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Independent Contractor or Employee? How to Choose Properly

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One of the most common ways an employer gets into hot water is to improperly classify an employee as an independent contractor (“IC”). This is an important issue for businesses for a few reasons. There is no single, simple rule you can use to determine the proper employment status of an individual you hire to …Read more

How to Respond to Government Inspections

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How would you respond to a staff member who called to report that a company facility was receiving an unexpected government inspection?  The agents could represent federal or state environmental, health and safety or taxing authorities.  Almost certainly they will be requesting access to your company’s facility or offices in short order, perhaps immediately. Is …Read more

Legal Protections for Your Software Products

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In the modern day world of cutting-edge technology and smartphones, software is a significant business sector where developers need to stay ahead of competitors by developing new code and new applications all the time. But new code involves developing intelligent solutions to problems, and providing customers with a unique product. What options do software developers …Read more

5 Things To Understand About New Federal Trade Secret Law

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Until May 12, 2016, trade secret law was the only area of intellectual property law left largely to state courts and state law. No longer. On May 12, President Obama signed the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016. (Pub. L. No. 114-153). It establishes a new federal civil remedy for the misappropriation of trade secrets, …Read more

How to Avoid Risks When Partnering With Overseas Companies

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In case you’re not following the latest international business scandals – like Unaoil and the Panama Papers – We are seeing a rapid revolution in whether, when, and how companies conduct due diligence when engaged in partnering with overseas companies. This is particularly important in the San Francisco Bay Area where many home grown companies …Read more