December 2019 Two months ago Governor Newsom signed AB 1482, bringing statewide rent control to California. The new law goes into effect January 1 and includes both a cap on rent increases for existing tenants as well as a “just cause” standard that must be met before a tenant can be evicted. Are any properties [...]
November 2019 Nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements can be an essential part of your business. These agreements protect the confidentiality of the trade secrets and important data for your company. They are not just for inventors or companies with secret recipes, though. They are necessary for any business that might be disclosing information that is commercially [...]
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 [...]
September 2019 “PAGA” is the acronym for California’s fifteen-year-old Private Attorneys General Act. This Act allows an individual, on behalf of himself and other employees, to recover civil penalties for alleged Labor Code violations. It added new civil penalties for all such violations, even if certain Labor Code provisions did not previously authorize civil penalties. [...]
June, 2019 When starting a business, it’s easy for owners to make legal mistakes that can prove costly down the road. Avoiding these missteps will keep your new venture on the path to prosperity. Over-complicating the Formation. Don’t try to structure your business to accommodate every future contingency. Instead, design the business to address [...]
May 2019 Perhaps you’ve invested in an apartment building as a source of retirement income. Maybe you inherited a second home from a relative, and are debating whether renting the property is worth the trouble. No matter the size of your property, or the specifics of your goals or circumstances, the most important thing [...]
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 [...]
There are dozens of laws requiring California landlords and property managers to give residential tenants written warnings about hazards and potential hazards associated with the housing environment. In the last twelve months legislation for two more of these laws has taken effect. New Flood Hazard Area Disclosure Effective July 1, 2018, California Government Code section [...]
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 [...]