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What's a Russian Roulette Deadlock Clause?
If your LLC or corporation has two or more owners, you can get stuck (deadlocked) on making a decision or taking action if no one has...
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20212 min read
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Is Your DIY Contract Enforceable?
I get it. You probably have a degree or two. You've probably looked at a lot of contracts in your career. You probably write well. It's...
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20213 min read
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Can You Buy (or Sell) That Contract?
Are contracts a valuable asset of the business you are buying or selling? If so, you need to make sure those contacts can be transferred...
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20212 min read
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How Do You Transfer IP?
The purchase or sale of most businesses will involve transferring intellectual property ("IP") rights - i.e., patents, trademarks,...
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20212 min read
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My Book is a Business School Text
This is my most exciting book news to date. The University of Illinois business school is using my book as a text in its Entrepreneurship...
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20211 min read
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Where Do Entrepreneurs Get the Money to Buy a Business?
One of the biggest challenges for an entrepreneur is finding the money to do a deal. I spoke to the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition...
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20213 min read
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Do I Need Originals?
When you sign a contract, do you need to have an "original" - i.e., one contract with the original signatures of all the parties - for it...
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20212 min read
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Where Did You Get That Photo?
See that photo? I have permission to use it on my blog because permission to use the photos in my web development platform's library is...
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20213 min read
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Do Your Company's Legal Documents Support Your Special Status?
Have you set up your company to qualify for a special status, such as a women-, veteran-, or minority-owned business? If so, do your...
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20212 min read
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Do the Exhibits Really Matter?
Lawyers often draft contracts with attached exhibits to simplify the contract language by moving details out of the body of the contract...
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20211 min read
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The Custom and Courtesy of Blacklining
I was working on my first deal as a young lawyer. I represented the buyer. The lawyer representing the seller drafted the purchase...
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20212 min read
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When Will the Deal Close?
You're buying a business or real estate. Your purchase agreement says you're going to close on a particular date. You probably won't....
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20212 min read
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Are You Restricted From Starting Your Business?
You may have a great idea for a new business. Where did that idea come from? Is it related to your current employment? If so, do you have...
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20213 min read
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Gig Economy Business v. Gig Economy Worker
I help people start and run gig economy businesses. A gig economy business is different than a gig economy worker. A gig economy worker...
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20212 min read
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My New Book: Before You Leap
I help people start and run independent contracting, consulting, and freelance businesses. I published a new book this week that teaches...
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20211 min read
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A Proposal Makes a Poor Contract
Catherine’s consulting business routinely provides written proposals to prospective clients. Her practice is to have clients accept the...
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20212 min read
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The Value of "Don't Do It" Advice
How much would you pay a lawyer to tell you not to do something? A doctor wanted to buy a medical practice from the wife of a doctor who...
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20212 min read
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How to Protect Your Ideas When You Pitch
In a perfect world, the best way to keep a prospective client from taking ideas you share during a pitch is to have the prospect sign a...
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20212 min read
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Avoiding Seller's Remorse
Sellers sometimes regret selling their businesses. This is especially true when the seller is the founder. It's hard to let go. You might...
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20212 min read
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An LLC Won't Protect You from Your Negligence
An LLC is a great tool for shielding your personal assets from your business liabilities, but it won't protect you from everything. It...
Joel Ankney
Mar 13, 20211 min read
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