You are not falsifying records if you are accurately recording (albeit at a later date) what transpired in the past. If you start making up stuff or inserting information that didn't actually... (more)

Commercial merchandise (which this would be, as you're intending to sell the pearls) cannot legally enter the United States unless and until the U.S. Customs Service authorizes it. The... (more)

Some businesses by their nature (e.g., bootlegging) cannot be made legal. Others simply need to adhere to the different legal regulations to ensure their legality. Consult with a business... (more)

Your operating agreement should have set out the way to value the interest of the departing business owner. Sometimes, those amounts can vary depending on the reason for the split: Did you catch... (more)

You do not need to have a registered patent prior to manufacturing a prototype of a product. However, you could be stumbling into a number of thorny areas. First, does your... (more)

Using vintage photos can be a rich source of designs for your products, as anyone is free to use photos that have passed into the public domain. However, determining whether certain photos are... (more)

You can certainly develop your own scarf designs and have them manufactured overseas. Plenty of apparel companies do that. And you would be remiss if you did not sell them for more than you paid to... (more)

You can be an owner and/or investor of more than one business. However, you want to be sure that your obligations to one business (e.g., use of machinery, understanding of confidential information)... (more)

Generally, a majority owner has the right to control the decision-making of the company. However, he runs into a possible conflict of interest/fair dealing situation if he hampers the business's... (more)

Whether an owner can force a sale of the business in court depends on the terms of your ownership agreement (assuming you have one). Ownership agreements can (and should) set out procedures for... (more)

You’re treading in murky waters here. Generally, you are not legally permitted to trade off the brand name of another. However, you may be able to get trademark protection on the designs you... (more)

It can be very thorny to convert a for-profit to a not-for-profit corporation. First of all, in most states, the companies are qualitatively different and have different formation requirements.... (more)

If the software license was purchased for one user (the company), having the two of you share it for your individual ventures is probably a violation of your software license agreement. You may... (more)

Law firms can be difficult to value. You have to take into account the hard assets and the practice sources for immediate revenue. However, the valuation for divorce purposes may be different... (more)

While there doesn't seem to be anything amiss with this arrangement on its face, make sure you do your due diligence to find out whether the foreign companies are on the up-and-up. Ask about... (more)

Improper disclosure of an employee's private medical information (also known as "protected health information") may be deemed a violation of HIPAA in addition to other state and federal... (more)

Bad luck can befall the best of us, but the fact that it keeps occurring on Fridays smells very fishy. As a woman myself, I'm hard-pressed to think of a medical condition that requires all-day... (more)

Generally, companies such as Maybelline require that you have a direct arrangement with them to buy and sell their products. They want to ensure that the distributor--who is trading and making a... (more)

Generally, the permits required for an online retail business are not substantially different from those of a storefront business. You'll want to form a business entity in your state and register... (more)

Generally, an employer who has properly established a SEP plan must furnish an annual statement to each employee participating in the SEP that shows the amount contributed to his or her SEP-IRA for... (more)