Woodland Hills Business Law Blog

Legal Mistakes That Cost Entrepreneurs Time, Money and Headaches…And How to Avoid Them

Entrepreneurs must navigate through a maze of legal issues and decisions when launching a new business. At the outset, you may think some seem inconsequential – but, tragically, that would likely be your first of many mistakes. The choices you make today will have lasting effects on the viability and profitability of your new business venture. Below are some of the most common mistakes made by first-time entrepreneurs, and what you can do to avoid making them yourself.

Choosing the Wrong Business Structure

The type of business entity you select will affect your liability exposure, income tax obligations and opportunities to raise capital throughout the duration of your venture. Sole proprietorships, C-corporations, S-corporations and limited liability companies (LLC) all have their advantages and drawbacks. Sole proprietorships are simple to start up, but leave your personal assets vulnerable and offer few tax advantages. C-corporations and S-corporations shield your personal assets, and each afford different tax advantages and disadvantages. Additionally, maintaining the protection afforded by the corporate business structure requires a certain amount of record-keeping and forms which must be filed with governmental agencies. LLCs offer you liability protection, but may not be the best choice depending on various factors, including taxes, ownership structure and, in some states, professional licensure. Often, the corporate structure is the most advantageous, but this decision really should be made in consultation with a business or tax attorney.

The “Gentlemen’s Agreement” – A Handshake and Your Word

Your word may be your honor, but a written contract is the only way to be sure all parties share a mutual understanding regarding their obligations. Whether it is your best client, that independent contractor you’ve been courting, or vendors you have known for years, do not assume everything will go according to plan. Putting your agreement in writing not only ensures that everyone’s expectations are clear, it is also valuable evidence in the courtroom, should things not proceed according to plan. Bottom line – get it in writing!

Adding Partners Without a Written Agreement

It’s easy to sweep this one aside when you are passionately focused on the work of getting your business off the ground. And those new partners likely share your same passion. However, until a detailed written Partnership Agreement is drafted and signed, you may be unclear about each other’s expectations in the short term, or, if your business is wildly successful, tied up in protracted, long-term litigation, to establish who owns what (Facebook comes to mind). Redirect some of that passion, and benefit from the goodwill it creates, to negotiate a Partnership Agreement early on that covers responsibilities, ownership structure, provisions for transferring ownership, and what happens when there’s a disagreement about the direction of the company.

Sharing Ownership 50/50

Establishing equal percentages of ownership in the company sounds like a fair and reasonable arrangement. However, this type of situation makes it difficult to bring on investors, and can bring the company to a standstill if the partners cannot agree on a decision. Instead, issue shares in the company in such a manner that investors can be added later; and make sure those shares are distributed to the founders with at least a 51/49 split, giving the majority shareholder the authority to make executive decisions even if there is a stalemate.

Family Businesses: Simple Steps to Avoid Common Pitfalls

If you have a family business or are thinking about starting one, kudos to you! There are few better ways to create tradition, meaning and bonds within a family, and a family business can be a gratifying way by which to build wealth.

Family enterprises, however, can bring conflict, legal challenges and financial distress when simple preventative steps are not taken. A business law attorney can assist you with the following issues commonly faced by family businesses:

• The absence of a succession plan. If the leader of a business dies, sells or becomes incapacitated, the business he or she leaves behind will appoint a leader, somehow, by necessity. The succession process at that point, however, will likely be complicated, and the result may not be optimal for the business or your family. An attorney can assist in identifying all of your options, and help you select one that works best for you and your business. For instance, if the business belongs exclusively to you, you can simply leave it to the person you feel should own and run it. If the business is professional in nature, such as a medical or legal practice, you can identify an outside buyer/successor and prepare him or her using a process agreeable to both of you. If the business belongs to two or more family members or other individuals, a contractual succession plan can be devised, lessening stress both now and at the time the succession occurs.
   
• The lack of employment agreements. It’s rare that families who start businesses together are initially comfortable discussing the particulars of vacation and sick days, wages, raises and absenteeism. Yet these issues affect every business and will affect yours. The time for all parties to discuss expectations and rules is now, before issues arise, not later, when issues have already led to resentment and confusion.
   
• The failure to acquire a business license. Often, small business start-ups skip the step of acquiring a business license that may be required in a particular industry, perhaps choosing instead to wait and see whether the business will succeed. It’s important, though, not to avoid this step. By not acquiring a business license and necessary zoning permits and by not meeting other legal requirements, you expose your business not only to penalties but also the possibility of being shut down with financial and reputational consequences that accompany an unexpected closing.
   
• Mixing personal and business funds. The separation of personal and business funds isn’t just good business; it can save you money. When personal money “disappears” into a business owned by you and others, you’ve lost at least part of those funds regardless of how successfully they’re put to use by the business. An issue related to separating personal and business funds is that of separating personal liability from that of the business. By housing the business in a legal entity, such as a corporation or limited liability company, you can shield yourself from liabilities faced by the business.

Drafting contracts, obtaining needed licenses, negotiating with municipal entities and selecting and creating a business entity can involve complex legal issues. To ensure success and to protect your interests, contact a qualified business law attorney.

Overview of Life Estates

Establishing a Life Estate is a relatively simple process in which you transfer your property to your children, while retaining your right to use and live in the property. Life Estates are used to avoid probate, maximize tax benefits and protect the real property from potential long-term care expenses you may incur in your later years. Transferring property into a Life Estate avoids some of the disadvantages of making an outright gift of property to your heirs. However, it is not right for everyone and comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

Life Estates establish two different categories of property owners: the Life Tenant Owner and the Remainder Owner. The Life Tenant Owner maintains the absolute and exclusive right to use the property during his or her lifetime. This can be a sole owner or joint Life Tenants. Life Tenant(s) maintain responsibility for property taxes, insurance and maintenance. Life Tenant(s) are also entitled to rent out the property and to receive all income generated by the property.

Remainder Owner(s) automatically take legal ownership of the property immediately upon the death of the last Life Tenant. Remainder Owners have no right to use the property or collect income generated by the property, and are not responsible for taxes, insurance or maintenance, as long as the Life Tenant is still alive.

Advantages

• Life Estates are simple and inexpensive to establish; merely requiring that a new Deed be recorded.
• Life Estates avoid probate; the property automatically transfers to your heirs upon the death of the last surviving Life Tenant.
• Transferring title following your death is a simple, quick process.
• Life Tenant’s right to use and occupy property is protected; a Remainder Owner’s problems (financial or otherwise) do not affect the Life Tenant’s absolute right to the property during your lifetime.
• Favorable tax treatment upon the death of a Life Tenant; when property is titled this way, your heirs enjoy a stepped-up tax basis, as of the date of death, for capital gains purposes.
• Property owned via a Life Estate is typically protected from Medicaid claims once 60 months have elapsed after the date of transfer into the Life Estate. After that five-year period, the property is protected against Medicaid liens to pay for end-of-life care.

Disadvantages

• Medicaid; that 60-month waiting period referenced above also means that the Life Tenants are subject to a 60-month disqualification period for Medicaid purposes. This period begins on the date the property is transferred into the Life Estate.
• Potential income tax consequences if the property is sold while the Life Tenant is still alive; Life Tenants do not receive the full income tax exemption normally available when a personal residence is sold. Remainder Owners receive no such exemption, so any capital gains tax would likely be due from the Remainder Owner’s proportionate share of proceeds from the sale.
• In order to sell the property, all owners must agree and sign the Deed, including Life Tenants and Remainder Owners; Life Tenant’s lose the right of sole control over the property.
• Transfer into a Life Estate is irrevocable; however if all Life Tenants and Remainder Owners agree, a change can be made but may be subject to negative tax or Medicaid consequences.

Limited Liability Company (LLC): An Overview

The limited liability company (LLC) is a hybrid type of business structure, offering business owners the best of both worlds: the simplicity of a sole proprietorship or partnership, with the liability protection of a corporation. A limited liability company consists of one or more owners (called “members”) who actively manage the company’s business affairs. LLCs are relatively simple to establish and operate, with minimal annual filing requirements in most jurisdictions.

The best form of business structure depends on many factors, and must be determined according to your particular business and overall goals:

Advantages

• LLC members enjoy a limited liability, similar to that of a shareholder in a corporation. In general, your risk is limited to the amount of your investment in the limited liability company. Since none of the members will have personal liability and may not necessarily be required to personally perform any tasks of management, it is easier to attract investors to the limited liability company form of business than to a general partnership.

• LLC members share in the profits and in the tax deductions of the limited liability company while limiting the potential financial risks.

• LLCs offer a relatively flexible management structure. The business may be managed either by members or by managers. Thus, depending on needs or desires, the limited liability company can be a hands-on, owner-managed company, or a relatively hands-off operation for its members where hired managers actually operate the company.

• Because the IRS treats the limited liability company as a pass-through entity, the profits and losses of the company pass directly to each member and are taxed only at the individual level (which may or may not be an advantage to you, depending on the profitability of the LLC and your personal income tax bracket).

• Members of an LLC have flexibility in dividing the profits and losses. In a corporation or partnership, profits must be divided according to percentage of ownership. However, with an LLC, special allocations are permitted, so long as they have a “substantial economic effect” (e.g. they must be based upon legitimate economic circumstances, and may not be used to simply reduce one member’s tax liability).

Disadvantages

• Limited liability companies are, generally, a more complex form of business operation than either the sole proprietorship or the general partnership. They are subject to more paperwork requirements than a simple partnership but less than a corporation. Annual filings typically include statement and nominal filing fee payable to the Secretary of State, informational returns to the IRS, and filing of a state tax return.

• In certain jurisdictions, single member LLCs may not be afforded the same level of limited liability protection as that of an incorporated entity.

Also note that in many states, an LLC is prohibited from rendering “professional services” which can include companies providing services that require a license, registration or certification.   Such professionals typically have to establish a Professional LLC which does not offer limited liability for professional malpractice.

Overview: Buy-Sell Agreements and Your Small Business

If you co-own a business, you need a buy-sell agreement. Also called a buyout agreement, this document is essentially the business world’s equivalent of a prenup. An effective buy-sell agreement helps prevent conflict between the company’s owners, while also preserving the company’s closely held status. Any business with more than one owner should address this issue upfront, before problems arise.

With a proper buy-sell agreement, all business owners are protected in the event one of the owners wishes to leave the company. The buy-sell agreement establishes clear procedures that must be followed if an owner retires, sells his or her shares, divorces his or her spouse, becomes disabled, or dies. The agreement will establish the price and terms of a buyout, ensuring the company continues in the absence of the departing owner.

A properly drafted buy-sell agreement takes into consideration exactly what the owners wish to happen if one owner departs, whether voluntarily or involuntarily.  Do the owners want to permit a new, unknown partner, should the departing owner wish to sell to an uninvolved third party? What happens if an owner’s spouse is involved in the business and that owner gets a divorce or passes away? How are interests valued when a triggering event occurs?

In crafting your buy-sell agreement, consider the following issues:

• Triggering Events - What events trigger the provisions of the agreement?  These normally include death, disability, bankruptcy, divorce and retirement.
   
• Business Valuation - How will the value of shares being transferred be determined? Owners may determine the value of shares annually, by agreement, appraisal or formula.  The agreement may require that the appraisal be performed by a business valuation expert at the time of the triggering event.  Some agreements may also include a “shotgun provision” in which one party proposes a price, giving the other party the obligation to accept or counter with a new offer.
   
• Funding - How will the departing owner be paid?  Many business owners will obtain insurance coverage, including life, disability, or business continuation insurance on the life or disability of the other owners.  With respect to life insurance, the agreement may provide that the company redeem the departing owner’s shares (“redemption”).  Alternatively, each of the owners may purchase life insurance on the lives of the other owners to provide the liquidity needed to purchase the departing owner’s shares (“cross purchase agreement”).   The agreement may also authorize the company to use it’s cash reserves to buy-out the departing owners.  
   

You’ve Planned for Your Business, But Do You Have an Adequate Business Plan?

Much like the blueprints that help a contractor build a house, your business plan is an essential component of your start-up activities, helping you define where you want your company to be within a few years and how you plan to get there. Business plans can vary from simple, one-page documents to lengthy tomes.

Once created, your business plan is not set in stone. Your company will naturally evolve over time and be influenced by outside factors. As such, successful entrepreneurs consider their business plans to be a work-in-progress, to be updated to reflect changes in the marketplace. The important thing to remember is that a good plan includes only the information you need, nothing more and nothing less.

Some successful entrepreneurs have abandoned the old notion of lengthy business plans containing extraneous information. As the company evolves, much of a comprehensive document may become obsolete and have to be discarded. Or, worse, you might find yourself so invested in the plan itself that you resist changes that may be beneficial to the company. Instead, think of a business plan as the following four items:

• A description of the business and leadership team
• A well-defined target market
• Competitive advantage(s) of your product or service
• Three years of projected financial statements

When you are in the early stages, attempting to secure the first round of capital financing, investors are most concerned with the leadership team and what they are going to do. In later stages, the financial data takes on a more pivotal role. Care should be taken to focus on your target market and the overall concept, rather than getting bogged down in the details of a complicated business plan. Potential investors will be closely examining many areas of your business plan, including the team, target market, product or service you offer and financial projections.

Your Leadership Team
The best start-up business teams include a mix of varied strengths that complement each other. The individual who will be managing the business and developing the products or services offered are of the utmost importance.

The Target Market
Your business plan must describe the target market sufficiently to convince investors that you will have customers and that there is a need for whatever it is you have to sell. Be realistic, and include parameters such as the size of the market and the competition.

Competitive Advantage
What is your competitive advantage?  Is it something unique about the product or service your company offers?  And if you do have a killer concept, what prevents a competitor from copying it?  What is the barrier to entry? If the product or service itself is not unique, be sure to demonstrate how you intend on marketing it in a way that sets it apart from the competition.  

Financial Projections
Provide a reasonable estimation of what your profit and loss will be over the course of the first few years of business operations. Of course, this estimate is subject to change, but it will provide some guidelines to let investors, and your leadership team, know what milestones you expect to meet along the way.

Above all, make sure you demonstrate to potential investors that you have carefully and realistically thought through your business plan, and that you are prepared to make changes along the way when adjustments are necessary.

What’s really covered on your homeowners insurance policy?

A solid homeowners insurance policy can provide peace of mind about securing one of your most valuable assets. Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t fully grasp what exactly is covered under that policy, and most importantly, what isn’t.

Homeowners insurance policies generally cover your home itself and other physical structures on the property. Your personal belongings also fall under most policies, along with property damage and bodily injury sustained by you or others on your property. You, your spouse and children, and any guests, tenants, or employees in your home can all be covered under this policy, just be sure to check when you purchase the policy.

Sounds like they’ve got you covered, right? Not so fast; there are a number of possible perils that are often not covered under basic homeowners insurance. Knowing what falls into this category can save you a lot of time and trauma if you ever experience one of these situations in the future.

The two main exceptions are earthquake and flood damage. The impacts of these natural disasters would not be covered by your standard policy. Earthquake insurance and coverage for some types of water damage can often be purchased as an addendum, but flood insurance must be purchased on its own as a separate policy.

Further, standard policies don’t cover damages to your building as a result of your failure to perform regular maintenance on your property. Insect, bird, or rodent damage, rust, mold, and any kind of wear and tear on your property are typically not covered. Neither are hidden defects, mechanical breakdowns, or food spoilage in the event of a power outage. Though there is no current concern for this, damage caused by war or nuclear exposure is also not covered.

Some things have minimal coverage built into your standard policy, for which you can purchase additional coverage as an addendum. Valuable property, including firearms, jewelry, silverware, etc., is usually covered by a standard $1,000. Insurance for replacement value of lost or damaged property is usually determined on an itemized basis that takes depreciation into account. You can expand this coverage by paying to remove depreciation from consideration.  Liability coverage can be increased if desired as well.

These should serve as general guidelines for your homeowners insurance, but be sure to consider the details on your specific policy.  It’s important to consider exactly what you have covered in order to determine what additional types of insurance you may want to purchase.

Are You Bound by the Terms of a Real Property Letter of Intent?

Complex commercial real estate transactions typically involve a back-and-forth negotiation of numerous terms of the agreement, a process which does not occur overnight. Accordingly, parties to a real estate purchase or lease transaction generally first execute a letter of intent (LOI), which documents the parties’ intent to proceed with the negotiation of a full contract. The LOI includes the essential terms of the agreement, such as closing date and purchase price, or lease term and rate. However, detailed terms and conditions are reserved for the final, formal lease agreement or purchase contract.

The LOI, with its brief description of only the most basic, essential terms, is not intended to be a binding contract.  However, if it is not properly drafted, the parties could find themselves locked into a binding LOI. For example, the existence of elements required in an enforceable contract, such as property description, price, closing date and payment terms, without expressly declaring parties’ intent that it be non-binding, could constitute it as a valid contract.

While parties who enter into an LOI generally intend to consummate the transaction, if the LOI is deemed enforceable as a stand-alone contract, both parties may be subject to undesirable consequences. For example, the LOI lacks essential contract terms such as indemnity clauses, warranties, financing arrangements, or any other detailed terms necessary to protect one or both parties. To ensure the LOI serves its intended purpose, it must contain a specific provision that states the LOI is intended to be non-binding until such time a final agreement is executed by the parties.

What if you want parts of the LOI to be binding, regardless of whether the deal is finalized? Perhaps buyers and tenants want an enforceable provision stating that the seller or landlord will not offer to sell or lease the property to others while the parties are in negotiations. A hybrid LOI can be drafted to ensure the negotiations and final terms are kept confidential until a final agreement is executed. Just as with the provisions stating the LOI is intended to be non-binding, the provisions that are intended to be binding must be carefully drafted to ensure they are enforceable and do not pose unintended consequences for other provisions within the document. A hybrid letter of intent can be a very effective tool in facilitating the purchase or lease of commercial real estate, but care must be taken to ensure it is drafted so that it serves its intended purpose.  

Do You Need Meeting Minutes?

Regardless of the size of the business, corporations (including those organized under Subchapter S) must observe all of the required formalities in order to maximize the benefits of a corporation. Corporate meeting minutes document the decisions made by the company’s board of directors, and are necessary to preserve the “corporate veil” in the event of a lawsuit or other claim against the company. If corporate formalities are not observed, your own personal assets may be at risk.

One such formality is the maintenance of a corporate record book containing minutes of meetings conducted in accordance with the company’s bylaws. Even in a one-person corporation, board resolutions must be drafted, signed and kept in the corporate records. Every major decision that affects the life of the business must be ratified by a board resolution contained in the corporate records.

There is no specific required format for meeting minutes, but the document should include any important decision made regarding the company, its policies and operations. Minutes should include, at a minimum:

• Date, time and location of the meeting
• Names of all officers, directors and others in attendance
• Brief description of issues discussed and actions taken
• Record of how each person voted, whether the vote was unanimous and whether anyone abstained from voting
• Vote and approval of the prior meeting’s minutes

How do you know whether a decision needs to be documented in the meeting minutes? Generally, if a transaction is within the scope of the company’s ordinary course of business, it need not be addressed in the minutes. On the other hand, major decisions should be documented in the minutes, such as:

• Significant contracts
• Leases
• Loans
• Marketing campaigns
• Reorganizations and mergers
• Employee benefit plans
• Elections of directors or officers

Non-incorporated entities such as limited liability companies are generally exempt from performing such formalities.

C-Corporation Vs. S-Corporation: Which Structure Provides the Best Tax Advantages for Your Business?

The difference between a C-Corporation and an S-Corporation is in the way each is taxed. Under the law, a corporation is considered to be an artificial person. Shareholders who work for the corporation are employees; they are not “self-employed” as far as the tax authorities are concerned.

The C-Corporation

In theory, before a C-corporation distributes profits to shareholders, it must pay tax on the income at the corporate rate. Then, leftover profits are distributed to the shareholders as dividends, which are then treated as investment income and taxed to the shareholder. This is the “double taxation” you may have heard about.

C-Corporations enjoy many tax-related advantages :

• Income splitting is the division of income between the corporation and its shareholders in a way that lowers overall taxes, and can avoid or significantly reduce the potential impact of “double taxation.” By working with a knowledgeable tax advisor, you can determine exactly how much money the corporation should pay you as an employee to ensure the lowest tax bill at the end of the year.
• C-Corporations enjoy a wider range of deductible expenses such as those for healthcare and education.  
• A shareholder can borrow up to $10,000 from a C-Corporation, interest-free. Tax-free loans are not available to sole proprietors, partners, LLC members or S-Corporation shareholders.

S-Corporation
S-Corporations pass income through to their shareholders who pay tax on it according to their individual income tax rates. To qualify for S-Corporation status, the corporation must have less than 100 shareholders; all shareholders must be individual U.S. citizens, resident aliens, other S-Corporations, or an electing small business trust; the corporation may have only one class of stock; and all shareholders must consent in writing to the S-Corporation status.

Depending on your situation, an S-Corporation may be more advantageous:

• Electing S-Corporation tax treatment eliminates any possibility of the “double taxation” referenced above. S-Corporations pay no federal corporate income tax, but must file annual tax returns. Because losses also flow through, shareholders who are active in the business can take most business operating losses on their individual tax returns.
• S-Corporations must still file and pay employment taxes on employees, as with a C-Corporation. An S-Corporation may not retain earnings for future growth without the shareholders paying tax on them. The taxable profits of an S-Corporation pass through to the shareholders in the year they are earned.
• S-Corporations cannot provide the full range of fringe benefits that a C-Corporation can.

A Stitch in Time … Strategies to Prevent Business Litigation

A lawsuit can damage more than just the bottom line of your business.  In addition to costing money that could be put to better use, a lawsuit is also an unwelcome distraction for the owner, managers and employees.  It can also do irreparable damage to business relationships and reputation.

It may not be possible to avoid any and all legal conflict during the life of your business, but by considering the following advice, you should be able to minimize the resources you have to devote to litigation – which means more time and money available for your business operations and investments.

1. Don’t rely on a handshake.  Reduce all business agreements to writing, even if they are with your oldest and dearest friend.  Be clear about terms and expectations.
2. Keep a written record of all communications.
3. Keep the lines of communication open, especially when a business relationship starts to sour.  Aggressive communication may be able to cure the damage before a lawsuit becomes necessary.
4. Don’t put your head in the sand.  If a threat appears that could lead to litigation, respond quickly, thoughtfully and thoroughly.
5. Check your compliance with relevant government regulations.  Import/export? Check the laws.  Using hazardous materials? Check the regulations. Don’t allow shortcuts.
6. Create a business culture that rewards employees for reporting violations of any laws or government regulations.  Your employees on the ground can be your best resource for uncovering potential hazards that could lead to litigation.
7. Put cure provisions and mediation provisions into your contracts with vendors.
8. Complete a business succession plan to minimize or eliminate disputes over exit strategies.
9. Conduct regular safety checks of the physical premises, including vehicles used for company business.
10. Conduct criminal background checks on prospective employees that comply with the law.
11. Provide regular health and safety training for employees.
12. Provide ongoing training for human resources personnel.
13. Review whether your employees are properly classified as hourly or salaried workers to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act.
14. Review whether any independent contractors should be reclassified as employees to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act.
15. Respond promptly and thoroughly to complaints from employees, customers or vendors.
16. Use email, the internet, your company website and social networking media with caution.  Assume that any information shared via these platforms will be publicly accessible until the end of time.
17. Seek outside advice when necessary.  Don’t let your ego be your downfall.  If you don’t understand your legal obligations and rights in a particular circumstance, consult a qualified commercial law attorney.