You Can’t Do That: Changing Tides in Washington Non-Compete Agreements Non-compete clauses are commonplace in many agreements. Generally, non-compete clauses limit an individual’s ability to compete with an employer’s business while working for the employer or after ending the working relationship. With a growing economy, cities like Seattle rely on attracting top talent. Since most […]
On August 12, 2016, Madhu and I had the pleasure of meeting with Ashish Lakhani, the President and Founder of Reliable Products and PureFarms Organics, along with his father, Vipin Makhani. Ashish has a great story and interesting background that sets him apart from his competitors. Ashish was born and raised in Rajkot, India. He […]
You’re a good cook. You’ve worked in restaurants your whole life, starting as a dishwasher when you were 16 and you’ve worked your way up. You’ve been a sous chef for a number of years, but you want to make your own menu. You grew up cooking—both your mom and dad enjoy being in the […]
Before May 11, 2016, only three out of four forms of intellectual property – patents, trademarks and copyrights – were protectable and enforceable at the federal level. The Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 (DTSA) now provides federal protection for – you guessed it – trade secrets. Prior to the DTSA, trade secrets were enforced […]
Many of us know that we should keep our private lives relatively separate from our work lives. However, this isn’t just a recommendation. It may very well serve as a precaution. As social media’s prevalence grows, businesses have become more and more active online, leading to a host of various legal and business concerns. The […]
FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY This table does not constitute legal advice – if you have questions, please contact [email protected] Work-For-Hire Assignment of Work Product Defined by the United States Copyright Act of 1976 ((17 U.S.C. § 101)) as:1) a work prepared by an employee within the scope of his or her employment; OR2) a work […]
By Megan Wargacki: Globally, 46% of online consumers use social media when making a purchase decision.[1] So, if your business isn’t advertising on social media, it probably should be…but you must know what you are doing because the FTC has rules about online advertising. Thankfully, in March 2013, the FTC published a guide for businesses […]
By Megan Wargacki: Economic espionage, cybercrime and trade secret theft against U.S. businesses has doubled in the last seven years from 1988-199, doubled again in the nine years between 1995 and 2004 and is slated to double again by 2017. Business’ trade secrets are vulnerable to disloyal employees, neglectful employees, competitors, hackers, or even foreign […]
According to a recent article by the New York Times, unpaid internships are proliferating. Given the continuing uncertainty of the economy, this shouldn’t come as a great surprise – it’s hard to beat the allure of free labor. However, employers need to be wary about how they structure any offered internships; otherwise, they could run […]
All employers with employees working in Seattle, even those who only work in Seattle occasionally, need to read-up on Seattle’s Paid Sick/Safe Time ordinance (PSST for short). If PSST applies to your business, it establishes minimum standards for paid sick leave and safe time for most of your Seattle employees. These minimum standards do not apply to […]