Most Arizona business owners seek to expand their operations as they meet certain goals or milestones. Before they do, however, they must take into account various legal considerations that are likely to impact their businesses in many ways.
The business lawyers at Ernst Brown Draper help companies plan and execute business expansion plans and measures and can potentially help you in your efforts to thrive.
Top Legal Considerations During Business Growth in Arizona
The business landscape in Arizona is dotted with all manner of businesses with unique and varying concerns.
That said, many businesses, although in different industries, have the same legal considerations as one another. Taking the time to work through these considerations with an experienced business attorney saves companies money, resources, and headaches related to legal disputes.
Labor and Employment Considerations
Nothing can paralyze business plans and operations like labor and employment problems. Since employees form the backbone of any company, businesses in expansion do well to ensure that all legal considerations surrounding labor and employment have been discussed and dealt with.
One of the major labor and employment considerations during business expansion is the increase in the labor force, which necessarily leads to an increase in employment disputes. Various employment disputes that may arise include:
- Wage and salary disputes
- Overtime payment disputes
- Medical and pregnancy leave issues
- Job duties and supervisory issues
- Vacation time and paid sick leave
- Promotion and advancement problems
To mitigate these and other risks, businesses are strongly encouraged to contact a law firm experienced in handling the needs of growing businesses in Arizona.
A seasoned business lawyer helps business owners comply with relevant local, state, and federal laws when dealing with labor and employment issues. They also provide tailored guidance to business owners and operators that reflects each company’s unique circumstances.
Entity and Business Structure Issues
In a way, some businesses are like children who outgrow their clothing during growth spurts. In this comparison, the clothes that children outgrow are business structures and entity designations.
Entities and business structures, such as limited liability companies (LLCs) and corporations, are necessary to determine how a business will be operated, taxed, and held liable.
As businesses grow, their characteristics often change, as do their needs and focuses. A choice of business entities for a new operation may soon become inadequate as the business thrives. The right move would be to deal with entity and business structuring considerations before growth kicks in.
However, many business owners and operators do not contemplate these entity and structural concerns until growth has kicked in and issues arise. Many are simply too busy and too unfamiliar with business entity law to handle the various issues involved.
This is where an experienced business attorney comes in. Consulting with a lawyer before growth occurs typically saves a business significant time, money, and hassle.
Issues Related to Intellectual Property and Trade Secrets
Trade secrets and intellectual property, including trademarks, copyrights, and patents, are valuable to businesses and must be protected, especially during periods of expansion. Additionally, businesses in expansion must also protect themselves from allegations of usurping other businesses’ intellectual property and trade secrets.
For example, if a company in expansion hires a competitor’s employee, the hiring company must take care to ensure that they are not unlawfully receiving protected information from their new employee.
The most optimal way for an expanding business to protect its intellectual property rights is through the services of an experienced business law firm. Savvy business lawyers know how to protect businesses’ intellectual property holdings and valuable trade secrets. Some of the actions they take to provide this protection include:
- Applying for and obtaining trademarks
- Securing copyrights
- Drafting and reviewing non-disclosure agreements
- Holding intellectual property infringers accountable
- Defending against allegations of unauthorized use of intellectual property
- Prosecuting violations of NDAs
- Anything else related to intellectual property and trade secrets
A business attorney will also ensure that your documents and paperwork related to your various intellectual property holdings and trade secrets are impeccable and free of error so as to avoid unnecessary delays and disputes in the future.
Ernst Brown Draper: Here to Help You Thrive
At Ernst Brown Draper, our goal is to help your business thrive. Our team of business lawyers has worked with a variety of businesses and has seen them grow into the visions of their owners and partners. Feel free to give us a call to discuss your plans and learn how Ernst Brown Draper can help.