Assistance for Business Owners and Individuals on Other Legal Matters
Many bankruptcy clients whom we have worked in the past often find themselves in need of other legal services beyond a bankruptcy. Through our sister law firm, LIGHTHOUSE LEGAL SERVICES, we stand ready and able to provide the same high level of service for your legal needs as you can expect from SOUTH ORANGE COUNTY BANKRUPTCY. We can provide a vast array of legal services to our clients, including the following:
- CORPORATION/LLC FORMATION.
Regardless of their size, all businesses can receive the following benefits from incorporating in California:- Personal asset protection. Year after year newspaper and television headlines recap countless stories of business owners who have lost everything due to personal liability in running unincorporated businesses. In a properly structured and managed California LLC or corporation, owners are allowed to separate and protect their personal assets from liability for business debts and obligations.
- Additional credibility. Adding “Inc.” or “LLC.” to your business name can add instant authority as consumers, vendors alike prefer to do business with an incorporated company.
- Name protection. By incorporating in California, in most states, other businesses may not file your exact corporate name in their state.
- Perpetual existence. When you incorporate in California, California Corporations continue to exist, even if ownership or management changes whereas sole proprietorships and partnerships terminate when an owner dies or leaves the business.
- Tax flexibility. By incorporating in California, a corporation can avoid double taxation of corporate profits and dividends (e.g., corporate tax and personal tax by shareholders) by electing Subchapter S tax status.
- Deductible expenses. Corporations incorporated in California may deduct normal business expenses, like salaries, before allocating income to owners.
- CORPORATE COMPLIANCE MATTERS
CALIFORNIA CORPORATIONS CODE §1500 STATES: “Each corporation shall keep adequate and correct books and records of account and shall keep minutes of the proceedings of its shareholders, board and committees of the board …” Even though you may have a corporation, failure to maintain that documentation, known as your corporate formalities, could make YOU personally liable for any actions taken by the corporation. It has been estimated that 60% of small closely held corporations would fail to protect their owners in the event of a lawsuit or an IRS audit due to inadequate corporate records. We stand ready to assist your business in preparing the required corporate governance documents, including board of director and shareholder documentation as well as the required annual state government filings to maintain your corporate shield and keep you personal assets out of the line of fire for business issues that may arise. - BUSINESS/COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS
Each year we assist clients with hundreds of business contracts. This entails our drafting, reviewing or negotiation a large variety of agreements, including, sales agreements, franchise agreements, distributorship agreements, employment agreements, independent contractor agreements, sales representative agreements, office leases and equipment leases. - SALE OR PURCHASE OF A BUSINESS
You’ve got one chance to get it right when buying or selling a business. Call us to get our free guide, “The 10 Biggest Business Sale Pitfalls and How to Avoid them.” With our guidance, you can successfully buy or sell a business and enjoy the satisfaction that not every entrepreneur gets to experience. Contact us today with your questions or concerns BEFORE you try to buy or sell.- Make Sure You Get Paid!
- Identify the Most Qualified Buyers
- Confidentiality Until Closing
- Valuation Assistance
- Coordinate Financing
- Plan a Smooth Transaction
- TRADEMARK, COPYRIGHT AND TRADE SECRET PROTECTION
We understand that in today’s marketplace, intellectual property concerns affect all aspects of one’s business – often serving as the primary assets of a company. Now, more than ever, companies must take the necessary steps to protect their valuable intellectual property. We assist clients in taking the necessary steps to secure the protection of proprietary and intellectual property and in drafting the necessary agreements to fully exploit their intellectual property whether such be procuring federally registered trademarks, service marks, trade names with the United States Patent and Trademark Office or implementing protection programs for trade secrets, reviewing their policies on these key issues and drafting agreements that will prevent valued trade secrets from falling into the hands of a competitor. We have developed a wide range of agreements covering employment, confidentiality, noncompete and noncircumvention agreements, employee raiding and customer theft with employees, suppliers and customers of our clients. - ESTATE PLANNING
This aspect of our practice is designed to help our clients minimize estate and gift taxes, avoid probate and administration costs. Our estate planning practice stresses the use of a revocable living trust-based estate plan as the foundation. When properly established and fully funded – which we are adamant about – our clients are able to achieve the transfer of wealth from one generation to another with the least amount of estate taxes and administrative expenses and in the shortest possible time. We believe that probate avoidance should be a goal of every client. We formulate and memorialize our estate plans through carefully prepared documents which are drafted in a cost-effective manner which permits us to serve the needs of clients with a wide range of wealth. We also draft wills, appointment of guardians, durable powers of attorneys for healthcare and asset management purposes.
Our Firm’s up-front involvement in the business and personal decisions of our clients allows for the early identification and minimization of potential problems that could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in costly decisions and litigation! To schedule an appointment to discuss any of the foregoing services please call (949) 203-0040 or send a message to schedule an initial complimentary consultation.