Category: Business Law

Getting Down to Business… Organizations

• October 23, 2025
• Kelvin Birk
• Business Law The Law of Agriculture

Most farmers would probably prefer the government stay out of their business. Most farmers are also the type of people who will do a handshake deal and just get to work rather than filling out paperwork. Trust and a handshake is a great way to do business and I honestly wish it were realistic to conduct business like this all of the time; but this approach is very dangerous in today's world. Specifically, it’s dangerous to conduct business in this way when you don’t know the other parties involved. If you think you don’t ever conduct business without knowing the other party, think again. When you start a business you open yourself up to business with the world because the world is w [...]

What Does a Succession Plan Include?

• September 15, 2025
• Kelvin Birk
• Business Law

You have worked hard to build and run your business, and now it is time to pass it on to your successors. If you want your business to continue to prosper and grow once you no longer are taking an active part, it involves some careful planning. Depending on the size, structure, and complexity of your business, the process of passing it on can take anywhere from weeks to years to be completed, and there are laws that must be complied with to prevent problems and potential lawsuits from arising. Having a well-prepared business succession plan is essential to ensure a smooth transition of ownership and leadership.

In Missouri, business succession planning is not just for large corp [...]

What Exactly Is A “Business Dispute?”

• September 15, 2025
• Kelvin Birk
• Business Law

A business dispute is any conflict, disagreement or legal issues between two or more parties involving commercial or professional matters. These conflicts can occur between business partners, companies and their customers, vendors, contractors, or even within corporate leadership. These disputes commonly arise from contractual disagreements, issues of compliance with laws and regulations, or perceived unfair business practices. While some disputes are minor and resolved quickly, others can escalate into costly legal battles that threaten the stability of a business.

Business disputes can be stressful and time consuming for any business owner and a major distraction from your cor [...]

How to Protect Your Intellectual Property

• January 23, 2024
• Kelvin Birk
• Business Law

When you come up with something creative – an idea, invention, logo or slogan, a unique way of doing things or process that you hope to turn into a profitable venture – the last thing you want is for someone else to come along, steal your idea, and develop or market it before you do. Fortunately, there are ways to protect intellectual property through legal methods such as patents, copyrights, and trademarks, which are intended to enable people to earn recognition or financial benefit from their creations and protect them from infringement by others.  An experienced intellectual property attorney can help by making sure everything is done properly to protect your ideas, as well as de [...]

How to Classify an Independent Contractor vs. an Employee

• February 11, 2022
• Kelvin Birk
• Business Law

The rise of the gig economy has stimulated a lot of discussion in the media regarding how to classify an independent contractor vs. an employee while staying on the right side of employment laws. If you’re an employer, you may see advantages to hiring contractors instead of employees, particularly when needs for workers expand and contract. However, if you aren’t fully aware of what legally differentiates the two, you could set yourself up for future legal problems and issues with the IRS.

Employee Classification Rules in the State of Missouri

All 50 states have their own rules for defining who is, and who isn't, an employee or contractor. The Missouri Department [...]

Do You Need a Lawyer to Dissolve Your Business?

• March 24, 2021
• Kelvin Birk
• Business Law

“Do you need a lawyer to dissolve your business?” This question is frequently raised by business owners as they make the difficult decision to cease operations and move in a new direction.

Honestly, closing a business is complicated. There are always multiple “stakeholders.” It is important to ensure that each is treated appropriately. Also, as a business owner, you must abide by all relevant state and local laws, file very specific paperwork, and position yourself well for the future. So, do you need a lawyer to dissolve your business? Quite simply, yes!

Working with a reputable business attorney can help you dissolve your business efficiently and [...]