It was only one year ago that the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA) went into effect. The CCPA is a landmark privacy law providing California residents various protections with regard to personal information. Even though the CCPA is in effect, it is still undergoing rulemaking with the 4th Set of Modifications to the […]
A common question that many businesses have is how to file a DBA in Washington State. This post provides some information about DBAs and a step-by-step guide to file a DBA in Washington State What is DBA? A business may operate under different names for various reasons. This is known as “doing business as,” “DBA,” […]
This post discusses issues related to re-opening a physical workplace that has been closed as a result of COVID. First and foremost, the question to be answered is whether to re-open the physical workplace at all; or is a business able to not only survive, but thrive, while keeping everyone remote or off-premises? Assuming […]
It may go without saying, but #hashtags are a vital part of attracting the right eyes to your social media marketing efforts. However, what happens when your #hashtag becomes associated with your particular brand of goods or services? Is it now a trademark? Can (and should) you obtain federal trademark protection for your mark? This […]
This post covers Washington State COVID-19 business resources and relief. COVID-19 is having an impact on all businesses throughout the State of Washington. Below is a brief list of some important resources available now for Washington businesses affected by COVID-19. The Small Business Administration COVID-19 Business Relief Many businesses are experiencing financial disruption because […]
Paid Family and Medical Leave in Washington State Washington State adopted the Paid Family and Medical Leave program in 2019. This law, in short, created a system where qualified employees who need to take time off to care for themselves, loved ones, or the birth or adoption of a child could take a certain amount […]
Entity conversion refers to when an entity changes from one entity type to another within a state (e.g., a Washington LLC to a Washington corporation) or when an entity changes its “home state” (e.g., a Delaware LLC to a Washington LLC). Washington law specifies requirements for converting an entity within the state. This post considers […]
Brand Protection Among the various brand protection services offered by Amazon, such as Transparency, an item-level tracing service to help protect against counterfeits, is Amazon Brand Registry. This is a suite of tools available to proactively protect and give more control to brands. What is Amazon Brand Registry Amazon’s Brand Registry has been improving over the […]
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 […]
One of my favorite responses to any question is: “I guess I’ll have to answer your question with another question.” It’s probably the reason people generally avoid me at parties, but so often when giving any advice, it makes more sense to leave the decision in the hands of the person with the most intimate […]