Check out the latest edition of our newsletter!
You’ve put blood, sweat, and tears into your family and your business. Now it’s time to protect it.
AUGUST 2023
916-545-2790
tqdlaw.com
Meet Elliott, Your Rancher Turned Lawyer He Can Wrangle Estate Plans and Cattle!
Thank you to everyone who sent in birthday wishes for my grandma Ellen after reading last month’s newsletter! We had a great time visiting her in Colorado for her 100th birthday. It was a real milestone for our family — and funny enough, we’ve now reached a milestone in this newsletter, too. A few months ago, I told you I was transitioning into the role of Managing Attorney and that our firm’s other attorneys, Elliott and Danielle, were stepping up to handle more of the day-to-day work on your cases. With that in mind, I’ve asked them to introduce themselves here. It’s only right that you get to know the people handling your legal work as well as you know me. Here, you’ll find your first note from Elliott. I hope you like working with him as much as I do!
up. I was always on a horse or checking in on the young calves, and during that time, I saw a lot of ranch families lose their family farms. The same thing happened every time: Either the head of the family passed away without an estate plan, or something got messed up in the generational transfer. It was heartbreaking. I couldn’t imagine that happening to my family’s ranch. So, I decided to go into estate planning to help farmers, ranchers, and ordinary people preserve what they’ve worked hard for and pass it on to the next generation.
the ranch. Ranching taught me the value of hard work, and I also learned how to do things efficiently and expediently. When you’re dealing with 1,000-pound animals, you need to handle them correctly the first time — and estate plans are the same way. When I’m not working, I spend my free time hunting, hiking, and visiting local wineries with my wife, Kayleigh. She’s an attorney, too, but she focuses on workplace investigations. It can be tough to find a work-life balance in a house with two lawyers, but we try our best to leave work at work and prioritize each other at home. One of our next projects is finding the perfect wine fridge for our collection of bottles — but that’s a story for another
“When you’re dealing with 1,000-pound animals, you need to handle them correctly the first time — and estate plans are the same way.”
–Tyler Q. Dahl
Thanks for the introduction, Tyler! Like Tyler said, my name is Elliott Harry, and I’m an Associate Attorney here at the Law Offices of Tyler Q. Dahl. I got my first “legal job” as a kid when my grandfather asked me to answer the phone for his personal injury firm. I was proud of my work, but his receptionist was only out of town for a week, so the job didn’t stick. When it came time to choose a career, I looked back on that experience and the rest of my childhood. When I wasn’t at my grandfather’s office, I was busy working with him and my dad on the Sacramento cattle ranch where I grew
Today, I do just that. I handle most of our firm’s estate planning, probate, and trust administration cases. If you’re working with us on one of them, I’ve probably prepared your estate plan, met with you to talk about your needs, or helped you through the process of transferring assets and administering an estate after your loved one passed away.
newsletter! For now, you can turn to Page 2 to read a fun fact about some of my favorite wineries. –Elliott Harry
My work is extremely fulfilling, and it actually reminds me of being back on
1
www.tqdlaw.com | 916-545-2790
Attention, Parents! Have You Filled Out This Form to Protect Your Young Kids?
Some of California’s most famous winemakers were actually failed miners. It’s true! Thousands of people poured into California in the 1840s to hunt for gold — including future winemaking legends Charles Krug, Jacob and Frederick Beringer, and Agoston Haraszthy. All of them hoped to strike it rich, and when they didn’t, they turned to growing grapes and making wine as a backup plan. It’s funny to think that if the California hills had just a few more veins of precious metal, our state would be a different place. There would probably be fewer wineries without the 350 grape varieties Harzszthy brought over from Europe. Public tasting rooms likely wouldn’t exist without Krug, who opened the first one in Napa in 1882. And wine-loving tourists might skip our state without the Beringer brothers, who were the first to open their winery to the public for tours in 1934. If you’re a wine lover, do yourself a favor this summer and grab a bottle from Rombauer Vineyards or The Lucas Winery (two of associate attorney Elliott Harry’s favorite spots) and raise a glass to failed miners! Did You Know?
If you pass away or become incapacitated, it will be one of the most traumatic moments of your young children’s lives. The last thing you want is
for them to end up in the care of Child Protective Services (CPS) — even for a few hours. To avoid this, you need to establish guardianship for your minor children the right way. Many people establish guardianship by putting guardian designations in a will or putting their nomination in a trust, but we believe there is a better option. At the Law Offices of Tyler Q. Dahl, we use a completely separate, stand-alone document titled the Designation of Temporary Guardians and Permanent Guardians. This ensures a clear and effective implementation of your guardian(s). This document allows you to specify both temporary and permanent guardians. These can be the same person, but there are different needs to consider. A temporary guardian needs to be in the same city and easily accessible — they will step in on a moment’s notice should you become incapacitated or otherwise unavailable (including immediately after your death). A permanent guardian can be anyone in the U.S. who will take over the care of your minor children after the temporary guardian gets in contact with them and is able to transfer your children into the permanent guardian’s care. Failing to have either of these designations in place early puts your children at risk. If there is no designated guardian or surviving parent, a child could end up in the care of CPS — which, even for a short time, would be disastrous. The Designation of Temporary Guardians and Permanent Guardians falls under our Kids Protection Plan. This program covers a far-reaching range of matters for your child, including guardian designations, identification cards, and vital information about your children to pass on to any future caretakers. Your chosen guardians will need to know who your child’s doctor is, what medications they need, what languages they speak/ are learning, discipline theories, and other notes about how you want them to be raised. This plan allows you to be more in control even when you are no longer around to make decisions for your children. To learn more about it, contact our office.
Do you have a friend who needs our help? When you’re done reading, give them this newsletter and recommend that they scan this QR code. We can
help them solve their tax, business, or estate planning problems before they get worse.
2 www.tqdlaw.com | 916-545-2790
Keep Your Business Safe From Copycats and Competitors Follow These Guidelines to Pursue Trademark Protection
Trademarking your business name, products, and designs will protect them from copycats and competitors. However, trademark protection takes time, effort, and money, so you shouldn’t do it prematurely! Before filing a trademark application or paying any fees, you should always conduct a thorough trademark search to verify you actually have something unique that hasn’t already been registered. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has an online trademark database anyone can use to search for previous marks. However, there are millions of marks on the database, so it’s best to rely on an experienced attorney to assist with the search.
a trademark. The best time to do this depends on what you’re trademarking.
Generic marks are considered common language and are rarely granted trademark protection. Descriptive marks literally describe the product or company they represent. They can sometimes be granted protection as long as there is an additional meaning derived from the name (e.g., Southwest Airlines). Suggestive marks are suggestive about the contents of the product but rise above just describing the mark (e.g., Netflix). Arbitrary or fanciful marks are the strongest as they have nothing to do with the product or service itself (e.g., Apple). The farther down this list your mark is, the more likely you are to secure protection. At the Law Offices of Tyler Q. Dahl, we can help you determine when to pursue and maintain trademark protection. Feel free to call us with any questions you might have.
WHEN TO TRADEMARK YOUR BUSINESS/BRAND NAME
The best time to do this is very early in the business formation process. Once you are committed to the business, you should move to trademark your business name. This prevents others from swooping in and stealing your name or using similar names indiscernible from yours. Before considering trademark protection for the product and design output of your business, make sure those things can be trademarked. There are four types of trademarks, each with varying degrees of strength: generic, descriptive, suggestive, and arbitrary or fanciful. WHEN TO TRADEMARK LOGOS, PRODUCTS, AND DESIGNS
Once you’ve conducted your trademark search, you can consider applying for
Grilled Halibut With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
GET A HEAD START ON YOUR LEGACY INTERVIEW! Scan this QR code to request a FREE copy of our Legacy Interview questions. With them in hand, you
Celebrate the last month of summer with this light and fresh recipe!
Inspired by FoodAndWine.com
Ingredients • 1 16-oz jar roasted red bell peppers, drained • 5 garlic cloves • 1 tbsp sherry vinegar • 2 tsp honey
can create a precious gift for your children, grandchildren, and other loved ones that will preserve your memory for decades to come.
• 1 tsp kosher salt • 1/4 tsp black pepper • 1/2 cup olive oil • 4 6-oz skin-on halibut fillets
“A dream doesn’t become reality
Directions 1. In a food processor or blender, mix bell peppers, garlic, vinegar, honey, salt, and black pepper until smooth. Transfer sauce to a bowl; whisk in oil. 2. Into a large plastic zipper bag, pour 1 cup of sauce; add halibut fillets and seal bag; turn to coat fillets. Let marinate in refrigerator for 20 minutes. Reserve remaining sauce for serving. 3. Preheat a grill to medium-high (400–450 F). Remove halibut from marinade; scrape off excess. 4. On oiled grill grates, arrange fillets and grill, covered, until fish flakes easily, 4–5 minutes per side. 5. Transfer fillets to serving plates or a large platter. Drizzle with reserved sauce. Serve alongside preferred veggies and crusty bread.
through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.” –Colin Powell
3
www.tqdlaw.com | 916-545-2790
Published by Newsletter Pro www.NewsletterPro.com
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
701 University Avenue, Suite 108 Sacramento, CA 95825 916-545-2790 tqdlaw.com
INSIDE What’s
2. 1. A Note From Elliott, Your Estate Planning Expert A Wild Fact About the California Wine Industry An Urgent Note for Parents
3.
Is Your Product Worth Trademarking? Grilled Halibut With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Happy Birthday, Kobe Bryant!
4.
Honoring a Legend Lessons We Can Learn From Kobe Bryant YOU CAN ALWAYS LEARN SOMETHING NEW. During Kobe’s celebration of life ceremony, Michael Jordan recalled how Kobe would randomly text him out of the blue and ask about post-up moves, tactics, techniques, and more. Kobe was hungry for knowledge and surrounded himself with people he could learn from. He read the referee guidebook to understand the game better and even learned Italian and French to speak with his teammates and opponents. YOU MUST EMBRACE NEW SKILLS. When Kobe retired from the game in 2016, he wondered what he would do next. So, he reflected on what he enjoyed doing and found it in storytelling. He founded Granity Studios and, in 2018, won an Academy Award, a Sports Emmy, and an Annie Award for his animated short film “Dear Basketball.” When you’re in a career for a decade or more, it can be challenging to leave and start something new. But Kobe showed us that anything is possible.
4 www.tqdlaw.com | 916-545-2790 YOU MUST WORK HARD AND NEVER GIVE UP. If Kobe wasn’t playing a game or practicing with his team, he was practicing alone. When he injured his shoulder during a game, he decided to play the game left-handed. When he was sick with a 102-degree fever, he still chose to play. And when he tore his Achilles tendon, he stayed in the game to take his free throw attempts. Kobe never gave up and always put his best foot forward, no matter the situation. Kobe’s dedication to his craft made him stand above the rest. A few names come to mind when discussing NBA legends — players like Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Bill Russell, and Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant is always part of that conversation — not just because of his amazing talent but also because he loved basketball and played his heart out. Kobe was born on Aug. 23, 1978. Unfortunately, his life was cut short when he died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020. In honor of the man who wore number 24, here are three lessons we can learn from Kobe.
Thank you, Kobe, for inspiring so many people worldwide. Your passion for the game will live on forever.
Published by Newsletter Pro www.NewsletterPro.com
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator