COMPLETE BUSINESS AND TAX COUNSEL FOR DC AREA BUSINESSES AND BEYOND
At General Counsel, P.C., our attorneys have extensive experience representing a wide range of local, regional, and national companies and business ventures. We are particularly attuned to the needs of government contractors and emerging growth companies as they engage in a variety of transactions.

Use Care (and Caution) in Drafting Contracts

Contracts are critical in the business world. Employment agreements, purchase contracts, and non-disclosure agreements are only a few examples of the various contracts that play a large role in the success of a business. However, not all contracts are created equal. Each agreement should be drafted specifically to address the specific parties to a matter
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Ask General Counsel: 6 reasons NOT to serve as the registered agent for your business

Published by Ask General Counsel on InsideNova, 7/27/2022 Image from Inside Nova In this edition of Ask General Counsel, the business law attorneys at General Counsel, P.C., located in McLean, discuss why business owners should not serve as the registered agent for their business. Businesses in Virginia are required to have a registered office and registered agent.
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Webinar: How to Protect your Business in a Divorce

How to Protect Your Business in a Divorce
Often, a business owner’s most valuable asset is their business. Further, a divorce can cause disruption and, in some circumstances, result in the destruction of a business. Business owners need to protect their business from the negative impacts of a divorce. In this webinar, General Counsel, P.C. business attorney Evan St. John will discuss preventative
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Advice from Divorce Attorney – How to Protect Your Business During a Divorce

Negotiating Business Ownership in Divorce
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels Couples typically do not enter into marriage thinking about divorce, but, unfortunately, not planning for the possibility can oftentimes have serious consequences. Divorces can be difficult, and even more complex when business assets are at stake. For many business owners, the business itself is the individual’s most valuable asset. Business owners
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Business Break-Ups Can Be Complicated – Valuation of Corporate Shares

Business Break-Ups or Business Divorces occur when business owners can no longer agree on operations or future of a company.  As we wrote in this article, What Should I Consider During a Business Divorce, messy (and expensive) business break-ups can be minimized or avoided by careful planning. In a recent case, the plaintiff shareholder filed
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Leesburg Man Arrested for $2.5M CARES Act Loan Fraud

Leesburg man arrested for $2.5M CARES Act Loan Fraud
In an October 20, 2020 Press Release, the Department of Justice announced that Didier Kindambu, was arrested on charges of fraudulently obtaining over $2.5 million in loans through the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for his businesses Papillon Air, Inc. and Papillon Holdings.  It is alleged that Kindambu created fraudulent payroll documentation and submitted
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Acclaim Technical Services, LLC Acquires Global Consulting Services, Inc.

Congratulations to General Counsel, P.C. client Global Consulting Services, Inc. (GCS) on its acquisition by Acclaim Technical Services, LLC. We were pleased to help with legal services through this transaction. Acclaim Technical Services, LLC (ATS)announced Sept. 1 it has acquired Global Consulting Services, Inc. (GCS), a Rockville, MD-based company with approximately 30 employees, to meaningfully differentiate and
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Congress Makes PPP Loan Forgiveness Easier

PPP Loan Forgiveness Easier
Congress just passed new legislation with significant changes to the PPP forgiveness terms.  Titled the  Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act, Congress’s goal was to ease the burden on businesses for allocating and spending PPP funds within a finite period of time. Passing with overwhelming bi-partisan support, President Trump is expected to sign this Act into law. 
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CARES Act’s Small-Business Loan Programs

Congress passes CARES Act for Coronavirus economic impact
Late last week the President signed into law the CARES Act – a $2 trillion relief package to help companies harmed by the Coronavirus outbreak.  A very important part of this Act is the “Paycheck Protection Program” — which provides for nearly $350 billion for small business loans.   This program was set up through the
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Coronavirus Impact on Business Contracts – Live Recording 4/1/2020

Coronavirus covid-19 impact on contract obligations
The quarantine and social distancing stemming from the Coronavirus covid-19 pandemic, has an effect on many businesses ability to meet their contractual obligations. In this live recording of attorney Lewis Rhodes talking to business owners on April 2, 2020, he covers the implications to businesses who are unable to meet their contractual obligations due to
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Supreme Court of Virginia Finds in Favor of Minority Shareholder

Minority shareholders in corporations are disadvantaged because they have little power to control the decision-making of the corporation. However, minority shareholders are not without rights. There are legal protections in place for minority shareholders and such shareholders should ensure they are aware of their rights so they are able to protect them. In a recent
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TechINT v. Sasnett

Reviewing employment agreement non-compete terms
Preliminary Injunction granted to Govcon for Non-Solicitation Restriction GCPC Practical Counsel:  Restrictive Covenants must be drafted as narrowly as possible and the enforceability depends on the facts of the particular situation.  In this case, prohibition against soliciting clients to provide competing services enforced. TechINT Solutions Group, LLC v. Sasnett, U.S. Dist. Ct, W.D.Va, Harrisonburg Div
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The Importance of a Documenting Your Business Co-Ownership Relationship

Starting a business partnership
This post was originally published in May, 2012. We’re re-posting in case you missed it.  Introduction You may have had a conversation with a friend about how you would do well as business partners. Or perhaps an industry contact suggests participating in a startup. Sharing ownership of a business with another person can have significant
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Top Ten Issues a Freelance Professional Should Address in a Services Agreement

This post was originally published in May, 2012. We’re re-posting in case you missed it.  Introduction A freelance professional, whether a management consultant, a graphic designer or a bookkeeper, obtains clients by building a relationship with his or her clients based on knowledge and trust. Too often, however, the relationship sours because the parties either
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Starting a Business in the Washington Metro Area

Starting a business in DC
This post was originally published in February, 2014. We’re re-posting in case you missed it.  Determining the Appropriate Business Entity–Should I Form an LLC or a Corporation? Every potential business owner and service provider should give serious consideration to forming a business entity when they start a business to limit his/her individual liability for the
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General Counsel, P.C. joins IR as the exclusive Employment Law (Corporate) Member in US – Virginia

We are proud to announce that our firm has joined IR Global as the exclusive member for Employment Law in Virginia (corporate). IR Global is the fastest growing professional service firm network in the world; providing legal, accountancy and financial advice to companies and individuals across 155+ jurisdictions. Our founder, Merritt Green, and General Counsel Law
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Employment Law Update: Supreme Court Says Arbitration Requirements in Employment Agreements are Enforceable

A recent U.S. Supreme Court case, Epic Systems Corporation v. Lewis upheld employers’ use of class-action waivers in arbitration agreements. No. 16-285, 2018 WL 2292444, at *1 (U.S. May 21, 2018). Based on this ruling, employees that have signed such agreements are no longer able to join together to sue employers and instead must use
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What Should I Consider During a Business Divorce?

Business relationships fail for many different reasons:  business partners may have long-term disagreements, a change in leadership, or simply a desire to go in different directions. Even successful businesses may have to deal with business divorce issues if business partners decide that the benefits of continuing their business relationship are outweighed by the costs accompanying
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Public Policy Exception to At-Will Employment Doctrine in Virginia

In Virginia, employment relationships are presumed to be “at will,” which means that the employment term extends for an indefinite period and may be terminated by either party for any reason, or no reason at all, upon reasonable notice. Virginia courts “have strenuously adhered” to the presumption of at-will employment. See Nguyen v.CNA Corp., 44 F.3d
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Unlawful Retaliation: How to reduce our exposure and protect our employees?

It is imperative for employers to be aware of the law on unlawful retaliation and its implications on their business practices and workplace. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 declares it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against an employee because he/she opposed any unlawful employment practice or made any charge, testified
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