 The Law Offices of Steven D. Rubin, a Professional Corporation provides the full range of legal services needed by businesses. One of our missions is to teach the value of acquiring legal advice before entering into a business transaction. To better serve the business community key employees of our law firm are fluent in both English and Spanish.
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Ben Franklin, 1706-1790, American Scientist, Publisher, Diplomat.
The time to see a good business lawyer is before you do the deal. In our experience, businesses that invest in legal advice before entering into a business transaction avoid many large problems and their related expense and legal costs. If we had a nickel for every time we have been shown a contract that was signed before consulting a lawyer it would add up to a lot of money. Typically, we are being shown the contract because the parties are not getting along and disputes have resulted. Too often, options at such a point are too few and not very appetizing. Before you do the deal is the time NOT to be concerned with the lawyer's hourly fee. Why you ask? We are experienced lawyers. It does not take us very long to review a contract and quickly understand what is going on. Some of the contracts we have reviewed would only have required a fraction of an hour of the lawyer's time to alert the party involved to the looming problem. Is it not worth a small investment in a lawyer to avoid large and ruinous financial disputes?
"For the merchant, even honesty is a financial speculation."
Charles Baudelaire, 1821-1867, French Poet.
"This is a court of law young man, not a court of justice."
Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1809-1894, American Author, Wit, Poet.
Sometimes business disputes are inevitable. Given the high cost of litigation, it is often in the best interest of all parties to seek resolution of the dispute without going to court. When it makes sense, we use our experience as both trial lawyers and transactional lawyers to guide the parties to resolution of their dispute without the aggravation and expense of going to court if possible. Our court system is simply not designed to resolve every dispute in a fair, efficient and mutually beneficial manner. "Alternate Dispute Resolution" skills are increasingly becoming some of the most important skills for a lawyer to possess.
"Avoid lawsuits beyond all things; they pervert your conscience, impair your health, and dissipate your property."
Jean De La Bruyere, 1645-1696, French Writer.
For about $300 (the filing fee), anyone can sue anybody for anything. Unfortunately, being sued is part of doing business. Whether a business will be sued or not is no longer so much a question of if as when. When a client is forced to confront a lawsuit, our lawyers provide aggressive support, counsel, expertise, and experience. Knowing how to deal with a meritless lawsuit is important. Knowing how to defend a meritorious lawsuit even more important. Knowing the difference yet even more important.
"To be prepared is half the victory."
Miguel De Cervantes, 1547-1616, Spanish Novelist, Dramatist, Poet.
Protecting assets is an important step for any business. We help our clients create effective and understandable plans for protecting their assets. The best time to undertake asset protection planning is long before it is needed. This is because the closer in time the asset protection planning is to the events giving rise to the creditor in question, the more vulnerable the plan becomes to being undone by the Courts under "fraudulent transfer" laws and the like. Asset protection planning requires the client to give up ownership of the assets in question while retaining as much control over the assets as possible. This involves the judicious and intelligent use of entities such as corporations, limited liability companies and irrevocable trusts to take title to the assets in a manner that maximizes your control over the entities and therefore the assets. No asset protection plan is "bullet-proof." However, careful planning, undertaken at early stages, can provide a considerable amount of protection against future judgment creditors, which can result in favorable settlements with such judgment creditors, if not outright avoidance of their claims. Furthermore, asset protection planning is often at odds with optimal tax planning objectives, and we are experienced at advising clients regarding the trade-offs between tax planning and asset protection planning.
"In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes."
Ben Franklin, 1706-1790, American Scientist, Publisher, Diplomat.
With knowledge, expertise, understanding and compassion, we assist and advise clients who wish to plan how and to whom their estate is passed. We assist our clients with everything from basic wills and trusts to complicated estate planning matters. We have experience in planning and drafting revocable (living) trusts, irrevocable trusts, life insurance trusts, powers of attorney, family limited partnerships and other estate planning documents. Estate planning can also provide a certain measure of asset protection planning when it is carefully undertaken. We are also experienced in probate and trust administration matters.
"The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax."
Albert Einstein, 1879-1955, German-born American Physicist.
Understanding business taxes can be a time consuming and difficult process, and mistakes are often very costly. This is particularly true for small to medium sized businesses that are particularly vulnerable to the costs that come with a mistake on their taxes. We assist our clients with every aspect of business tax planning.
"In charity there is no excess."
Francis Bacon, 1561-1626, British Philosopher, Essayist, Statemen.
Our law firm believes that it is not enough to provide a service. Responsible businesses also give something back to the local community they serve, to the world community, and make every effort to improve the lives and fortunes of others. From assisting orphans in Nepal, to cleaning up the Santa Monica Bay, we at the law firm are proud to give back to the community we serve. Click links to see the websites some of the charitable organizations to whom we provide counsel and/or financial support.
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