How to Protect Your Trademarks and Domains From the New .XXX

Beginning September 7, 2011 trademark owners will have six weeks to block their trademarks from .XXX registration.  Contact your domain registrar to initiate this process. Later this year, anyone will be able to register domain names with the new .xxx gTLD (generic top level domain).  But beginning September 7, 2011 through October 28, 2011 trademark [...]

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The Placement Agent’s Role in a Private Placement.

VCExperts published a good article by Joe Bartlett of Sullivan & Worcester called Why Use a Placement Agent? describing the pros, cons and expectations when a founder or entrepreneur wants to engage a placement agent to raise money through a private placement. I work with lots of entrepreneurs who think the best way to raise [...]

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CO Supreme Court Overturns Lucht’s Concrete – Non-Compete Agreements (Partly) Safe Again

On May 31, 2011 the Colorado Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals decision in Lucht’s Concrete Pumping, Inc. v. Horner.  As we reported last year, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that continued employment is not sufficient consideration to support a non-compete agreement, invalidating a common business practice.  In 2001, Lucht’s Concrete Pumping hired [...]

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What is a “Sports Lawyer”?

I always turn to the sports section first.  The sports page records people’s accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man’s failures.  ~Earl Warren, the 14th Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Last fall I was voted by my peers – “The People’s Court” – as the “Best Sports Lawyer” for the Barrister’s Best [...]

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What it Means to be a “Deal Lawyer”.

Perhaps the correct title of this article should be “Why Would Anyone Want to be a Deal Lawyer?”. “Deal Lawyers”, otherwise known as a “transactional lawyer”, a “mergers and acquisitions lawyer” or a “business lawyer”, are the lawyers who help their clients put together mergers, acquisitions, financing, buy-outs, and similar company or business changing events. [...]

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The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 – Tax Changes, Tax Benefits and Tax Incentives for Small Business

This is Part 2 of 2 articles on the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010.  This article summarizes the tax changes and incentives, and Part 1 summarizes the loan incentives and benefits of the Jobs Act. On September 27, 2010 President Obama signed into law the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, P.L. 111-240 (the [...]

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The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 – Loan Benefits to Small Businesses

This is Part 1 of 2 articles on the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. This article summarizes the loan incentives and benefits of the Jobs Act, and Part 2 summarizes the tax changes and incentives. On September 27, 2010 President Obama signed into law the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, P.L. 111-240 (the [...]

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Haiti Earthquake: New Tax Law Allows Charitable Deduction on 2009 Return for Cash Contributions for Haiti

By: D. Laird Blue On January 22, 2010 President Obama signed into law a bill allowing taxpayers to claim a charitable deduction on their 2009 income tax return for cash donations made between January 11, 2010 and March 1, 2010 for the relief of victims of the January 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti.  The taxpayer [...]

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Do You Use Testimonials or Endorsements in Your Ads? FTC Publishes New Guidelines

Last week the Federal Trade Commission published new guidelines on using testimonials and endorsements in advertising.  The new Revised Endorsements and Testimonials Guide ads new restrictions to using testimonials and endorsements in advertising. Consumer Testimonials – The Demise of “Results not Typical” Now, advertisements that use a consumer to tell about his experience with a product or service as [...]

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SEC Gives One More (and Final) Reporting Extension to Small Public Companies

The SEC announced that smaller public companies must begin reporting on effectiveness of internal controls in 2010.  The SEC has granted several extensions to non-accelerated filers (smaller public companies – those with less than $75 million public float) for complying with Section 404(b) of Sarbanes-Oxley, which requires auditors to attest to the effectiveness of a [...]

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