Graphic of article titled "Legal Guardianship Of A Minor In California" from Madison Law

Proposition 65 Warning & Your Dealership

PROP 65 GENERALLY Prop 65, aka the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act, requires CA to publish a list of chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity, and for businesses with 10 or more employees to provide warnings when they knowingly and intentionally cause significant exposures to listed chemicals. NOTE: Prop 65 does not ban or restrict the sale of chemicals on the list. NOTE: The new OEHHA […]

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How To Effectively Protect Your Intellectual Property: Trademark, Patent, or Copyright?

Have a symbol? Trademark it. Have an invention? Patent it. Have an idea? Copyright it. Many individuals lump these three property right protections into one category. However, in order to effectively protect your intellectual property, you need to know which of the three you will use to protect your work. Below each will be discussed individually, explaining what they are, when you need them, and how they work. Trademark What […]

ML Jim Sifers

Why it is Important to Document Employment Relationships

Most dealerships in California utilize a commission compensation structure in order to pay their sales staff.  Doing so is generally allowed if the dealership complies with the myriad of laws dealing with this type of arrangement.  The problem is that many dealerships run into costly issues when they do not properly calculate the pay due to their sales staff or properly document the relationship between them and their sales staff.  […]

ML Jim Sifers

Why A Safety Inspection Is So Important!

A safety inspection for a vehicle that your dealership is going to offer for sale to the public is not just a good idea, it is required by law.  A proper safety inspection can reveal potential problems with a vehicle and act as an insurance policy which confirms that a vehicle sold by your dealership was in a safe condition prior to that sale.           Cal. […]

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Business Formation: Protecting Your Business and Your Personal Assets

When you are thinking of starting a business, you may have questions about protecting yourself and your assets.  You may also have questions as to which type of business entity you should form for your business needs.  So, what is the best entity for your business and what are the benefits and protections of forming each type? Overall, there are four major categories of business entities used in California businesses […]

ML Jim Sifers

Court Rules Services Advisors are Exempt

On April 2, 2018, the United States Supreme Court issued its opinion in Encino Motorcars, LLC v. Navarro, et al. No. 16-1362 (“Encino”).  In Encino, the Court reversed a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Decision and ruled that automotive service advisors are exempt employees not entitled to overtime wages per the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) 52 Stat. 1060. (Opinion Pg. 1.) The Court ruled that automotive service advisors are […]