Protection and remedies for unfair competition

Protection and Remedies for Unfair Competition Most of the time, the name or product of a business is legally protected from being usurped by a competing company. In addition to federal law, some states have laws that protect trademarks, copyrights, and patents, as...

Non-Disclosure Agreements

Non-Disclosure Agreements Proprietary information, such as confidential business information, trade secrets, and intellectual property, may be worth millions of dollars. Public exposure or use by others may potentially dilute or destroy the value of such information....

Estate Planning for the GLBT community

If a member of the GLBT community fails to properly plan, the result can be devastating to his or her partner and family. Having no estate plan, or relying upon a Will, Joint Tenancy, or Tenancy in Common as an estate plan, is tantamount to giving up control of...

Attacking a will

Attacking a Will When a person dies with an effective will in place, the will may be submitted to a court for “probate.” During this court procedure, the will can be declared valid and binding on the estate of the decedent. In addition, debts are paid,...

Texas Common Law Marriage

Q: My common law husband and I have been living in Texas and now want to validate our common law marriage so that it is legally recognized. How do we do that? A: You can record a form prescribed by the Bureau of Vital Statistics which is available at your county...

Employer Liability Under Respondeat Superior

Employer Liability Under Respondeat Superior In general, people are not liable for the actions of others. There are, however, exceptions to this rule. One long-standing exception is the doctrine of “respondeat superior,” a Latin term meaning “let the...

Liability for Employee Cellular Phone Use

Liability for Employee Cellular Phone Use In one decade, cellular telephone use has gone from being a novelty for the fortunate few, to being commonplace in our society. Most Americans have a “cell phone” and many use them while driving. In light of the...