Category: Uncategorized

I am one of a few shareholders in a small corporation. What are our rights in the event the board of directors engages in misconduct? Texas law maintains a distinct body of law applicable to small corporations with just a few shareholders. The concept, known as a ‘closely held’ corporation, is explained in Section 21.563...

Do I need a business plan? If you did not know any better, you might guess that a show called “Shark Tank” is about lawyers. But fans of the hit reality show on ABC and CNBC know that the sharks on this series are venture capitalists, including Texas’s own Mark Cuban. The premise of the show...

How Can I Get Better at Negotiation?

Negotiation is a key skill in business. Done properly it can save you money, result in higher profits and help you seal the deal to obtain the right employees, suppliers and contractors. Like any skill it can improve with practice and some good advice.

A...

How Can My Business Protect Our Trade Secrets? Your trade secrets are protected by Texas common law and the state’s Uniform Trade Protection Act and they can be protected by a properly drafted non-disclosure agreement. Those agreements make it clear to an employee what can and cannot be disclosed both during and after the person’s...

What litigation strategies should start-ups pursue to protect valuable intellectual property from rivals?
Austin, Texas-based start-up Allure Energy has sued Honeywell International in a case involving innovative thermostat technology.  Allure Energy's Eversense thermostat integrates location-based controls in mobile phones to allow users to control their home environment.  Allure alleges that Honeywell's Lyric...

Will Your Company Have a Future Without You?

If you are running your own business you are probably very focused on the here and now, making sure your business is running well and avoiding (or getting through) the many obstacles it faces. But you should also think about the future, because the future will happen...

Is patent reform being considered by Congress? Our nation's patent system was not created with today's technology in mind. Over the years, various issues have been addressed by legislation or court decisions, but many believe a modernized law is needed. The United States House of Representatives created a Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the...

What remedies does a business have against former corporate officers who go into direct competition against it?

When business partners, officers or employees leave the company, ownership of intellectual property can become a source of conflict. Contentious claims to Trademarks, computer source code and numerous other IP assets, often of substantial value to the company,...

What factors should be covered in a joint venture agreement?

A joint venture with another company may be a way to grow your business. You may want to exploit a potential market for your products or services, but your business may not have the needed resources. Perhaps there is another company that complements what you...

Do I have to seek design protection in each different country where I sell my products? Businesses seeking to expand their markets to other countries have often sought foreign patent protection. That process will now be much simpler. The United States is joining the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the...