What Are the Differences Between Trademarks, Copyrights, and Patents?

Innovation takes many forms. Your work and your craft provide a living for you, your business, and your family. Protecting that work goes a long way toward preserving your financial interests. Our team provides intellectual property services including the acquisition, maintenance, and enforcement of trademarks. We want to help you protect and get the most out of your IP, but it’s important first to understand the Read More

What Happens If You Become Incapacitated and Don’t Have the Right Documents in Place?

You need a plan. It’s an expression we share across multiple practice areas as we work with clients to ensure they are meeting their goals and hitting milestones within their long-term strategies. But, what happens when you don’t have a plan? Our team has previously highlighted the importance of planning documents like Financial Power of Attorney designations and Advanced Health Care Directives. These tools Read More

What is a Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT) and When Should You Use One?

Effective estate planning means using the tools available to save significant cash by avoiding the heavy tax burden that often comes with transferring assets to beneficiaries. Homeowners often face a significant tax bill when transferring properties to heirs because their personal home is among the most expensive assets they own. This is where a Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT) helps immensely. What is a Read More

An Intellectual Property Evaluation MUST Be Part of M&A Due Diligence

Intellectual property (IP) are assets. They don’t just protect your innovation and hard work; they add value to a business. Still, many businesses move through a mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deal without doing a deep dive into the other business’ intellectual property portfolio. The perfect time to do this is during due diligence. Your team gets a look inside the books of the other company to ensure what is Read More

The Who, What, Where, When, and Why of California Conservatorships

Conservatorships have a bad name. People often think of Britney Spears’ conservatorship and the #FreeBritney movement because, well, that’s the only real-life example most people have been exposed to. In reality, conservatorships serve an important role under the right circumstances. It’s important to separate Hollywood gossip from the real world California families live in. What is a Conservatorship? A conservator Read More

Is That Lawsuit Against Your Business Tax Deductible?

An estimated 40,000,000 (yes, 40 million) lawsuits are filed in the U.S. each year. This massive number illustrates just how likely it is that businesses will, at some point in the course of operations, face a lawsuit of some kind. Ultimately, this does not mean your business is the bad guy. It does not mean you’ve even done anything wrong. When your company faces financial liability in litigation, however, it can Read More

How Can Businesses Pick the Right Time to File for Trademarks?

You’ve put your blood, sweat, and tears into your business. Now it’s time to protect it. That’s a phrase that sits front and center on our home page, and we stand by our goal of protecting businesses built on hard work and dedication. One key aspect of this is trademark protection for your brand and elements of your business. Attaining trademark protection takes time, effort, and money, however, so businesses often Read More

Lessons We Can Learn From Celebrity Estate Plans

Celebrities – they’re just like us! Well, sometimes. Being a law firm in California, we are well aware of the fame and glory side of being a celebrity, but we also keep an eye on the legal webs celebrities sometimes bind themselves and their loved ones to. We frequently stress the importance of estate planning for every adult, especially those with notable assets and net worth. This is why we find it shocking and Read More

Why We Do Guardian Designations for Your Minor Children Differently

Taking care of your children is a crucial piece of estate planning. Most people focus on the asset protection and management portion of their plan, but properly establishing guardianship for your minor children cannot be taken for granted. People often do this by putting guardian designations in a will. We advise against this because a will does not take effect until after your death, meaning incapacity planning is Read More

Understanding Depreciation Recapture and How It’s Taxed

Asset management requires meticulous record-keeping and financial accounting as assets gain or lose value over time. When the time comes to move off high-value assets it’s imperative to consider the tax implications of these transactions. Implementing an effective tax strategy to get the most out of your money allows you to save cash while building on your investments. This also means paying close mind to the Read More