Diverse businesses operating in virtually every industry in Ohio and across the country contemplate a corporate double-edged sword when it comes to some highly valued employees with key skills and intimate access to proprietary data. And that is this: They obviously want to secure the employment of such individuals, but they must also safeguard the business against the possibility that those singular workers might leave the company in the future and compromise confidential information by revealing it to competitors. We clarify that concern on a website page at the long-tenured Dayton law firm of Coolidge Wall that discusses noncompete and …

Business organizations in Ohio and across the United States come in myriad forms, and for eminently sound reasons. Fundamentally, of course, no single business structure can be uniformly applicable for all enterprises. Business principals in one instance might be comprised of just a few members and focused predominantly on exercising close control through a family-owned company or a closely held corporation. Conversely, it might be the case that partners are highly concerned with risk-related implications and seek to address that concern through formation of a limited liability company. In many business scenarios, rapid growth is envisioned, which can logically drive …

Running a business is an incredible undertaking. On any given day, a business owner needs to tackle matters related to employment, compensation, finances, customer service and business transactions, all while taking into account what is best for the company. This leaves little time to navigate the legal complexities of operating a business. Rather than ignore these issues or try to put them off indefinitely, Ohio employers would be wise to work with an attorney who can take on the various legal matters facing a company and work to address and resolve them. For instance, every company needs to protect itself, …

The root of a solid business relationship is typically a well-drafted, clear contract between parties. This document drives behavior, outlines expectations and specifies conditions of the relationship that must be observed. Considering how much can be at stake and protected with these contracts, it is critical that they be crafted with the specific parties and interests in mind. In other words, what works for some business relationships may not work for others. For instance, payment-by-results contracts may seem appealing for you, but they are not right for everyone. Recently, this article in the Harvard Business Review examined PbR models and …