Are you considering starting a business with a friend or family member? If operating as a partnership or LLC, a well-drafted partnership or LLC operating agreement will be crucial to memorialize your economic agreement, organizational structure and key terms, and should include provisions designed to prevent deadlock if a disagreement later arises about important business decisions. A disagreement concerning a …
Community Engagement and the “Good Guy” Escape Hatch
Almost everyone wants to be the good guy. Engaging your business in the local community through volunteerism and charitable giving can have a positive impact both on your business and in your community. The more public-facing your business is and the larger your staff grows, the more opportunities your business will have to be the good guy as employees and …
Ag Law Today: Episode 8 on Prenuptial Agreements
Happy New Year! Hope you had a nice holiday season with your family and friends. Another episode of Ag Law Today podcast is live. You can view it here. I am talking about one of my favorite topics with fellow New York City matrimonial lawyer, Sabra Sasson, on the topic of prenupial agreements. A lot of folks get engaged over …
Make an Achievable 2019 New Year’s Resolution – Get an Estate Plan Checkup!
With 2019 right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about your new year’s resolutions. It doesn’t matter whether you have an estate plan or don’t, one important item to add to your list is getting an estate plan checkup. Don’t Have an Estate Plan? If you don’t already have an estate plan, then getting one in place should …
Ask Cari: Who Needs an Estate Plan?
If you’re reading this, you need an estate plan. Why? The short answer is “Everyone, age 18 and older needs an estate plan.” It doesn’t matter if you are old or young, if you have built up considerable wealth or if you are just entering adulthood —you need a written plan to keep you in control and to protect yourself …
Legalized Marijuana: What Every Employer Needs to Know
The marijuana industry is huge and growing. In 2017, legal marijuana was a $1.5 billion industry in Colorado alone according to data from the Colorado Department of Revenue, and it has been identified by many analysts as one of the fastest growing industries in the United States. To date, 33 states and the District of Columbia have legalized either medical …
Is a Revocable Living Trust Right for You?
Revocable Living Trusts have become the basic building block of estate plans for people of all ages, personal backgrounds, and financial situations. But for some, a Revocable Living Trust may not be necessary to achieve their estate planning goals or may even be detrimental to achieving those goals. What Are the Advantages of a Revocable Living Trust Over a Will? …
LLC Management: Who Should Run the Shop?
Determining who will manage the day-to-day affairs of your business is an important decision. You need to know, at the outset, who will manage operations, both for the success of your business and because the Limited Liability Company (LLC) operating agreement demands it. Luckily, LLC operating agreements are very flexible and the management structure can be tailored for your business. …
LLC Members: What You Need to Know about Your Fiduciary Duties
As a member of an LLC, you may owe a fiduciary duty to the company. The two key fiduciary duties are the duty of loyalty and the duty of care. Whether you have a fiduciary duty will depend on the LLC’s management structure and whether you have management responsibilities. Understanding your duties is essential to avoiding liability. What is a …
Your Cyber Legacy: 3 Tips for Your Digital Assets
There’s an entire category of commonly-overlooked legacy to consider – digital assets. Don’t worry if you didn’t consider these assets when made your will or trust – it’s surprisingly common and, luckily, easy to correct. What are digital assets? They include: your photos (yes, all those selfies are a digital asset), files stored in the cloud or on your local …