In a business landscape that never stands still, an outdated employment contract can be the Achilles’ heel for any company. As legal frameworks evolve and business operations adapt to new challenges and technologies, employment contracts must follow suit. Ensuring these vital documents reflect the current state of your business is not just good practice — it’s essential for legal compliance and operational harmony. If you are concerned that you have not taken the time to review these documents, know that you are not alone. One of the most common mistakes employers make when it comes to contrac ..read more

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are common strategies for growth in the modern business environment, but they’re not without significant challenges – especially where a company’s “human capital” is involved. If you lose key players amongst your staff during a merger or acquisition, whatever plans you had following the process could quickly dissipate and your goals may be thwarted. So, what can you do to make sure that staff retention (especially when it comes to your VIP employees) isn’t an issue? These are some tips that are worth considering. Get the employees involved Employees tend to ..read more

Mergers and acquisitions are two strategies commonly used to expand, consolidate or reposition a company’s presence in the market. While the terms are often used interchangeably, mergers and acquisitions are fundamentally different concepts, each with unique implications. Recognizing these differences and understanding how to protect a business during either process is vital for any business leader or owner. A merger is a process where two or more companies combine to form a new entity, and an acquisition involves one company purchasing another. These approaches can result in various advantage ..read more

If you are a business owner in Texas, you probably use some privately owned property to help you run your business. Bringing in a few pieces of your own equipment to help around the shop or office is convenient, and it makes sense for you to do it to save some of your budget in the end. It is so common for business owners to do this that state and local governments decided to find a way to make money off it, and instituted what is known as business personal property taxes. What sort of personal property that I use can be taxed? In most cases, your business personal property will be self-assess ..read more

If you are a business owner in Texas, you don’t need to be reminded of how much you have to take care of on a daily basis to know that time is of the essence. I have made it my personal goal to help business owners with their document filings in just 30 minutes. Preparing your LLC or corporate Certificate of Formation for filing with the Texas Secretary of State requires the attention of our Houston business law attorney who knows litigation and regulations like the back of her own hand. Oftentimes, I find that my clients are most baffled or frustrated with filing paperwork with the Texas Secr ..read more

Any healthy relationship involves honest interactions and a respectable two-way street of questions and conversations. I, Patricia M. Davis, Attorney at Law, have always understood this important process and strive to continue it for all my years of practice. Without that feeling of connectivity and trust, positive case outcomes can be difficult to obtain and clients will not generally return in the future. I Handle Your Case As If It Were My Own – Every Time I always try to begin my client interactions with a personalized consultation. During this time, I will not only piece together the ..read more

Some companies go years between hiring workers. Others hire all the time, and the process becomes quite streamlined and even repetitive. Businesses may not realize that their contracts are no longer as protective as they once were if upper management doesn’t keep an eye on contractual procedures. The contract that a company signs with a new worker has a major influence on the rights of both parties while someone is employed and after a work relationship has concluded. Companies that don’t frequently hire or that have hired without incident for years could very well have employment contracts th ..read more

A business buyout is a bit like a divorce. One partner wants to end or at least change the context of the relationship. They offer to share the assets with their partner but seek to move on without any formal legal ties between the two of them. A buyout is a viable option for someone who wants to take their business in a different direction than their partner currently intends or who worries that their partner isn’t bringing much to the table anymore. Like a divorce, a buyout could very well become emotional and contentious. The partner hoping to keep the company may have a hard time putting t ..read more

Occasionally, businesses depend upon secrecy to have the edge over the competition. In order to protect that confidentiality, they might have all new employees sign non-competition (non-compete) agreements before beginning work there. They are used to protect trade secrets or goodwill. However, courts tend to disapprove of these contracts as limitations on a former employee’s right to earn a living. In all cases concerning a non-compete agreement, therefore, the court carefully examines these agreements to ensure there is no unfairness in the case. In order to legally have a non-competition ag ..read more

The list of visas you can use to gain legal entrance into the United States goes on and on. Finding the right one for your situation can be a real headache. If you are an employee of a foreign business that is looking to expand to American soil, you might want to limit your search to the L-1 visa. L-1 visa applications are only recently gaining popularity, and so much of the laws and regulations embedded in the application process are relatively unknown to most people. I, Houston Business Law Attorney Patricia M. Davis, can help you file for an L-1 visa. Believe it or not, your own immigration ..read more