Online contracts are a farce. Everyone knows they’re a farce. But every year, more areas of the law are consumed by the law of online contracts. — In 2011, Marc Andreesen wrote a landmark blog post called, “Why software is eating the world.” It was so prescient that the phrase is now embedded in the … Read More
Date of Last Update: April 25, 2022 TL;DR This is a long article (nearly 13,000 words!) about a complicated subject. It provides substantial amounts of historical context and legal analysis. You might not care about any of that. But you can read the bolded sections and the infographics, and you’ll get gist of it. One … Read More
Most startup founders have a pretty basic understanding of how to split equity in their startup. “I want to split equity 70-30” or “I want to split it 50-50.” That’s an okay starting point, but it doesn’t get you all the way there. To get it right, you need to understand the little nuances. And … Read More
Some new entrepreneurs seek to jump start sales by buying an already-existing business. Some established businesses attempt to streamline their expansion by doing the same. If you’re considering buying a business, understand this is likely to be one of the largest purchases you, and your company, will ever make. Each business and industry is different. … Read More
When you’re under contract to buy a house, the last thing you’d skip would be the inspection. This is when you hire a professional to find out if the sewer is clogged, if the roof is leaky, if the floors are defective, and whether there’s carbon monoxide, radon, or mold in your hopeful home. It’s … Read More
This article is the first in a series of articles that will be written on Internet Privacy Policies. This article is intended to succinctly communicate the important legal issues of CalOPPA. The purpose of this article is simple – to notify website owners of whether they should be CalOPPA compliant. What is CalOPPA? The California … Read More
Having to negotiate and formalize a contract is great news for a startup. What it means is, we’re in business! But it also means you’ve come to a place where your choices and actions have real consequences. Make no mistake, one badly constructed contract absolutely has the power to undo every minute of work you’ve … Read More
By combing the Interwebs, poring through my personal library, and applying my own experience in working with more than 100 startups, I’ve compiled this checklist of 25 items to review and consider as you launch your startup. I hope you find it useful. Decide whether starting a business is right for you and what kind … Read More
Recently read an article about a teenager whose Facebook status update cost her father the $80,000 settlement he won in an age-discrimination lawsuit. The facts are simple. Father signed an agreement for an $80,000 settlement in an age-discrimination case. The daughter bragged about the award on Facebook. The employer sued to get the settlement award … Read More
I volunteer as a Guardian Ad Litem with the Rocky Mountain Children’s Law Center. Basically, what this means is that when there is an incident of alleged domestic violence that involves a restraining order and there are children included in the order, I investigate what’s happened to ensure that the children’s rights are protected. Sometimes, … Read More