I form and register business entities, including corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies, in all 50 states.
I help my clients identify the entity structure that best meets their needs.
Business Operation Documents and Agreements
I structure and draft corporate governance documents, such as articles of incorporation, by-law, operating agreements and buy/sell agreements. These documents define how an entity will operate, and provide the framework for the orderly continuation of a business, or its winding up, when shareholders, partners or members die or retire.
I assist clients who want to buy or sell businesses or business assets in all phases of a transaction; from structuring a deal; to due diligence to investigating the financial and operational soundness of a business; negotiating and drafting the appropriate agreements and supporting documentation; to organizing a closing and handling post-closing adjustments and reorganization of a work force.
I negotiate, draft and review contracts of all kinds; employment agreements;leases; licensing agreements for intellectual property such as trademarks, software, music and photographs; and non-compete, non-disclosure and non-solicitation agreements. Whatever business-related task a client wants to accomplish – there’s an app for that. It’s called a contract.
Labor and Employment Concerns
I handle labor and employment matters for my clients, and consult with them on hiring, firing, compensation and discipline. I assist clients in formulating and implementing employment policies, and provide guidance on a range of federal and state laws dealing with employment, including the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (known to you as COBRA), and on federal and state laws dealing with employment discrimination, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination.
Trademarks and Branding
I assist clients in selecting, registering and defending trademarks and service marks to protect their brand equity, and in registering copyrights to protect intellectual property.
A significant part of my practice is providing advice and counsel; another way of saying that I provide answers to all kinds of questions raised by my clients.
As important as what I do, is how I do it. This is what “Praxis” means. It’s a Greek work that represents transforming theory or knowledge into practice.
It is important to put a client at ease. The most important question is “How can I help you?”
It is important to listen, carefully and quietly.
Business Owners Are Smart Clients
My clients are smart. It is useful to remind them, and me, of how much they know. My clients are business owners. Many have started their own businesses. It is important to recognize and value the time and effort required to build and run a successful business.
Clients value candor. I have learned that a client appreciates, more than almost anything, a frank and thorough assessment of what you can and cannot do; how long it will take; how much it will cost.
Litigation Management
It is essential to maintain perspective; to carefully weigh risk versus reward, cost against benefit. “Risk” is more than just the likelihood that an event may or may not happen. It involves the identification and calculation of the consequences of an occurrence or non-occurrence.
Bringing My Clients Closer to Their Goal
It is important to be careful and meticulous, to convey that you will apply the very highest degree of care and skill to the resolution of your client’s problem, or the attainment of his goal.
It is also useful to remember your stories; to share with your clients how you cleared an obstacle; resolved a dispute; answered a question. Stories are a way of showing our clients what we can do, by sharing, with a sense of modesty and humor, what we have done.