Meet Pete Potente

We were lucky to catch up with Pete Potente recently and have shared our conversation below. Hi Pete, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand? The name of my firm...

Potente, Business Lawyer and Company Formation

Don’t let risks of non-compliance stifle business growth

Trucking is ever-evolving, driven by technology and consumer demands, while facing ongoing challenges in fleet management, efficiency and safety. Amid these pressures, leaders often neglect a critical risk: non-compliance with federal registration regulations. Registrations look different in every state This is a source of confusion for many trucking company owners...

Pete Potente: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became An Attorney

Time is the most precious asset you have and also the most precious gift you can give someone. A simple smile, hello, just your voice — giving this to someone else can make their day. It’s also important to remember it when you are the recipient of such treatment. When...

20 Steps Entrepreneurs Can Take To Level Up Their Businesses

When a business is just starting out, the startup phase is the time for entrepreneurs to find their footing in the market. In addition to identifying a gap and developing products or services to meet the needs of the target audience, operating as a startup allows entrepreneurs to try out...

Creators, Influencers Contemplate a TikTok-Free Future

Owners of the video platform have been ordered to sell or shut down — which would leave creators in the lurch.   The clock is ticking on the future of TikTok in the U.S., leaving creators and influencers who make a living on the short-form video platform to consider how...

FTC ban on noncompetes raises confidentiality issues—and can it be enforced?

“The FTC final rule would eliminate those noncompete agreements, which could possibly lead to some increased movement,” says Lauren Aydinliyim, an assistant professor of strategic management at Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business. (Image from Shutterstock) The U.S. Federal Trade Commission voted 3-2 in April to ban noncompete agreements for most American...

THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKER CLASSIFICATION: EMPLOYEES VS. INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS

Many companies know that it is important to accurately classify their workers. Whether someone is an employee or independent contractor can have significant impacts on a company and how it does business. Classifying workers as employees requires that the employer abides by local, state, and federal laws regarding minimum wage,...

THE SWART CASE, AND WHAT IT MEANS TO THE OUT-OF-STATE INVESTOR

Whether sifting from mineral remnants in a pan or receiving stock certificates from a Silicon Valley company – California has been the beacon of investment and good fortune throughout our nation’s history. However, as Benjamin Franklin said, “…in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and...

Potente, Business Lawyer and Company Formation

2017 TRADEMARK FEE CHANGES

Effective January 14th, 2017, the USPTO will be implementing fee changes to their paper and electronic filing systems. The full list of changes can be found by clicking HERE. Additionally, below we have highlighted the changes that most effect those who file electronically. TEAS Regular application filing fee is raised by...

IT’S TIME TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT CANNABIS

November 8th is a little over forty days away. While the debate earlier this week focused on who was going to take the oval office in November, California has another big decision to make – whether to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Although California has repudiated marijuana legalization for...

“BREXIT” IMPACT ON TRADEMARKS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

With the recent decision by voters in the United Kingdom (UK) to leave the European Union (EU), questions, concerns, and issues accompany the “Brexit.” On June 23, 2016, voters in the UK decided that their country will no longer be a part of the EU—this vote is known as the...

SAN DIEGO: PROPOSITION I. REFERENDUM OF ORDINANCE REGARDING EARNED SICK LEAVE AND MINIMUM

Yesterday, San Diego voters approved the “City of San Diego Earned Sick Leave and Minimum Wage Ordinance”, No. O-20390. With the proposition’s passage, employers are to compensate employees working within the City of San Diego with a minimum wage of $10.50 per hour upon the Ordinance’s effective date (i.e., as...