Jun 20, 2023 | Business Law, LLC Business
As your business grows, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the tasks and responsibilities on your plate. It’s important to know that you don’t have to go it alone when focusing on the things that the matter most. Take steps to protect your company from potential legal issues.
🔒 Protect your business: We can help you navigate contracts, leases, and legal agreements to safeguard your interests.
💼 Stay compliant: We’ll assist you in understanding and complying with regulations, licenses, and permits, so you can focus on running your business.
📝 Legal documentation made easy: From forming your business entity to drafting essential agreements, we’ll handle the paperwork, giving you peace of mind.
💡 Expert advice tailored to you: Get personalized legal guidance specific to your industry and business goals. We’re here to answer your questions and provide strategic solutions.
If you’re ready to get help with building your business, call 404.349.2330 to get started today. With the right support from the experienced attorneys at Arrington & Phillips, LLP , you can achieve the success you’ve always dreamed of.
May 2, 2023 | Business Law, LLC Business
Starting a business can be an exciting and rewarding endeavor, but it’s important to remember that it also comes with a lot of legal considerations. This is where a lawyer can be an invaluable asset. A lawyer can help you navigate the legal aspects of starting a business, which can be complex and daunting, even for experienced entrepreneurs.
One of the first things a lawyer can assist with is choosing the right business structure. The structure you choose will have a significant impact on how your business operates and how you pay taxes. An attorney can help you weigh the pros and cons of different structures, such as sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC, or corporation, and advise you on which one is best suited for your business needs.
In addition to helping you select the right business structure, a lawyer can also help you secure any necessary licenses and permits that your business may require. Depending on the type of business you’re starting and where you’re located, there may be various licenses and permits you need to obtain before you can legally operate. Some common examples include business licenses, zoning permits, health permits, building permits, and professional licenses. Failing to obtain the necessary licenses and permits can result in legal and financial consequences, such as fines, closure of the business, or legal action. An attorney can help you navigate these requirements and ensure that you’re in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Protecting your intellectual property is another critical area where a lawyer can provide invaluable guidance. Whether you’re developing a unique product, service, or brand, it’s essential to ensure that your intellectual property is protected from infringement. An attorney can help you identify and secure the appropriate patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other protections you need to safeguard your intellectual property.
When it comes to drafting contracts and agreements, working with a lawyer is also highly recommended. Contracts and agreements are the backbone of any business, outlining expectations and setting terms for business relationships. An attorney can help you draft contracts and agreements that will protect your business and ensure that you are fairly compensated for your work. They can also help you review and negotiate contracts that others present to you to ensure that you are not agreeing to terms that are unfair or disadvantageous.
Working with a lawyer on your business plan can also help you identify potential legal risks and develop strategies to mitigate them. Anticipating and mitigating risks upfront can save you time, money, and headaches down the road. By consulting with an attorney, you can ensure that your business plan is legally sound and that you’re taking all the necessary precautions to avoid costly legal issues.
Above all, a lawyer can provide you with valuable advice and insights that can help you make better-informed decisions about your business. Starting a business is a significant investment, both financially and emotionally, and having a knowledgeable and experienced legal professional by your side can help you navigate the process with confidence and peace of mind. The Law Office of Arrington & Phillips, LLP can help you with the legal aspects of your business plan and provide you with the support you need to make it a success. Schedule a consultation today at Arringtonphillips.com/consultation and take your business to the next level!
Jan 16, 2023 | Business Law, LLC Business
Changes in personal and professional situations might impact your capacity to maintain your former level of debt management success. When you’ve been able to pay your bills and handle your debt well, filing for bankruptcy can feel like a very last resort. However, bankruptcy may be your best and only option if your debt is too outstanding to ever be paid off, interest rates continue to accrue, and collection agencies are calling you multiple times a week.
Hiring an experienced bankruptcy lawyer is the initial step toward regaining control of your financial situation. Those considering bankruptcy should keep in mind that it’s merely a tool to address accumulating issues where other solutions are not viable; it’s not the ultimate stage in one’s financial path.
What Is Emergency Bankruptcy?
An emergency bankruptcy filing is also known as barebones filing, incomplete filing, or skeleton bankruptcy. The Bankruptcy Code says an emergency bankruptcy petition must have the bare minimum of information needed to start the automatic stay.
The automatic stay occurs when a bankruptcy case is filed, even in urgent situations. The automatic stay mandates that all collection activities against you cease immediately. The automatic stay can go into force before you’ve finished filing for bankruptcy if you file an emergency petition.
With an emergency bankruptcy filing, you still have to submit the same paperwork as with any other bankruptcy case, but you can file before you’ve finished all the paperwork. You must submit all remaining forms within 14 days of the emergency filing. If you don’t, your case will be thrown out, and your creditors can try to collect from you again.
How An Emergency Bankruptcy Lawyer Can Help
Having a lot of debt might make you feel like there’s a scary creature lurking in the night, ready to pounce at any moment. Feeling overwhelmed and confused when confronted with overwhelming debt is normal, as is seeking advice from anyone who’ll listen. Bankruptcy lawyers are only one of the many helpful options out there. Here are some ideas on what they can do:
1 – Lawyers Examine Every Possible Course Of Action
Determining if bankruptcy is necessary and, if so, which chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code to file under can be challenging. There’s a significant distinction between the two sections where most people file their assets. In Chapter 7 bankruptcy , debtors must sell off assets to pay off creditors, but in Chapter 13 bankruptcy, debtors must create a repayment plan. Which plan is best for an individual depends on their present financial condition and their long-term ambitions.
You can better understand the options and protect your interests by talking to a lawyer who specializes in bankruptcy law. After looking at the type of debt, the client’s income, assets, and goals, an emergency bankruptcy lawyer can advise on the best way to pay off the debt.
2 – Lawyers Can Assist In The Discharge Of All Permissible Debts
A bankruptcy lawyer can tell you which bankruptcy option is best for you and whether or not your debts can be wiped out. A lawyer can help you find and get rid of debts past the statute of limitations for collections, for instance. Debts are discharged when a person declares bankruptcy, so you no longer have to make payments on anything.
3 – Lawyers Can Give You Protection
A bankruptcy attorney will also advise you on effectively dealing with unsecured obligations like credit cards and payday loans. He’ll explain the possible consequences of your credit scores and offer suggestions for getting them back up as soon as possible.
Your lawyer will also tell you how to keep your home from going into foreclosure or being taken away. If you’re going through a divorce, a lawyer can help you settle your debts, minimizing the negative effects on you, your children, and your estate.
4 – Lawyers Help You Plan A Financial Structure
Your lawyer will explain how to get debts discharged and how to deal with whatever is left after that. Along with helping you pay off your current obligations, he’ll also educate you on how to avoid financial difficulties in the future by emphasizing the value of setting financial goals, establishing a budget, and rearranging your spending habits.
The above are the primary ways an emergency bankruptcy lawyer can help. Don’t hesitate to ask if you have other related concerns.
To Sum Up
Instead of adding to your stress by attempting to understand bankruptcy, just let an emergency bankruptcy lawyer handle it. Having a bankruptcy attorney handle the stressful and time-consuming process is a great relief. Working with an experienced bankruptcy lawyer can give you peace of mind that your case is being handled correctly and that you won’t make any more mistakes that could worsen your financial situation. At every step of the journey, an emergency bankruptcy lawyer will calm you and assure you that you’re not a bad person just because you must file for bankruptcy. Filing for bankruptcy isn’t the simple solution to a financial issue, but it can be beneficial if you know what you’re doing. Given the foregoing, it’s easy to see why hiring an emergency bankruptcy lawyer is beneficial.
Written by Lawyer Monthly | Shared from Lawyer-Monthly.com
Jan 2, 2023 | Business Law, LLC Business
If you’re a small business owner, you know how important it is to have clear agreements in place with your clients, partners, and employees. Technically, oral agreements are legally enforceable however the difficulty with oral contracts is there is no documentation informing what the agreements are or when they were made.
Written contracts help to protect your business by outlining the terms of the agreement and the expectations of each party. This can help to prevent misunderstandings and ensure that both parties are held accountable for their actions, and provide a clear and documented record of the agreement which can be especially helpful in the event of a dispute.
Written contracts can also help to build trust between you and your clients or partners by addressing each party’s obligations and explain how potential conflicts and/or issues will be resolved. By clearly outlining the terms of the agreement, you’re demonstrating your commitment to the relationship and your willingness to work together to achieve your shared goals.
Are you a small business owner looking for expert legal guidance? See more legal tips for small business owners at ArringtonPhillips.com, or call 404.349.2330 to get started today.
Written by AP Legal Eagle | Shared from Arrington & Phillips, LLP
Oct 19, 2022 | Business Law, LLC Business
Small business owners spend a lot of time and money building their businesses and growing their brands. But sometimes, what they don’t know or understand can jeopardize everything they create.
This is especially true regarding trademarks. Today, we’ll pull lessons from pop culture to help entrepreneurs better protect the brands they’ve invested so much in.
Lesson one: don’t incorporate other brands without permission.
The hip-hop snack company Rap Snacks is on the receiving end of a trademark infringement lawsuit following the release of the Nicki Minaj -inspired flavor, Barbie-Que Honey Truffle chips. While fans recognize the chips as an homage to the female rapper who refers to herself as Barbie and fans as Barbz, Mattel’s attorneys recognize it as an infringement on its intellectual property.
Trademarks protect brand identifiers that help consumers easily identify your business as the source of a good or service. A federally registered trademark allows you to prevent others from using the same or similar trademark to identify the same or related good or service.
In addition to the infamous Barbie doll, Mattel has used the famous trademark associated with its snacks since 2017.
While Mattel and Nicki Minaj have collaborated in the past, there is no agreement between Rap Snacks and Mattel. If you incorporate other brands into your products or services, contact the company for permission or risk an expensive legal battle.
Lesson two: an L.L.C. does not equal trademark use
TikTok and Instagram users are calling foul after Bella , owner of Nostalgia Cosmetics, alleged another company stole her entire brand. From the name to the tagline and website copy, it’s straight tragic. In her defense, social media users point out that Bella registered her L.L.C. before the other company. While there are several lessons here, let’s focus on one: your L.L.C. does not equal trademark use. While we’re at it, neither does the domain purchase — another fact users point out to defend the devastated business owner.
A limited liability company (L.L.C.) and a trademark are two different things. One is a form of intellectual property; the other is not. Intellectual property is an asset created from the mind. There are four types of intellectual property: trademarks, copyrights, patents, and trade secrets. On the other hand, an L.L.C. is a business entity established by an individual state. An L.L.C. offers you protection by limiting your business liabilities to your business assets and protecting your personal assets in the event something goes wrong in the business.
In the United States, trademark protection is afforded to the first person to use the trademark in commerce. Use is defined as a good or service available in commerce. Your L.L.C., domain, and presales don’t equate to use. You can have each of these without having an actual product or service available.
Lesson three: don’t rely on a common law trademark to protect your brand.
Kim Kardashian found herself in a three-way last year after being accused of copying Lori Harvey’s skincare brand and being sent a cease-and-desist letter by small business owner Cyndie Lunsford of Beauty Concepts L.L.C. for the same reason. The brands, Skn by LH, Sknn by Kim, and Sknn+ are all similar in sound and appearance, but that’s a lesson for another day.
As stated above, in the United States, trademark protection is awarded to the person or business who uses the trademark in commerce first, not the first to register. This is a common law trademark. Before you get too excited, know the protection afforded by a common law trademark is limited to the geographical area where the trademark is regularly used. Use means where the goods and services are available. If you offer spa and salon services as Ms. Lunsford does, your protection is limited to where those services are offered. In this case, Brooklyn, New York, and possibly the entire state. Limited protection is a problem, especially if the goal is to provide goods and services outside a specific geographic area.
While Lunsford was the first to use her brand, she was not the first to file, which means although she may have protection in New York, she is not entitled to protection throughout the United States. Those rights are reserved for the owner of federally registered trademarks.
The bottom line
Stop waiting to register your trademarks. If you are building a brand, you should protect it.
About the author
During her years of practice as an intellectual property attorney, Laconya Murray has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs secure their brands through her legal services, business consulting, and online courses. She has also written books, is a sought-after speaker, and launched her podcast and YouTube channel to educate the community on legally safeguarding their ideas, brands, and businesses. Today she helps entrepreneurs throughout the country protect their brands, content, and ideas through trademarks, copyrights, and other business development processes and tools. See more at laconyamurray.com or https://offthemarkipsolutions.com.
Written by Jasmine Jackson | Shared from Black Enterprise @blackenterprise
Oct 7, 2022 | Business Law, LLC Business
The group of African American real estate developers who are building a Black-owned micro home community called South Park Cottages in College Park, Georgia, were able to sell out all of their award-winning-designed, technologically-advanced micro homes in just 50 days.
The community, which was built to allow residents to live more abundantly by utilizing advanced energy-efficient technology, is the 7th largest micro home community in the country and the largest in the state of Georgia. Even more, it is located just 15 minutes away from the city of Atlanta and 5 minutes away from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport.
Booker T. Washington, Founder and CEO of the project, says that his goal was to develop an innovative and affordable community that drives his primary mission to increase value while maintaining the integrity of the community. Over the past 5 years, as an investor and real estate developer, he has individually developed more than $5 million in real estate assets.Rashad Jones-Jennings, Co-Founder & COO of South Park Cottages, is a retired NBA player who once played for the Philadelphia 76ers. He too says that he is focused on developing and redeveloping the same disadvantaged communities that he grew up in.
Others involved include Pauline Harris, who provides superior service and personal expert guidance throughout the home financing process; Quiana Watson, who offers full-service real estate brokerage services; and Cristyl Kimbrough, who is a real estate lawyer that helps buyers with the pre-closing and post-closing process.
For more details about the project, visit SouthParkCottages.com or follow the project on Instagram at @TechieHomes
This story first appeared on Blackbusiness.com.
Written by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors | Shared from Black Enterprise @blackenterprise
Sep 12, 2022 | Business Law, LLC Business
Black-owned small businesses could gain $5,000 grants to help them grow and conquer obstacles like lack of capital and inflation. Marking its third year, the Coalition to Back Black Businesses (CBBB) offers just over $1.3 million in grants to 272 Black businesses to help with long-term growth.
According to a news release, the CBBB is a multi-year effort created to support the resilience of Black-owned small businesses. The program is supposedly the first-ever collaboration with four top Black business organizations, including the National Black Chamber of Commerce, the National Business League, the U.S. Black Chambers Inc., and Walker’s Legacy.
It is reported the CBBB has awarded over $6.4 million in grants to 1,091 small Black-owned businesses in 40 states to help pay costs like payroll, utilities, and expanding or replacing inventory.
Along with the $5,000 grants, the CBBB supplies extra resources for sustained support, including one-on-one mentorship and training for small businesses based on individual needs. They are being offered in partnership with a small business growth engine, Ureeka .
Carolyn Cawley , president of the U.S. Chamber Foundation, stated, “We’re proud to work with our coalition of partners to build on the impact we’ve made over the last two years and support the continued growth of America’s Black-owned small businesses.”
Jennifer Skyler , chief corporate affairs officer at American Express, said, “American Express and our partners are proud to see that the grants are making an impact on the small business community, with 50 percent of our grant recipients seeing a real increase across sales revenue in the second half of 2021.”
Per the news release, the program will gain extra support this year from engine-maker Cummins and the e-commerce firm Shopify. Selected grantees can also apply for $25,000 enhancement grants in spring 2023 to grow their businesses even more.
Small businesses must meet the eligibility requirements for CBBB grants.
“They include having between three and 20 full-time, part-time, or otherwise contracted employees. They must be in an economically vulnerable community.”
Eligible finalists will be invited in mid-September to finish a grant application. Business owners will be informed of their status in mid-October. Businesses not selected for a grant in this round are encouraged to apply again, as the program will run through 2024.
Applications for the 2022-23 grant program are now being accepted. Applicants should act fast, as they need to apply by Sept. 6, 2022. Business owners interested in pursuing the grant further can find more details here .
Written by Jeffrey McKinney | Shared from Black Enterprise @blackenterprise
Aug 11, 2022 | Business Law, LLC Business
Recession, rising inflation, a contracting economy, a sharp downturn, a bear market. These are the words in our news headlines. If you hold the purse strings to a budget, hold your nerve. It’s important not to be reactionary and panic. Keep focused on your company’s long-term objectives and use PR and comms to gain a competitive advantage.
This downturn could be short and sharp or long and drawn out. The legal firms that will win will be the ones that keep relationships strong with all their key audiences, who are strategic in approach but who allow for a healthy dose of opportunism.
During a recession or economic downturn, businesses immediately look for services that can be cut to save money. In the past, the PR, comms and marketing teams have been at the sharp end of this. However, businesses are learning that they need communicators.
Your clients, employees and stakeholders all need to be kept close, up to speed and able to buy into company decisions and developments. It’s also important to keep the focus on the top end of the funnel to continue to build relationships with prospects so that you are there for them when they require it.
When it comes to your legal business, it’s imperative to ensure your messages are considered, curated and communicated during tough times. Turning off communications in the short term will hurt your future goals.
A 2010 Harvard Business Review study of 4,700 companies going through recessions found that “firms that cut costs faster and deeper than rivals don’t necessarily flourish. They have the lowest probability—21%—of pulling ahead of the competition when times get better.”
Here are some top tips to make sure that you don’t lose ground.
Prepare your communications plan
Review your issues and crisis preparedness: Have you foreseen all the issues related to your legal business during this recession? What’s the impact of continued inflation on your business and employees? Have you plotted out potential scenarios, do you know what your company stance will be and have you developed supporting statements? Are your spokespeople trained to support your messages?
Stay ahead of competitors with clever content
If your competition reduces their PR and comms activity, this is the time to secure a competitive advantage. By holding your nerve and continuing to bring value to the sector you can secure a strong share of voice, build third-party endorsement and elevate your position. If you switch off now, you’ll have to spend a lot more time and effort switching back on and mobilising.
Support your sector and grow positive relationships
If your competitors are drawing back on partnerships, sponsorships and media spend, then this is the time to pick up coveted opportunities and tie in multi-year opportunities at a good rate. You’ll also build a huge amount of goodwill this way and the rewards will be mutually beneficial. This type of activity also sends a sign to the market that you are in good shape and in control.
A little help goes a long way
Think about what counsel, advice and support you can develop to help your clients or customers ‘free of charge’. If you have a ‘helpful’ plan this can be mobilised via your PR approach, personal brand and your thought leadership content strategy and any other comms touchpoints you have.
Maintain the focus on securing talent
Even during a recession, you will still need to keep the best and hire the best. Communicating your strategy to manage the recession to potential employees will reassure internal and external stakeholders alike. Whatever decisions need to be made in your legal business, you need a communications team to explain these decisions to your employees and ensure your comms is top-notch.
Increase your ranking
While competitors are dormant, what can you do to build digital ground and your rankings for keywords? Build your content strategy, secure those backlinks, keep focused on your domain authority and use the time to get to know the new GA4 analytics from Google.
Check what’s on your search engine results page
What do you see on the first two pages of Bing or Google if you search for your company’s name? Use this time to develop a SERP strategy to curate and influence what different search terms reveal about your business. Make what people find interesting and reflective of you as a business – infographics, video, media coverage, reviews, and photography.
Focus on growth marketing
There is nothing like a recession to focus the mind and dissipate turf wars. If you always wanted to get your sales/business development, marketing and PR teams working together then now is the time. Get this right now and reap the rewards later. Build the pipeline.
Keep communicating your ESG plans
There is a risk that tighter budgets will mean less investment in ESG and corporate sustainability. But cutting investment in this area represents a significant risk in the long term, given upcoming legislative changes and the engaging nature of Gen-Z. Meanwhile continuing to communicate on ESG – including being transparent about the challenges – will pay dividends in the future for your legal business.
About AMBITIOUS PR: AMBITIOUS is a Bristol-based PR and communications agency with a local, regional and national remit. AMBITIOUS works with fast-growth, blue chip and multinational businesses as well as a number of public sector organisations.
About the author: Sarah Woodhouse , director at AMBITIOUS PR, is a seasoned public relations and communications professional with over 20 years of experience working in the UK and Asia. Agency-side, she has worked for Edelman, McCann Erickson and previously co-owned impactasia in China which was sold to Cohn & Wolfe (WPP) in 2011.
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Written by Sarah Woodhouse | Shared from Lawyer-Monthly.com
