March 2020 With the rapid spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus around the globe, even companies outside of the impacted areas have been forced to prepare for the worst. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed hundreds of cases across the United States, including here in California. Public health officials have suggested [...]
October 2019 If you plan on purchasing a California business, you should be aware of California’s Bulk Sales Law. The law is designed to protect a business’ creditors and prevent a situation where a seller walks away with the sale proceeds, leaving creditors unpaid. Generally, a buyer would not be liable for a seller’s debts [...]
Following the lead of the European Union, last year the California legislature passed the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (the “CCPA”). It grants consumers more control over, and insight into, the spread of their personal information online. Although the CCPA will not become effective until January 1, 2020, steps should be taken now to [...]
Business activities, no matter how small, come with risk as well as tax liabilities, both of which can be reduced by operating through a legal entity --- a limited liability company or corporation. The Federal corporate tax rate for C Corporations[1] has plunged, down to 21%; a 20% qualified business income deduction applies to limited [...]
Nobody wants to be involved in litigation. If you are reading this, chances are you have taken an active role in protecting your business from needless lawsuits by scrupulously following the law, treating your employees as the valuable assets they are, and working with talented tax and legal professionals to ensure you are thoroughly protected [...]
Frustrated by disapproval of a conventional bank loan? Annoyed by the lack of creative financing options for your commercial real estate investments? Real estate developers and investors should consider the benefits gained from alternate real estate financing options before pursing their next development. While traditional mortgages remain the most common financing option for commercial real [...]
Owning residential or commercial property you rent to others comes with an inherent risk of liability. While maintaining adequate insurance can protect landlords against many conceivable risks, it cannot completely insulate the landlord from liability. All insurance policies have limits, exceptions and carve-outs. In some cases injuries to tenants or guests, for example, could result [...]
Over the past several weeks, you have probably been receiving e-mail from various online service providers announcing updates to their privacy policies. While these e-mails often claim that they are being done because the organization values your privacy, there is actually a deeper root. On May 25, 2018, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation [...]
Three months after the devastating Thomas Fire and Montecito mudslides, we continue to see questions regarding disaster recovery, especially from business owners. Last month’s Advisor covered insurance issues; this month, I want to focus on other strategies for weathering the aftermath of what has been a tough six months for our community. While insurance is [...]
Donning our N95 masks for another day in smoke-filled Santa Barbara, we watch in awe while more than 7,000 firefighters do battle with the Thomas fire as it continues to threaten our communities. Western Ventura County has been devastated by the loss of more than 900 homes (and counting). Neighborhoods at the east-end of Carpinteria, [...]