The Ernst Law Firm — A law practice dedicated to serving the small and mid-sized businesses of Ohio
Getting Investors the wrong way
A client was starting up a microbrewery, capitalizing on his love of beer. With costs mounting, he decided he wanted to bring some investors and placed ads in the papers. In the process, he violated a host of securities laws … because he did not talk to the Entrepreneurial General Counsel first.
Getting investors the wrong way (#2)
A client was a local independent movie director who agreed to let two of his friends serve as producers for his full length feature film. The friends then “sold” shares in the movie to “investors” who became more than a little angry when they realized they had been ripped off. The director and the friends only had a handshake agreement … because he did not talk to the Entrepreneurial General Counsel first.
Look before you expand
A client decided to expand into a new line of business and was about to purchase the adjoining land to allow for expansion. The client checked with the Entrepreneurial General Counsel first and learned that the adjoining land was not zoned for new business. A mistake of several hundred thousand of dollars was avoided.
Treading Carefully
A client had an HR Director who needed to be terminated for cause from his job. The client was leery because the employee was known to be vindictive. After termination, the employee filed complaints with just about every governmental agency possible. The client had checked with the Entrepreneurial General Counsel first and all the complaints were dismissed.