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Posts in Business Law
Best COVID-19 Practices for Landlords and Property Managers

The novel coronavirus pandemic raises novel questions and unprecedented challenges for commercial property owners. It is no longer business as usual. Property managers face the tough task of getting prepared for major dislocation, while avoiding panic for themselves and their tenants. Education and proactive planning are critical for keeping your occupants safe and building operations functioning.

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How Does COVID-19 Affect My Obligations Under a Lease?

COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) has completely disrupted life as we know it. During this very chaotic and unprecedented time, there are certainly many questions with little to no satisfying answers. If you lease commercial space you may be wondering whether your lease is still enforceable, specifically whether you are still required to pay rent. That answers depends on the exact language contained in your lease.

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An Independent Contractor Agreement Does Not Make You Independent

Whether a worker is classified as an employee or an independent contractor makes a significant difference in an employer’s duties and obligations toward the worker. The distinction governs everything from the applicability of wage and overtime law to unemployment and workers’ compensation eligibility. All too often employers misclassify workers in an effort to reduce or eliminate expenses and benefits to which the worker should lawfully be entitled. Both employers and workers should be aware that the presence of an independent contractor agreement does not, alone, serve to classify a worker as an independent contractor.

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How Do I Know If a Material Breach Has Occurred?

If you are in the construction industry, you already know how important it is to have a properly-drafted contract in place that protects you and your business before commencing work on any project. A contract, however, can only offer you protection if you understand the terms used in the contract, and understand what happens if a party breaches or defaults on the contract. For example, in the construction industry, there is a significant difference between a simple breach and a material breach of contract. At this point, you may wonder “How do I know if a material breach has occurred?”

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What is an LLP?

For many people, owning a business is a lifelong dream. If you are finally at the point where you plan to make your dream of owning a business a reality, you have many important decisions ahead of you. The first, and most important, decision is what type of legal structure to use for your business. Business entities fall into three basic categories—sole proprietorship, partnership, and corporation. Within the partnership category, there are then a number of sub-categories, such as the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP).

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What is a Trademark?

A trademark or a service mark is a word, name, symbol or device that can be useful to identify a particular company or brand. The purpose of the trademark is to make it easier for sellers and consumers to distinguish among the different sources of goods and services that are available for purchase.  A trademark is eligible for certain legal protections. To protect your trademark and receive the maximum benefit from its use, you may need the assistance of an experienced attorney. However, a basic understanding of trademarks is a helpful starting point.

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What Are General Partnerships?

If you are considering venturing into the world of small business ownership you will have a seemingly endless list of decisions you must make regarding the business before it even gets off the ground. There are three broad categories of business entities from which you may choose – sole proprietorship, partnership, and corporation. Within the partnership and corporation categories there are also a number of sub-categories and hybrids. Taking the time to learn what general partnerships are will help you decide if a general partnership is right for your business.

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What is a Service Mark?

Companies that provide a service to consumers and to businesses must be distinguishable from other organizations that provide a similar service. One of the ways that a company can distinguish itself is by having a unique brand identity. This could be a symbol, word, phrase, series of words, or other identifying marks and phrases that help to distinguish one service provider from the other.

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What Are Some Common Types of Commercial Litigation?

Despite the name, commercial litigation is an area of the law that may include both businesses and individuals as a party. If you are a business owner, or you own a significant interest in a business, there is a very good chance that at some point in time you will be involved in commercial litigation. The longer you are in business the greater the odds are that you will be named as a Defendant in some type of commercial lawsuit. As an individual you may find yourself to be the victim, or Plaintiff, in a commercial law lawsuit.

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Is There Pressure to Settle Commercial Litigation Out of Court?

The term “commercial litigation” covers a wide variety of disputes, making it a relatively large area of the law. Most types of commercial litigation can be extremely costly, both in terms of time and money, for the parties to the dispute. Not surprisingly then, there is often pressure to settle commercial litigation out of court. No one can force you to settle any type of litigation out of court; however, it is often in everyone’s best interest to work toward an out of court resolution to a commercial dispute.

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Should I Form a Partnership?

A partnership is easy to form and much easier to maintain, from a recordkeeping standpoint, than a corporation. Profits and losses in a partnership pass through to the partners and are reported on the partners’ individual tax returns. One of the biggest drawbacks to being a general partner, however, is that you will be personally liable for any debts, obligations, or liabilities of the partnership. Another potential drawback is that a partnership is often not as attractive to investors as a corporation is should you wish to expand the business in the future.

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How Do I Check or Reserve a Name for a New Business Venture in Pennsylvania?

If you plan to incorporate your business you will be required to conduct a name search prior to submitting your incorporation documents. Even if you do not plan to incorporate your business you may still wish to register your chosen name so that no one else may use it. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania name searches as well as registering a business name is done through the Department of State, or DOS.

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How Do I Dissolve an LLC Partnership in Pennsylvania?

When you started your business you likely gave very little thought to how you would end, or terminate, your business should the need arise to do so down the road. Now, however, you have decided to do just that – bring your business to an end. You find yourself wondering “How do I dissolve an LLC partnership in Pennsylvania though?” Dissolving an LLC in Pennsylvania requires you to do more than simply close the business doors. While it is always best to consult with an experienced Pennsylvania business law attorney before attempting to wind up your LLC on your own, the following are common considerations that are frequently involved in dissolving an LLC partnership.

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How Do You Resolve a Business Dispute?

If you are a business owner, sooner or later you will end up in a dispute. This is not a reflection on your business acumen nor on your product or service. Instead, it is simply the law of averages. If you stay in business long enough you will eventually end up in a full blown legal dispute with a client or customer, a supplier or sub-contractor, or even a business partner. With this in mind, the obvious question becomes “How do you resolve a business dispute?”

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Are the Various Business Structures Taxed Differently?

Owning a business has long been considered part of the “American Dream.” If you are planning to start your own small business you will soon need to make a seemingly endless number of decisions relating to the business. One of the most important of those decisions is what type of business structure to choose for your new business. Choosing which type of legal entity you plan to use for your company is a huge decision. One common question new entrepreneurs frequently have is “Are the various business structures taxed differently?”

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