Sierra Crest Business Law Group - March 2021

Take a look at our March newsletter!

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March 2021

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THINKING ABOUT BUYING A COMPANY? 5 WAYS TO ENSURE A SMOOTH ACQUISITION

2. Make sure the deal is approved by all relevant parties — not just the seller. Sometimes the seller’s green light isn’t the only one you need for a smooth acquisition. Before you sign a deal, make sure it’s approved by the landlord, if there is one, and that you have the licenses and permission you need from regulatory agencies. For example, in Nevada, if there’s gambling happening on the premises, you need the approval of the Gaming Control Board. 3. Check that the seller will continue cooperating after the purchase. It’s vital that you discuss with the seller how they’ll act after the deal is done. Make sure that they can’t go into business in competition with you, and if needed, ask them or one of their employees to stay on as part of the transition team. 4. Create a precise, detailed list of what is included in the sale. The more specific the deal is about what is being bought and sold, the safer you are. Does the sale include inventory, equipment, website domains, trade names, and business accounts? What about pre-payments that the seller received before the deal for work that still need to be done? Are there agreements or contracts that need to be transferred? All of these things are important, so be sure to put together an itemized list to avoid confusion. 5. Build recourse into your deal. Last but not least, you should build a safety net into your agreement just in case the rosy statements the seller made turn out to be lies. For example, it might be wise to negotiate a deal that includes paying for a portion of the sale now and buying the rest of the company down the line. That way, if something goes wrong that the seller should have informed you of, you can offset those expenses by reducing your payments. Like I said, buying a business is a big undertaking, but it’s also one of the most exciting things you can do. The right acquisition can propel your company to new heights, so be brave! Go forward boldly with trusted professionals by your side. If you want to learn more about acquiring a business (or if you’d like to add me to your team), don’t hesitate to reach out.

We’re officially one year into the COVID-19 pandemic, and for a lot of the business owners the phrase “When one door closes, another opens” is taking on new meaning. In the last few months, I’ve helped an increasing number of entrepreneurs acquire similar businesses and expand to new opportunities. Some of these new ventures were inspired by necessity, but others were exciting leaps made possible by COVID-19. Acquiring a company is a bold move. It’s thrilling, but it can also be stressful. There are dozens of things to consider, so to make the process a bit easier for you, I’ve put together a guide based on my years working in business litigation. Here are five things you should do to ensure a smooth acquisition: 1. Bring in a professional to evaluate the business before you buy. When I buy a used car, it’s usually a two-step process. First, the seller and I agree on a price based on the car’s condition. Then, I have the car checked by my mechanic. Only if and when it passes the inspection do I exchange the purchase price for the car and its title. The process of buying a business is very similar. An acquisition is more complicated than purchasing a car, but it’s still smart to rely on professionals to help you make a decision in both cases. Like a good mechanic, your accountant will be able to “look under the hood” of the company and tell you if it’s in good working order. You might also want to bring in other professionals like a property appraiser, an inspector, and a business appraiser. An attorney is another good investment. We can help put together the agreement in a way that protects you.

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DID YOU HEAR THE BIG NEWS?

Our law firm’s growth is enabling us to help more small businesses and be more responsive to their needs, so we are delighted with the recognition.

Reno, Nevada, March 1, 2021

The Law Firm 500 Award committee announced the list of 2020 Honorees, ranking Sierra Crest Business Law Group No. 94 on its fifth annually published list recognizing law firms that have achieved significant growth in revenues. Honorees were verified by the outside certified accounting firm, Shavell & Company, P.A. The award honorees are a beacon of light for the legal industry, demonstrating innovation, operational excellence, and a commitment to client service.

The 2020 Law Firm 500 Award Honorees list

showcases the fastest-growing law firms in the United States. Each ranking also includes the percentage of growth over four years.-

(775)448-6070 Info@sierracrestlaw.com 691 Sierra Rose Drive, Suite B, Reno, Nevada 89511 We guide small-business owners over rocky legal terrain so they can protect and grow their companies.

3 Ways to Help Your Legal Case Move Faster (And 3 Ways to Mess It Up)

Every legal case proceeds at its own pace. The Myra Clark Gaines litigation — a fight over an inheritance that began in 1834 — famously lasted 55 years. Even simple car accident cases often take more than a year to resolve. Frustration during the legal process is normal, but if you’re feeling it, there are a few things you can do to help your lawyers move things along: • Respond to communication quickly. • Share all of the details about your case. • Keep your emotions in check. This might seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised by how quickly ignoring these three items can send your case off the rails. Be Quick to Click When your attorney emails or calls you, it’s vital to answer as soon as you can. Some steps of the legal process are time-

sensitive, and if you ignore your attorney or wait hours or days before responding to them, you could miss a crucial window. Your lawyer might even walk away from your case, like the attorney in the 2002 Garden v. Garden case who withdrew when his client stopped responding. That said, it’s vital not to overcommunicate with your lawyer either. Always respond when they reach out, but don’t flood their inbox with emails or load their voicemail with messages. Clogging their information channels will just slow down their work, and it might end up costing you. Your attorney’s billable hours may include time taken to respond to emails.

to continue prodding you for information, and it could also save your case! Your lawyer won’t be able to defend you well unless they have all of the relevant information. Plus, if opposing counsel discovers something you’ve been hiding, your case may fall apart. Tamp Down Your Temper Court cases can get emotional, especially if something like child custody is at stake. Even so, if you have to appear in court it’s vital you keep your emotions in check and listen to your attorney’s advice about what to say and do. If you lose your temper or disrupt the court process, the judge could hold you in contempt of court — potentially triggering a fine or even jail time. This will certainly derail your case’s timeline. For proof, consider a defendant in a burglary case, Manson Bryant, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison. When he heard the verdict, Bryant started shouting at the judge — who added six more years to his sentence on the spot.

Don’t Hide the Details Some facts of your case could be

embarrassing or hard to talk about, but the best way to keep things moving is to share everything with your lawyer upfront. This will save time because your lawyer won’t have

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TAKE A BREAK

A LITTLE DISTRACTION

THIS ONE SMALL THING IS KILLING YOUR PRODUCTIVITY

Distractions in your workplace destroy your productivity, regardless of where you actually work. But here’s the kicker: Some distractions don’t always register as distractions because they’re often minor, like a knock at the door or a conversation you can hear from two cubicles over. However, even when a distraction doesn’t feel like a distraction, it still kills your productivity. But one distraction in particular can absolutely ruin productivity. It isn’t as obvious as an unexpected phone call or a meeting that could have been an email. It’s a small, normal part of our everyday lives: the notification. We get notifications on our phones, tablets, laptops, desktops, and even our smartwatches. Notifications are everywhere, and we’re conditioned to accept them. Take email, for example. You’re likely in the habit of checking email periodically — or whenever you get a notification. It can feel natural to quickly check your email and then get back to what you were doing. Except that never happens. When an email, text, or other random notification distracts you, it completely diverts attention away from what you were doing. If it’s spam, you may delete the email. Or, if you need to respond, it might take a few minutes or more. You may spend anywhere between 20 seconds to 20 minutes on any given email. However, this isn’t where time is lost. If you’re responding to a customer email, for instance, that is part of your productivity. The time is lost when you attempt to get back to what you were doing before checking your notifications.

ASPARAGUS AND SMOKED MOZZARELLA PIZZETTES

Inspired by EatingWell.com

Ingredients

• 1 lb prepared whole-wheat pizza dough, divided into 6 equal portions • 12 oz asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 1/4 tsp salt

• 1 cup shredded smoked mozzarella cheese • 1/3 cup scallions, thinly sliced • 2 tbsp walnuts, toasted and chopped • 1 sprig of fresh mint leaves, torn • Zest of 1 orange

A University of California Irvine study found that it takes an average of 23

minutes to get back to your task after every distraction, not just email. Over the course

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 500 F and ensure there are two racks in your oven. 2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, stretch each piece of dough into a 7-by-3-inch oval and arrange evenly on the pan. 3. On a second baking sheet, toss asparagus with oil and 1/4 tsp salt. 4. Place dough on top rack and asparagus on bottom and bake for 3 minutes. 5. Remove both trays from the oven, sprinkle cheese over the dough, then top with asparagus and scallions. 6. Return pizzettes to oven and bake until the crusts’ edges are golden, about 8–10 minutes. 7. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with walnuts, mint, and orange zest before serving.

of a day, that adds up to a significant amount of wasted time.

How do you overcome this? Your best bet is to turn off notifications. Most devices let you customize your notifications so you can turn them off during working hours. Here’s another quick tip: Set aside time during the day to check emails, texts, and other messages. You will significantly reduce the amount of time spent trying to refocus on the important tasks at hand.

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691 SIERRA ROSE DR., SUITE B RENO, NV 89511

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

1

5 Ways to Ensure a Smooth Acquisition

Did You Hear The Big News? 3 Ways to Help Your Legal Case Move Faster

2

Asparagus & Smoked Mozzarella Pizzettes Don’t Let This Distraction Destroy Your Productivity

3

‘Jersey Shore’ Stars Battle a New York Restaurant Over Meatball Merch

4

The Meatball Shop Sued Snooki! (And Another ‘Jersey Shore’ Star, Too)

Reality TV stars Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi and Deena Cortese are gearing up for a court battle. But this isn’t a showdown with another celebrity: It’s a fight to the death over merchandise with ... a New York City-based meatball restaurant! This case sounds laughable, but there’s some real “meat” to dig into. The controversy started when the celebrity duo — known as “The Meatballs” since their time together on “Jersey Shore” — launched a clothing brand/online store called The Meatball Shop late last year. The brand sells meatball-themed T-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats with slogans like “Team Meatball Forever” and “Meatball Squad.” Over the holidays, they even offered a sweater with a checklist reading, “Pour wine, wrap gifts, decorate, be a meatball.” All of this merchandise plays off the pair’s “Jersey Shore” nickname, which Polizzi and Cortese earned because, as Food & Wine puts it, “The party girls are both very tan, curvy, and short.”

actual meatballs. According to Page Six, the New York City-based restaurant The

Meatball Shop sued Polizzi and Cortese in December of 2020, claiming their clothing infringes on its trademark. As of writing this, a judge is considering The Meatball Shop’s request to shut Polizzi and Cortese’s operation down. To add even more meat to the argument, it was the owners of The Meatball Shop restaurant (Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow) who first taught Polizzi and Cortese to make edible meatballs in 2017. The lesson was documented in a photo shoot with “In Touch.” Does it get more ironic than that? If you want to keep up with the drama, check PageSix.com, and if this article made you crave meatballs, don’t worry — we’ve got you covered. Visit Epicurious.com and search “classic beef meatballs’’ for a recipe that will knock your socks off.

Even with this claim to the moniker, the legality of the celebrities’ clothing line has some competition from, well, places that sell

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