Avoiding the Most Common Business Lawsuits
Defending against any lawsuit has the potential to sink a Silicon Valley start-up. You must defend against even frivolous litigation especially so in today’s fast-paced and ever-expanding startup industry. There is no way to bulletproof a business from all litigation, but there are ways to greatly reduce the likelihood of lawsuits and their financial impact on your business. The experienced business litigation attorneys at Structure Law Group, LLP can help advise and protect start-ups against business litigation before it happens. While you can’t protect against all litigation, you can protect against the most common legal complaints against businesses. Business attorneys commonly defend against the following lawsuits:
- Breach of Contract Claims – Sometimes start-ups enter into contracts that aren’t favorable, or they run out of funding to fulfill their obligations. The business lawyers at Structure Law Group can review and draft the terms of any proposed contracts and include certain protective indemnification and liquidated damage clauses to reduce the cost of or prevent litigation.
- Intellectual Property Claims – Your start-up’s intellectual property is a valuable asset. Former employees may have disputes about the ownership of intellectual property created while they were working at your start-up. The business lawyers at Structure Law Group can help you protect your intellectual property by drafting a variety of different agreement such as confidentiality and invention assignment agreements.
- Wrongful Termination and Employee Discrimination Claims – These complex constitutional, federal, and state claims are often filed against businesses. Many businesses that terminate difficult employees or reject disabled or minority applicants may be faced with employment litigation. The business lawyers at Structure Law Group understand the nature of federal and state employment discrimination, termination, and disability laws and can help your start-up ensure it is in compliance with these laws.
- Wage and Hour Litigation – Should you pay your employees hourly or provide a salary? That is the most common question employers ask themselves when hiring an employee, however, those are not how you properly determine employment. Employees are classified as exempt or non-exempt and it is extremely important that a business does not misclassify. Do all of your employees need health insurance, and what about California overtime laws? Unintentional violations of local, state, and federal wage laws can lead to litigation. The lawyers at Structure Law Group can advise clients on effective employment policies and practices.
Prevent Business Lawsuits Before They’re Filed with a Reputable Silicon Valley Startup Attorney
The most preventative way to avoid litigation is to seek counsel from a reputable Silicon Valley Litigation Attorney. An attorney can help prevent litigation from the time they help you form your startup and will work with you and advise you on the potential legal exposure the startup may face. A Silicon Valley Startup Attorney can advise on how to protect the company in the future. Some options include structuring the startup to avoid liability and drafting clear and enforceable business contracts and agreements. If and when a startup finds itself exposed to a lawsuit, it is highly advisable that the startup seek legal counsel. Though many lawsuits may seem straightforward and simple, such that a startup believes it can be handled without legal advice, an experienced attorney may be able to identify potential issues that others may not notice.
From filing your start-up paperwork to hiring a certified public accountant, you can do everything right for your business. You can follow every tax law and post every employment regulation. Nevertheless, despite your best efforts, you can still be sued. The experienced Silicon Valley start-up and business attorneys at Structure Law Group can help you avoid and defend against business litigation. We’ll help you choose the business entity that best protects you, structure your financing agreements in accordance with state and federal law, understand complex employment laws, and draft confidentiality and invention assignment agreements to protect your intellectual property.
Contact A Silicon Valley Business Attorney
The skilled attorneys at Structure Law Group have extensive experience in helping start-ups avoid and defend against business litigation. Making the right moves now can save your company time and money in the future. If you are interested in learning more about how the Silicon Valley business attorneys at Structure Law Group can help your start-up, then please call us at 408-441-7500 or contact us online.