Protection from personal liability is a valuable benefit of organizing a business under certain forms, such as limited liability companies (LLCs) or corporations. Generally, shareholders and directors aren’t at risk of personally paying for the corporation’...
Year: 2020
Oregon Case Sheds Light on the Role of an Employee’s Memory in Trade Secret Misappropriation
Trade secrets are essential to a competitive market. So, too, is the ability to protect those secrets by taking legal action. Under Oregon law, “trade secret” means a company’s valuable information that is actively protected by the company to maintain its secrecy....
Employers: Now Is the Time to Encourage Internal Whistleblowing
These are trying times for employers. Transitioning to a remote workforce—especially on short notice—is fraught with challenges. One unanticipated side effect of this seismic shift? An increase in whistleblowing. The last few months have seen a dramatic rise in...
Five Grounds for Challenging a Will
Just because someone has a will does not mean their estate is immune from disputes. Legal challenges to the validity of a will happen frequently. Tense family dynamics, disgruntled relatives, and would-be beneficiaries often lead to heated disputes. There are several...
Business Torts 101
Business torts encompass a broad range of legal claims, all of which involve wrongs committed against a business entity. Like personal torts, they involve both negligent and intentional conduct. Unlike personal torts, business torts involve more complexity in proving...
Understanding Conflicts of Interest in Business
Conflicts of interest arise in many contexts. Professionals such as attorneys, financial advisors, and realtors are all bound by ethical codes of conduct that address potential conflicts. In the business context, too, conflicts of interest can pose a major concern,...
As Oregon’s Moratorium on Commercial Evictions Comes to an End, Tenants’ Grace Period for Payments Begins
Times are tough for businesses. Many have struggled to stay afloat as they’ve weathered the economic impacts of the pandemic. Those hit the hardest—retailers, restaurants, bars, hotels, and others in the food/beverage and hospitality industries—have faced difficult...
Trade secrets: The fourth kind of intellectual property
The term “intellectual property” brings to mind patents, copyrights and trademarks. Those core protections cover a vast amount of information. And for many businesses, intellectual property (IP) is among their most valuable assets. Another valuable type Another type...
Noncompete Clauses: Where Oregon and Washington Differ
There are significant legal differences between Oregon and Washington in how courts will determine whether a noncompete clause is legal and enforceable. Workers in these states searching for jobs that require knowledge of a company’s trade secrets and protected...
What to Know About Adverse Possession in Oregon
Adverse possession is a long-established legal doctrine concerning property rights. Based in common law dating back centuries, the doctrine essentially grants property ownership to trespassers (hence its informal moniker, “squatter’s rights.”) The doctrine is now...
