Recently, the United States Supreme Court agreed to hear a case in which Jack Daniel’s sued a dog toy company for trademark infringement. The case presents the Supreme Court with an interesting question regarding the intersection between free speech and trademark law. It also highlights how important trademarks are for businesses throughout America. Trademarks can be valuable assets for...
A strong partnership is great for business. Unfortunately, sometimes splitting up is the best decision business partners can make. When partners have incompatible visions for the future of their business, moving forward can be difficult. A buyout allows one partner to cash out on their contributions to the company while giving the other partners complete control. Though often the...
In 2006, the Walt Disney Company finalized its acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios. Disney’s current CEO, Bob Iger, describes the Pixar acquisition as his proudest decision as CEO of the company. At the time, Disney struggled to expand and take advantage of economies of scale. Pixar brought new technology, expertise, and fresh products to Disney’s portfolio of offerings. The...
Business simply is not done like it was in the old days anymore. A firm handshake and a nice meal are no longer substitutes for a solidly written contract. Florida business owners now want to enter into a written contract that outlines what each party is obligated to do and what each party will receive in return. Sadly, most...
Congratulation to Morgan A. Carter (Universal Technical Institute), BrewerLong’s 2022 Future Business Leaders Scholar. Over 450 applicants submitted essays reflecting on this quote from former Illinois governor and US presidential candidate, Adlai E. Stevenson: “Law is not a profession at all, but rather a business service station and repair shop.” Following is an excerpt from Mr. Carter’s winning essay...
Franchises are excellent ways for entrepreneurs to enter new markets without starting a new business from scratch. Alternatively, if you have a successful business model, a way to grow your business without stretching your time and resources thin is to transform it into a franchise. The person who decides to run the franchise (the franchisee) opens a new location...
As a Florida business owner, you may not realize that your intellectual property (IP), or the ideas behind your business, can be as valuable as your business itself. Obtaining a trademark to protect some of your intellectual property can prevent others from stealing your ideas and profiting from them. That said, whether you are a new or experienced entrepreneur,...
When you run a business, you orchestrate many moving parts that work toward a common goal. But your company is more than a collection of bookshelves and office space. What makes your business unique is its proprietary way of baking a cookie, meeting customers’ needs, or providing goods and services. Like most business owners, you may take things like...
You’ve probably heard the terms merger and acquisition before. They’re terms we frequently hear in the news, like the recent announcement that 21st Century Fox and News Corp may merge into one company again. But these very different terms are often lumped together, creating confusion about what separates the two very distinct types of purchases. What is the difference...
Buying and selling companies is significantly more challenging than simply going to the store and picking an item off the shelf. In corporate transactions like mergers and acquisitions, the buyer and seller need to share certain confidential information to evaluate the merits of the deal—they cannot simply look at a price day and decide “yes” or “no” without doing...