Trademarks: What to Know and How to Look at Them by Eric D. Morton

This is a recent presentation I gave for the Attorney Action Club of San Francisco (via Zoom). The emphasis of the presentation is on how to think about trademarks, how to look at them and what is really important about them - Use!

Where is your data?  Our latest article on the data or information that businesses have. Today, businesses have a need to know what data they have and where it is located. 

Details Matter

Corporate and contract formalities are important, and often overlooked or minimized.  If you don’t memorialize the terms AND ensure that all the parties have validly executed a partnership agreement, you can expect to have headaches, at a minimum, and you could put significant rights or investments at risk.   Failing to sign documents or properly prepare them can lead to disaster. From time to time, I handle disputes in which agreements or entity documents were unsigned, or badly written. Just this year, I had several matters where the parties involved simply did not the execute agreements that were designed to prevent their disputes or resolve them if they did arise.

Unfortunately, clients sometimes gloss over formalities without thinking through the consequences. If you fail to properly execute and maintain your corporate governance documents, for example, the shareholders of the corporation could be held personally liable for business debts. You might be precluded from resolving a dispute among the LLC members if you haven’t executed the operating agreement.

The same can be said for other documents like estate plans.  Yes, you need to get that amendment to your trust signed and notarized.  

Why is this important?

Attorneys assume that every contract must be proven in a court of law.  read more

I will be discussing the dangers of mis-classifying workers on August 15, 2019 in Oakland.  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/misclassifying-workers-can-be-a-crime-tickets-66615166757

Non-solicitation agreements may not be enforceable in California.  Read our article here

Enforcing Non-solicitation Agreements

Attorney Eric Morton, of Clear Sky Law Group, will answer questions about non-solicitation agreements. Recent court cases have significantly restricted the enforceability of non-solicitation contracts (or such terms in employment contracts). Many businesses have non-solicitation agreements or terms that are invalid. When such an agreement is invalid, then an entire employment contract can be found invalid. Business owners need to understand the limits of the law in the area.
April 17, 2019 at 8 a.m. at Peets Coffee 1615 Broadway, Oakland, California.

I will be at Peet's Coffee in Oakland on March 14, 2019 for a discussion about Trade Secrets and how to identify them and protect them.  Click here for more details.