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Announcing Our New Podcast - Your Business Ally™

Dec 17, 2018
1 min read

We’re excited to announce our podcast - Your Business Ally™. Join Jo for an engaging and insightful conversation based on her 20 years managing global IP assets worth over $2 billion. And, get the inside scoop about negotiating with Fortune 100 companies like WalMart, GE and Home Depot. Listen in and learn to license and monetize intellectual property (trademarks, software, know-how & creative content) for recurring revenue. Close more profitable deals, and gain greater value from your professional advisors. It’s Strategic Law for Midsize Companies.

Take the podcast on your commute to work, listen during workouts, and share it with friends. Let’s have some fun, Allies! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, RadioPublic, or TuneIn. And, check out our guide to subscribe on your phone or tablet. Sponsored by HOLMES@LAW at www.holmesatlaw.com. (Disclaimer: This podcast is not legal advice.)

JoAnn Holmes ("Jo") serves as Outside General Counsel, providing comprehensive legal solutions and executive level guidance to innovative midsize companies. She focuses on business and legal strategy, commercial contracts, and building intellectual property licensing programs.

Holmes, How … about the Disclaimers? Information shared by JoAnn Holmes and/or HOLMES@LAW, LLC ("We or Us") is for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice. Until you enter a formal engagement agreement with Us, We are not your legal counsel, and no attorney-client relationship exists. So, please do not share any confidential information with Us, and please only interact with Us if you agree to these ground rules. Thanks! © 2018 HOLMES@LAW, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

#podcast #businesslaw #trademark #strategy #intellectualproperty #licensing

Negotiate Your Value! Contracts for Creatives, Consultants, Techies & Freelancers

Jan 13, 2017
2 min read

You don't get what you Deserve. You get what you Negotiate!

JoAnn Holmes taught "Negotiate Your Value! Contracts for Creatives, Consultants & Techies" on January 26, 2017 at Cornerstone Coworking to an audience of entrepreneurs and small business owners. The interactive, solution-focused session taught not only how to protect your business as a freelancer, but also how to grow it with effective contracts.

Click here to watch our Contracts for Freelancers tutorial video or review the presentation slides. Learn How To -

Get Paid on Time by Customers
Protect and Monetize Creative Assets
Extend Contracts with Good Customers and Vendors
Exit Contracts that Don't Work for Your Business
Resolve Disputes without Expensive Litigation
Reduce the Costs of Lawsuits when Business Relationships Go Wrong

JoAnn "Jo" Holmes is the founder of HOLMES@LAW, LLC, where her practice focus areas are Business Contracts, Trademark & Tech. She works with a broad array of clients, including professional service providers, consultants, creative content and software developers. Having practiced law for over 17 years, Jo provides clients with pragmatic legal solutions and strategic business guidance. Her goal is to live the firm's slogan - Your Business Ally™.

Holmes, How … about the Disclaimers?

Information shared by JoAnn Holmes and/or HOLMES@LAW, LLC ("We or Us") is for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice. Each situation is unique, so the information We share may not be relevant to your circumstance. Until you enter a formal engagement agreement with Us, We are not your legal counsel, and no attorney-client relationship exists. So, please do not share any confidential information with Us, and please only interact with Us if you agree to these ground rules. Thanks!

#contract #entrepreneurship #intellectualproperty #strategy #independentcontractor #code #consultant #creative #freelancer

Buyer Beware! Business Purchase Mistakes to Avoid

Apr 25, 2016
3 min read

Even when a business seller and purchaser are familiar with one another, they may have different understandings about a deal's scope. To avoid misunderstandings, it’s critical to enter a written contract. Here are some key terms to consider.

Give Me the Numbers – To independently affirm business revenue and profitability, require a third party financial audit. Request that seller certify the accuracy of its financial records, and include an offset or penalty for anything that’s proven false. Also, pay the purchase price in phases to allow time for reconciliation of any discrepancies that arise.
What’s the Deal? Identify all business owners, and clearly outline what you’re buying from each of them. Include a listing of both real property like inventory, equipment and office supplies, as well as “intellectual property” such as brand names (trademarks), customer lists (trade secrets), marketing materials (copyrights), and inventions (patents).
Who’s with Me? Will existing employees stay with the business? Unless under contract to remain, employees sometimes leave during a change in ownership. So, identify any key team members, and know their compensation and benefits structure. It may be wise to incent them to remain with the organization through a transition period.
What’s my Downside? Require a detailed inventory of any outstanding business disputes, governmental inquiries, liens, taxes, accounts receivable and broker fees applicable to your deal. Make sure that the purchase agreement explains who will assume those costs and risks. Likewise, agree on a process for reconciling disputes between the buyer and seller.
Cooperation and Non-competition – If the legacy business owner has favorable relationships with customers or vendors, require and incent them to assist in the transition. And, include an offset in the purchase price to account for customer attrition, so that you don’t pay for business that’s lost without any fault on your part. Finally, assure that the seller won’t compete with the business after your purchase.

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This article is jointly published in the May 2016 issue of the Gwinnett Citizen newspaper.

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JoAnn Holmes ("Jo") is the founder of HOLMES@LAW, LLC. She serves as Outside General Counsel to select, intimate management teams for midsize companies. Likewise, Jo provides strategic support for lean law departments.

Jo founded HOLMES@LAW to provide agile, result-driven legal solutions. Beyond risk management, we help identify opportunities. The firm's focus areas are business law and strategy, commercial contracts and global intellectual property management. We build long-term relationships as trusted collaborators, and our flexibility consistently yields great value for clients.

HOLMES@LAW is also committed to service work, including through supporting local schools and leadership groups, as well as domestic and international charities. Since its founding, the firm has dedicated more than 200 hours to community service.

Contact Us to discuss how we can work together for your business success. HOLMES@LAW - Your Business Ally™.

Holmes, How … about the Disclaimers?

#strategy #smallbusiness #businesslaw #businesspurchase #duediligence #intellectualproperty #employees

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Material presented on this website is not professional advice. It is intended for information purposes only. Communications with HOLMES@LAW, LLC do not reflect an attorney-client relationship, and information shared will not be treated as confidential, until a formal representation agreement is executed.