How Can I Lock In My Business Name So That No One Else Can Use It?
A “Mompreneur”, a mom who is also an entrepreneur, recently asked how she can lock in her business name so that no one else can use it. She is in the early stages of starting her business and isn’t ready to have a sign on the door or even a website. She had many, many […]
How Can a Minor Register a Trademark or Copyright?
Someone recently asked whether a minor, a person under eighteen years of age, can register a trademark or copyright. Many answered that there are no federal age restrictions, but there might be restrictions in your state. Some answered that the minor should incorporate and went on to explain how to go about becoming a shareholder in their state. All of this is good advice, but we thought we would explain the why in addition to the how.
Can I Sell Handmade Items Made of Licensed Brand Fabric?
We recently received a copyright infringement inquiry from a local Etsy.com seller. Etsy removed a portion of her products from her shop, and Facebook.com blocked her account. Etsy and Facebook informed her that she had infringed upon a popular sport’s team’s intellectual property (IP). Needless to say, she had a few questions:
5 Things to Consider When Deciding Between Renting a Co-working Space and a Traditional Office Space
We at Lum Law Group know many who have ventured into the modern world and signed up for the modern working space. Instead of hiring an agent to find a traditional office space, negotiating a one to five year long lease, and waiting months to move in, a co-working space can start you in their […]
Is Immigration affected by the Partial Government Shutdown?
With the recent (partial) government shutdown, many are left wondering what will happen once the holidays are over and everyone is back to business. We know a partial government shutdown affects federal employees, but how does it affect you? To answer your questions, we’ve collected key points from a variety of sources (listed at the […]
Top 3 Differences between a Sole Proprietor and a Single-Member Limited Liability Company (LLC)
If you’re a one-man (or woman) business, you might wonder whether you should continue operating as a “sole proprietor”, or register as a single-member Limited Liability Company (LLC). Since both business entity types are for a single owner, we will cover the top three items you should consider in deciding between sole proprietorship and single-member […]
Small Business Owner: Avoid These 5 Common Scams
At the end of the year, many small businesses take stock and plan how to do better in the next year– much like how individuals check their bank accounts and step on their scales to see how they can improve those numbers come January 2019. The desire to improve is commendable. Yet, where large companies […]
5 New 2019 California Employment Laws Business Owners Should Know
California will implement many new regulations in the coming year. As a small business owner, it’s important to remain up-to-date with new legislation so that you can ensure your business is in compliance with State regulations. As employment defense attorneys, we encourage businesses to take preventative action before they’re sued by their employees. Here’s five […]
Services Your Business Can Outsource to Save Time and Money
You are trying to run a successful business on a budget, but there are just too many tasks to complete for your staff to keep up with in their daily routine. Hiring more full-time employees is just out of the question at this point. The additional expense would place a huge burden on your company, […]
What does “Public Charge” mean and how does it affect me?
We have noticed conflicting information regarding the recent proposed changes to the existing public charge inadmissibility grounds. To read the actual notice published on October 10, 2018, the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, from United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS), please click here. We hope this article will clarify the key questions our clients ask us […]
Employers! Are you prepared for an ICE raid or I-9 Compliance Audit?
Since the beginning of the year, we’ve seen an increase in ICE employment site raids. Many attorneys discuss what to do when ICE knocks on your door–discussing your rights and responsibility of compliance, but here we’ll be advising the employer. If you’re small business owner, franchisee, or anyone who employs another person, this is for […]
The Importance of “Too Good to be True”
Whether the problem you’re trying to solve is immigration, copyright, or business related is irrelevant when it comes to the importance of Too Good to be True. It can apply to the paralegal who offers simple solutions to your immigration non-status, promising to handle everything from beginning to end–and for an affordable price! It can apply […]
How to Handle an Immigration (USCIS) Employment Site Visit
If you’re an employer with employment-based petition(s), such as the Form 129 Petition, for your employees, you might find yourself face-to-face with audit officers from the Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) department. FDNS, or a third-party inspector, conducts site visits on behalf of United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) to combat L-1 and […]
How to ace your L-1 employment visa interview
If your employer has successfully applied for your L-1 employer visa, you may be scheduled for an interview at the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate. Whether you have experience interviewing for a US tourist visa and know the drill, or it’s your first time and you’re incredibly nervous, we have tips to help you better prepare for […]
How to Protect Your Business From Common Lawsuits
As an entrepreneur, it’s your responsibility to make sure that the business runs smoothly and is not affected by anything. One thing that can greatly harm your business is a lawsuit for tort liability. To avoid being a victim, here are five ways to protect your business from common lawsuits: 1. Monitor Your Actions and […]
What You Need to Know Before Expanding Your Business Overseas
Expanding your business overseas is an exciting development for entrepreneurs. Developing economies are the new frontier, and only the industrious can hope to take advantage of it. Of course, where there are unique opportunities, there are also unique challenges. Expanding your business abroad comes with several legal concerns that can be critical. When considering expanding your […]
Did your Notice to Appear (NTA) have a date, time, and place? Here’s why it matters…
Since the Pereira v. Sessions decision in June 2018, immigration attorneys have been flooding the courts with variations of motions to reopen and terminate, with the most important being the Cancellation of Removal. In this post, we’ll review the importance of this decision and how it may affect you. What is a “Notice to Appear” […]
What You Need to Know About Business Franchises
When looking into starting a business, you may consider franchising. Buying a franchise means buying the rights to a particular company and own a “satellite location”, a smaller business at a separate location. As a franchise owner, you could be in the position to run a well-known business with the help and support of the […]
5 Challenges Los Angeles Businesses Face
Every business faces many different social and financial challenges. But it is larger cities with millions of people, such as Los Angeles, that pose the greatest challenges to businesses. Here are five common challenges with any business striving to make it in Los Angeles. 1. Multiculturalism Diversity and multiculturalism are considered to be positive assets […]
Can an Immigrant purchase a home?
Home ownership is an integral part of the American Dream, which we are encouraged to work hard towards. Home ownership is a great source of pride in the U.S., and a huge source of gratitude for immigrants. Striving towards home ownership can be considered a way of life for Americans born and raised in the […]
