Legal Services for Small Businesses

Lyda Law Firm is built for entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses. Since we are a small business ourselves, we understand the complexities of setting up and operating a successful business. We also know how personal owning a small business can be.

Whether you're a solo freelancer looking to further legitimize your business, a seasoned entrepreneur starting to build your empire, or a booming startup trying to protect your growing company, Lyda Law Firm has the experience needed to provide legal advice on a wide range of issues that small businesses face every day.

Lyda Law Firm can be your trusted legal advisor focused on preserving the well-being of your business or nonprofit. Lyda Law Firm helps businesses with:

• Entity Formation
• Contracts
• Intellectual Property
• Funding
• Real Estate
• Employment Policies and Handbooks
• Business Disputes

Lyda Law Firm is committed to supporting startups and small businesses in Colorado, Washington, Texas, and beyond as demonstrated by our competitive flat rates and flexible fee agreements. Our goal is to build a long-term relationship based on value-added legal services.

Entity Formation

Starting a business can be intimidating, especially when it comes to seemingly complicated legal issues like business entity selection and articles of incorporation. If you are just starting out, check out our 16-Step Legal Checklist for Startups, which is designed to help guide future business owners.

Once you’re ready to get going, Lyda Law Form can help register your business with the state.

Entity Selection

Selecting your business entity type is one of the earliest and most important decisions when starting a business. The basic entity types that are generally available in most states are:

• Sole Proprietorship
• Corporation
  • C Corp
  • S Corp
• Limited Liability Company (LLC)
• Partnership
  • General Partnership
  • Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)
  • Limited Partnership (LP)
  • Limited Liability Limited Partnership (LLLP)

Every option comes with unique benefits and potential downsides. At Lyda Law Firm, we can help you pick which type of entity is best for your current situation and future goals. 

Articles of Incorporation

Once you’ve decided which choice is best for your small business, we can help you establish and register your entity with state and federal governments.

To simplify the formation process, we offer flat fees when forming single or multi-member LLCs, so you know exactly what you are getting and exactly how much you’ll pay for it.

LLC Tax Treatmeant

If you opt to form an LLC, you will also need to choose how your business is taxed at the federal level. Lyda Law Firm can help you decide if you should choose to be an S-corp or a C-corp. This is a complicated decision that could have a large impact on your LLC’s finances.

Business Contracts

Transactions and agreements are the foundation of any small business, that is why it is important to have contracts reviewed by a trusted legal advisor.

If your contracts are not up to par, you could expose yourself to potential legal actions down the road. Lyda Law Firm has experience with many kinds of small business contracts, including:

• Settlement agreements
• Severance agreements
• Succession plans
• Construction contracts
• Letters of intent
• Investment contracts
• Partnership agreements
• Shareholder agreements
• Buying and selling agreements
• Employment contracts
• Commercial leases
• Operating agreements
• Insurance policies
• Vendor contracts
• Nondisclosure agreements
• Non-compete/non-solicitation agreements

We can review contracts, draft new contracts, and negotiate contracts on behalf of your business. We also offer upfront pricing on contract review and negotiation, so you know exactly how much it will cost before we even start.

Intellectual Property

As a business owner, protecting intellectual property can be even more important than protecting physical property. If you don’t protect your brand and intellectual property, you are putting your ideas and work at risk.

Our flat fee intellectual property services include trademark clearance, trademark registration, and more.

What is Intellectual Property?

Intellectual property, or IP, is any unique creation of your own mind that the law protects from being stolen. The law offers three main types of protection for your intellectual property:

• Trademarks
• Copyrights
• Patents

Intellectual property can include:

• Logos
• Phrase
• Symbol
• Sounds
• Color schemes
• Smells (yes, really)
• Writing
• Computer code
• Artwork
• Scientific innovations
• Product designs
• Trade secrets

Trademarks

A trademark is something that usually protects the name or the logo of your business.

If your business is called XYZ Corp., you could register a trademark so that nobody else can start a business called XYZ Corp. in your specific line of work.

Trademarks can not only protect the name of your business but also how your business name is written and visually represented. That could include a specific font, style, and color; or the actual logo for your business.

Copyrights

Copyright traditionally protects things like the written word. If you write a book, you have a copyright on that book. One of the most prominent uses of copyright law, especially for startups, is to protect computer code. If you are a tech computer or a software company, it is imperative that you protect your proprietary computer code with some sort of intellectual property protection.

Patents

The third type of intellectual property protection is a patent. Patents are typically used for scientific or technological innovations.

In order to receive patent protection, a specialized lawyer will need to file for the patent for you. In order to represent you in what’s called "prosecuting a patent,” lawyers not only have to pass the bar exam, they also have to pass the patent bar exam. And in order to do that, your lawyer would need to have a scientific background before going to law school.

If you are looking for protection for scientific or technological advancement, a patent may be the way to go. To get started, contact a qualified patent attorney in your state.

Trade Secrets

Trade secrets are systems, formulas, strategies, or other information that is private and proprietary to your business. Unlike the other main forms of intellectual property, trade secrets are not registered with the USPTO. However, they are technically a form of intellectual property because you have a private right to protect them as your own property. You can protect your trade secrets in various ways, including through nondisclosure agreements, employee policies, and implementing security measures. Disputes over disclosing trade secrets often arise during the discovery process of business lawsuits.

Funding

There are many funding options to consider when starting a business. From self-funding to venture capital and everything in between, Lyda Law Firm can help you make the best possible decisions when funding your new business.

The three main ways to fund a new business are:

• Self-Funding
• Loans
• Outside Investors

You can choose one of these options or any combination of the three. Each option comes with their own unique consequences, so it’s important to take your time and talk through the decision with a trusted advisor. Let’s look at each one individually.

Self-Funding

Self-funding is the simplest way to fund a new business. When self-funding, you don’t have to pay any interest (like you would with a loan) and you don’t have to hand over any control or ownership (like you would with outside investors).

The biggest obstacle to self-funding is, obviously, having the available capital. Another issue is that self-funding could limit how quickly you expand, which could lead to missed opportunities. If you have enough cash on hand to avoid these pitfalls, self-funding is the smoothest path forward.

Small Business Loans

The second way to fund your business is through a loan. There are several different types of loans for small businesses. The most well-known is an SBA loan, which stands for Small Business Administration loan.

If you don’t qualify for an SBA loan, there are many different types of private loans to fund your business. Since they do not have a government guarantee, they usually have higher interest rates.

The downside of any loan is that you have to pay it back (with interest). If you’re unable to pay back a loan, the lender can attempt to collect on the debt that you owe. Collection methods vary from state to state, so consult with a professional in your state and make sure you understand the consequences of delinquent payments. Also, make sure you understand who is liable to make those payments. Depending on your business entity type, your personal assets could be at stake.

Outside Investors

The third way to fund your business is through outside investors. It’s important to make this decision early because you should consider forming your business as a subchapter C corporation if you use outside investors.

There are also a host of laws and regulations governing outside investments in your business. If you go this route, do your homework and consult with a securities lawyer licensed in your state.

Business Disputes

Every business is different and it is nearly impossible to predict which type of disputes you will have to deal with. Lyda Law Firm can assist you with:

• Employment Disputes
• Partnership Disputes
• Contract Disputes
• Vendor Disputes

Lyda Law Firm is equipped to resolve our disputes in a variety of ways. Just because you are in a dispute does not mean you have to go to trial. Resolution methods can include:

• Informal Negotiations
• Mediation
• Arbitration
• Litigation

Mediation

Mediation is the voluntary resolution of disputes between parties. It is often the quickest, most affordable, and most certain way to resolve a lawsuit. As part of litigation, either before or during the lawsuit process, Lyda Law Firm zealously represents clients in mediation. In addition to representing clients in mediation, Lyda Law Firm also offers effective, affordable services as a neutral mediator.

Litigation

If your dispute does go to trial, Lyda Law Firm can represent you. Lyda Law Firm has top civil litigation experience in state and federal courts at both the trial and appellate levels. We have experience in the full spectrum of the litigation process, from pleadings, to discovery, depositions, trials, and appeals. We are committed to providing efficient and effective representation for our clients.

Our team of trial lawyers has years of commercial litigation experience. If your small business gets hit with a lawsuit, Lyda Law Firm can take the case to court to protect your best interests.

Real Estate

Lyda Law Firm provides real estate legal services including review and negotiation of commercial real estate documents, litigation related to real estate contracts, and defense of grievances and complaints against real estate brokers.

Unlike many firms, we offer transparent pricing on services related to commercial and residential leases. We can review an existing lease, draft a new lease, or even negotiate lease terms on your behalf.

Employment Policies and Handbooks

Documenting and implementing your business’ employment policies is essential in laying the groundwork for how your business will operate. Not only that, documenting these policies in an employee handbook can protect your business if an employee sues your business.

Lyda Law Firm can help you draft your employment policies and handbooks so that your business is protected.