Introduction of Coaching Corner & Growing Our Team
Show Your Business Some LOVE This Month with a Legal Health Check?
Although I love getting See’s Candy for Valentine’s Day (dark chocolate assortment is my fave), as a biz owner myself, this month is also a great time to get your corporate house in order to set yourself up for success the rest of the year. So here are the top things I would think about.
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REVIEW YOUR CONTRACTS: Focus on key relationships – vendor agreements, customer contracts, partnership deals. Are outdated terms creating unnecessary risk? Have verbal understandings replaced written agreements? Do you have AI provisions in your agreement because if you don’t you may get some real unhappy surprises this year! In 2026, contracts are simply a must. Some of the most rewarding work I’ve done in the last couple of months is helping business owners dial in what means the most to them in their contracts. It provides a roadmap you can use when you are faced with contract terms you didn’t draft. Also, for the love of God don’t let Claude or Chat GPT draft your agreements without a good vetting by a biz lawyer. Despite all the hype most AI just isn’t there yet.
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UPDATE YOUR CORPORATE HOUSEKEEPING: Operating agreements, bylaws, ownership records. These are often neglected as businesses change. Frame it as “keeping the foundation strong” – new owners, updated roles, or shifted profit-sharing arrangements that were never formalized. An Operating Agreement needs to evolve as your business does, especially the valuation formula used in a member or shareholder dispute. I have stories from this year but just trust me on this – the best time to amend your Operating Agreement is when things are rosy.
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PROTECT WHAT YOU’VE BUILT: IP assignments, non-competes, confidentiality agreements. Discuss ensuring key assets and relationships are properly protected, especially if you’ve brought on new team members or developed new products/services. Also make sure you understand when and how your marketing vendors are using AI – you don’t want to find yourself in a situation where what you bought can’t be protected because it was generated by AI.
Key Takeaways:
Valentine’s Day isn’t just about chocolate — it’s the perfect reminder for business owners to show some love to their companies by getting the legal and operational foundation in order. Reviewing contracts, updating corporate governance documents, and protecting intellectual property before problems arise can prevent costly surprises and set your business up for a stronger, smoother year ahead. The best time to tighten up agreements and formalize changes is when business is going well, not when tensions or disputes surface. A little proactive cleanup now creates clarity, leverage, and peace of mind for the rest of the year.
Coaching Corner: With Juliet Peters
We’re excited to introduce a new resource for our business clients: Framework Business Advisors. While we’ve always been here to handle the legal framework of your transactions and business operations, we recognized that many of you are also navigating strategic decisions, leadership challenges, and growth planning that extend beyond legal questions. Our consulting, coaching and mentoring practice is designed to complement our legal services by helping you clarify your business vision, develop actionable strategies, and work through the operational and leadership decisions. Whether you’re considering a major pivot, scaling your team, or simply feeling stuck on next steps, FBA provides a confidential space to think through these challenges with an experienced guide who has worked with entrepreneurs for almost three decades. If you’re curious about how our consulting, coaching and mentoring might support your goals this year, we’d love to have a conversation about what’s possible. Watch this space in the coming months for tips on tackling the toughest challenges that keep you up at night.
We’re Growing!
We’re continuing to grow and are excited to add a paralegal to our team as we expand our practice and deepen support for our clients. This role will be integral to our day-to-day operations and client work as the firm continues to scale. View the job posting and apply here: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4373012941.
