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Category Archives: Startups
How to Execute A “Litigation-Free” Technology Start-Up & Avoid Getting Sued by Your Current Employer
I consult regularly with clients who have good paying, secure, senior corporate jobs and, inevitably after years of dissatisfaction and/or a need to “answer the calling“, they decide to carefully plot out the steps necessary to make a clean and … Read More
Posted in Corporate Divorces, Employment, General, NDAs, Startups, Technology
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How to Resign as a Corporate Director … the #1 Most Popular Mistake!
Here’s a very common Ontario corporate law mistake I’m asked to address several times each year. [I suspect this might have equivalent application to you if you are outside Ontario but please check with a corporate lawyer in your home … Read More
Posted in Corporate Directors, General, Startups, Technology
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Should You Become a Director of a New Technology Start-up?
One of the most frequently asked questions I hear in my role advising technology start-ups is: “Do I have any potential personal liability as a new director/officer of a technology start-up?” At the outset, let me refer you to a … Read More
Posted in General, Startups, Technology
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Taxes … Friend or Foe?
One of the great things about starting and operating a business in Canada are the considerable potential tax benefits. There are lots of ways to lawfully reduce the tax burden … both in terms of the taxes you pay on … Read More
Does My Ex-Spouse Get My Private Company Shares? Time to Set the Record Straight!
This is a really important question that I get asked frequently by my clients. Unfortunately, there are a number of “myths” out there on this topic … so I thought I would clarify the current law in this area. Sometimes … Read More
Posted in Corporate Divorces, General, Mergers & Acquisitions, Raising Angel Money, Shareholder Agreements, Startups
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Employee Retention: Do “Stay Bonuses” Really Work?
I just finished reading a fantastic book called Built to Sell by well-known author and columnist John Warrillow. It’s extremely well written in a very engaging, fictional style that makes this 150-page inexpensive book easy to read, cover-to-cover, in quiet … Read More
Posted in Employment, Mergers & Acquisitions, Startups, Technology
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How to Pick the “Perfect Partner” … Lessons from A Family Lawyer
I had a really interesting lunch earlier this week with veteran Canadian family law lawyer Andrew Feldstein of Feldstein Family Law Group. As a child of divorced parents, I couldn’t resist asking Andrew to give me his take on how … Read More
Posted in Corporate Divorces, General, Startups, Technology
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Are there Any “Phantom Shareholders” in Your Corporate Closet?
My last post focused on the problem some companies suffer from by having “too many shareholders” and options to remedy this situation. Now I want to discuss a different but equally painful problem … that of the “phantom shareholder“. But first … … Read More
Posted in Employment, General, Mergers & Acquisitions, Startups, Technology
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Does Your Company Suffer From Too Many Shareholders? … Read On!
In the early days of many start-ups, the search for cash is relentless. As my readers know from one of my recent posts, cash is the “oxygen” that feeds all start-ups. In those early days, it’s not uncommon to take cash … Read More
Posted in General, Shareholder Agreements, Startups, Technology
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Want to Motivate Your Staff Without Equity? … Try this!
In my last post (Thinking of Giving Shares to Your Employees? Think Again!), we discussed the importance of taking the time to really understand what your employees need and want to feel motivated, perform highly and stay with your company … Read More
Posted in Contracts, Employment, General, Startups
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TOP 3 WAYS TO REDUCE LEGAL RISKS IN YOUR BUSINESS (PART 2)
In my last blog post, I highlighted 3 key ways to reduce legal risks in your business. To recap, they were: 1. Buy insurance policies (for insurable risks); 2. Create an effective “corporate structure”; and 3. Watch … Read More
Posted in Contracts, General, Negotiation, Startups
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Top 3 Ways to Reduce Legal Risks in Your Business (Part 1)
Whether you recently started your new business or are a successful serial entrepreneur, managing risk is part of the wonderful game we all call “business”. Do it well … and your chances of unlocking value and creating wealth for you, … Read More
The Most Popular Start-Up Mistake To Avoid
If you’re like most people who are starting a new business, the word “bootstrap” will quickly become part of your lexicon. Odds are that your new business will take its roots in your home (… or possibly garage depending on … Read More
Using “Carrots & Sticks” to Become A Better Negotiator
Negotiation is something “we” lawyers and “our” clients must continually engage in on a daily basis as part of the Game of Business (and more particularly the Game of Starting, Growing or Selling Businesses). . Few if any of us … Read More
Posted in Contracts, Corporate Divorces, Mergers & Acquisitions, Negotiation, Startups
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