Does Your Attorney Need To Understand Your Business?
Does your attorney need to understand your business? And if your business lawyer does not have a strong grasp of your business, does it matter? Yes, the answers matter for entrepreneurs. Some lawyers will say that they do not need to have a deep ...
Strategies Private Companies Should Take When Employees Sell Stock
In my last post, I discussed Facebook's new stock trading policy that restricts when and how employees can sell company stock. This raises the broader question of what private companies should do when employees sell stock. In this post, I discuss (1) why private ...
Facebook Restricts Stock Trading To Avoid Going Public
Facebook just took another move to avoid going public. Late last week, Facebook implemented a policy that prohibits employees from selling their company stock unless a trading window is in effect, or from tipping outsiders on inside company information. In doing so, Facebook ...
Why Consult A Business Lawyer Early In A Business Transaction?
Business lawyers often argue that involving a lawyer early on in a transaction is cheaper than fixing a problem later. Clients sometimes want to negotiate a deal on their own and then have a lawyer write it up. The concern might be cost or the attorney's grasp of the business issues. Further, an attorney ...
Creating Markets For Patents
The New York Times recently reported on the emerging patent marketplace. The idea is that a market where patents can be bought and sold would reduce the ...
The Gap Between LEED Certification And Energy Efficiency
Many companies take vigorous measures to achieve LEED Certification for their building projects. However, LEED Certification does not guarantee that the building will be highly energy efficient. What explains this gap? What can be done to align LEED Certification and energy efficiency? Why LEED Certification Does Not Ensure Energy ...
Strategic Implications of China’s Draft Regulations On Price Monopolies
China's Anti-Monopoly Law, implemented in August 2008, continues to take shape. The National Development and Reform Commission recently issued draft regulations regarding price monopolies. The proposed regulations apply to monopoly price activities both within and outside China, when the activities ...
Mistakes Small Businesses Make Regarding Intellectual Property (Part 2)
In this post, I continue to examine how small businesses and startups can avoid common misconceptions about intellectual property. This time, I turn to patent issues that small and emerging companies must consider to maximize the value they create and capture from their intellectual property. As noted ...
Mistakes Small Businesses Make Regarding Intellectual Property (Part 1)
Small businesses often worry about protecting their intellectual property. Yet, they also hold misconceptions about how to strategically manage their intellectual property. The New York Times recently cited five common misconceptions that small businesses often make concerning their intellectual property. To remain competitive, small business owners ...