BUSINESS & CORPORATE LAW ATTORNEYS IN SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA

Business law covers legal aspects used in acquisitions, mergers, the formation of companies and the rights of shareholders. A corporation is a legal entity created under state law. Corporate law focuses on legal aspects governing the sale and distribution of goods, and the Uniform Commercial Unit is the body that designs rules and regulations used to govern corporate law. Our team has in-depth knowledge of both laws.

LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR CORPORATIONS

A corporation is a legal entity created under state law for the purpose of conducting business. A corporation is separate from its individual owners, or shareholders, who own stock in the company, and treats the corporation as a person that can sue or be sued. Corporations are subject to numerous regulations and require annual meetings of the board of directors and officers. Most corporations have an attorney present at all of these meetings to ensure that the corporation complies with all state and federal requirements.

Companies often face complex disputes with other businesses, government entities, or groups of individuals, which require an understanding of both the business issue and the industry of the client. Our business litigation practice specializes in handling these complex disputes, representing leaders in diverse industry sectors, including many Fortune 100 companies, in connection with their most important litigation matters. What sets us apart from our peers is our depth of trial and arbitration experience, class action expertise, and connections to the specialized business litigation courts across the country.

CORPORATIONS & INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AGREEMENTS

During the formation of a new company, it is important to assign all relevant intellectual property in an Intellectual Property Agreement and provides the rights and protections for owners based on federal patent, trademark, copyright, and state laws. By relying on a San Jose specialist, the corporation can be assured that the intellectual property rights will be adequately protected.

CIVIL LITIGATION & BUSINESS LAW

Many companies face civil litigation. The term civil litigation refers to a legal dispute between two or more parties that seek monetary damages or specific performance rather than criminal sanctions. A lawyer who specializes in civil litigation is known as a litigator or trial lawyer. Lawyers who practice civil litigation represent parties in trials, arbitrations and mediations before administrative agencies, foreign tribunals, and federal, state, and local courts. Several common types of civil litigation include environmental law, housing law, products liability, intellectual property, labor and employment, and antitrust.

ADA ACCESS DEFENSE

Making your site accessible to persons with disabilities is a good business practice. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Disabled persons, advocacy groups and the Department of Justice can bring lawsuits to enforce compliance with the ADA. A significant part of our practice is devoted to helping clients achieve enterprise-wide compliance and avoid exposure to expensive litigation.

Our team has experience defending ADA actions filed against businesses, and we have successfully defended our clients when Federal or California law does not support the allegations against them. Where violations actually exist, we help them to settle cases through either negotiation or Alternative Dispute Resolution. We often find ourselves facing the same advocacy groups and lawyers, and our experience with resolving these cases reduces the amount of litigation. We are always prepared to negotiate a settlement if it is in the best interests of our clients, but if it does go to trial, our knowledge of the procedural issues helps us achieve the best results for our clients.

GENERAL COUNSEL FOR CORPORATIONS

A General Counsel is the chief lawyer of a corporation and is sometimes known as the Chief Legal Officer (CLO). The General Counsel typically reports directly to the CEO/President, and their duties involve overseeing and identifying all legal issues, as well as corporate governance and business policy. General Counsels often have additional roles that include crisis management, compliance reporting management and public policy advocacy.

A General Counsel today brings more than their legal expertise. They are also acting as business advisers to the CEO and senior leadership team by providing general counsel that uses a deep knowledge of not only laws and regulations, but a greater knowledge of the industry and financial issues. With broader knowledge and skills, a general counsel can participate in leadership discussions of complex problems and creative solutions by seeking out new challenges that allow the team to see the bigger picture.