Love Law Firm - August 2018

BUILD. NOT BILLED.

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AUG 2018

BUI LDING BLOCKS

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GE T T I NG BACK TO BA S I C S

With the end of Summer fast approaching and kids heading back to school, there isn’t a better time than now to get back to basics.

Another friend who reached out to me was Theresa Steinkamp. I had to reschedule a call that was planned, and she shared the story of a family member’s experiences with a similar injury. She had a lot of practical advice and also called frequently to see how we were doing. Theresa is a financial advisor and we talked a lot about how important it is for business owners to have short- and long-term disability insurance to cover these types of unforeseen events.

I recently had my world put into perspective following a car accident. When you’re in an accident, big or small, you find yourself having a hundred things that need to get done, including recovering. When that happens, going back to the basics can make all the difference. Here’s what I mean …

Each of these three people went above and beyond to help in some way. They helped me directly and helped my family. I am so grateful.

Lean on your network of friends. They’re your friends for a reason. They’re people you can rely on when things are good and when things are not so good.

Another element of getting back to basics is making sure that, even if you’re a solo entrepreneur, you don’t go it alone. All businesses need a disaster recovery plan. It applies equally to outside physical threats — like our recent white paper on how to prepare now that we’re in hurricane season — as well as to threats to the owner’s own health. If you are fortunate enough to have a staff, make sure you have the right people in place. You want those who will take initiative when needed and help things run smoothly. If you don’t have a staff, you need to pre-identify outside resources who can help keep the lights on while you may be unavailable. I’ve told Jessica McDonald, the new Of Counsel to our firm, that her timing was both terrible and perfect in joining us. It’s terrible in that I’ve had less time to make her integration easy, but perfect in that she’s jumped right in and been working with our clients from Day One. Now that we’re heading into the Fall, I can’t wait for Jessica to really dig into it and help our clients protect their IP assets. She’s been amazing — and you can read more about Jessica inside! How else can you get back to basics? Another great way to do that is to focus on what’s important. The tyranny of the urgent is always present, whether you’ve been in an auto accident or not. Instead, focus on what means the most to your business — what will make the biggest impact — and do that. Doing that consistently will ultimately cause the urgent to disappear. And, really, what’s most important is you.

Literally minutes after the accident, I sent a text to my good friend, Marci Goldfarb. She practices motor vehicle law. I knew this was serious — and though we were rear-ended while stopped at a red light, I wanted to make sure everything went smoothly. Marci was wonderful, called right away, and told me what I needed to know. She then checked in with me throughout that day and the days after. A week or two later, while filling out the No-Fault application paperwork, I was on the phone with another good friend, Jarad Siegel. He’s a personal injury attorney. I called him to ask how to get the insurance company to pay what they’re supposed to pay. Jarad was so kind and walked me through the process, leaving no stone unturned.

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LOVE LAW FIRM WELCOMES JESSICA G. MCDONALD

Jessica Helps Protect Your Business’s Intellectual Assets

E very success starts as an idea. Businesses are made of hundreds of ideas building upon one another to achieve something great. For this

intellectual property licensing and litigation. Love Law Firm is fortunate to have an attorney of Jessica’s caliber and knowledge join our team.

“I am delighted to be joining Love Law Firm as Of Counsel,” Jessica says. “With my passion for intellectual property law, I am excited to provide personal attention and expertise in this field of law to the firm’s clients and to assist in building their businesses and protecting their IP assets.” Whether you need help protecting your first trademark or your business needs assistance with its worldwide patent and trademark portfolios, Jessica has you covered. Intellectual property needs to be protected early and carefully. Make sure you know which aspects of your business and products are protectable by trademark, copyright, patent, or trade secret. Not sure which procedure you need to use in order to protect your intellectual property from being compromised? We’re here to help! With her congenial spirit and steadfast dedication, Jessica can help protect your business and your future. She’s the ideal addition to our firm and we’re delighted to have her.

reason, it’s vital that business owners take steps to protect their intellectual property. At Love Law Firm, we’re thrilled to be able to assist clients in taking these steps, thanks to attorney Jessica G. McDonald joining

our firm as Of Counsel.

A patent attorney registered before the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Jessica is dedicated to assisting with her clients’ development and the protection and enforcement of their intellectual property assets. For the past 12 years, Jessica was at a boutique intellectual property law firm on Long Island, involved in all aspects of patent, trademark, and copyright prosecution and enforcement, as well as

You can reach Jessica at [email protected] or by calling 516-697-4828.

We had fun asking Jessica a few random questions. 1. IF YOU COULD TRADE PLACES WITH ANY OTHER PERSON FOR A WEEK — FAMOUS OR NOT, LIVING OR DEAD, REAL OR FICTIONAL — WITH WHOM WOULD IT BE? Walt Disney. Besides loving all things Disney, I admire his creativity, foresight, and determination. He was a true innovator who created a business out of doing what he loved and was responsible for developing some of the world’s most recognizable and beloved creative works and brands. In 1940, he obtained a patent for a multi-plane camera (which I was fortunate to see GETTING TO KNOW JESSICA

in person) that furthered the ability to create three-dimensional images in animation and was first used in making “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” 2. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Any flavor from the Berkey Creamery at my Alma matter, Penn State. It’s only 48 hours from “Cow to Cone.” It’s so good that they even taught Ben & Jerry’s how to make ice cream. 3. WHAT’S THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE YOU’VE EVER BEEN? Hawaii! It’s my absolute favorite place! The colors are so vibrant and the scenery is just unreal. 4. WHAT IS THE SOUND YOU LOVE THE MOST? Giggles from my two young children.

Look to learn more about Jessica in coming months!

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ADVICE TO DRIVE BY

3. If your child is taking a car to school , be sure to look at the car inspection date before she goes, especially if she’s going out of state. For example, if she’s going to school in Michigan and the inspection is due in November, you might want to go ahead and have the car inspected now. It will save her having to drive it back to New York mid-semester. Of course, all cars need to have the registration and insurance information in the vehicle. Be sure she knows where it is and update it when the insurance renews. 4. Also, if driving to school, there’s always a chance your child will be pulled over or receive some sort of ticket. Have a discussion about how to handle these situations. Simple parking tickets need to be paid so that the vehicle isn’t impounded or a registration suspended. And if he’s pulled over for a moving violation , make sure he knows what to do: Turn off any music playing and sit quietly, hands on the steering wheel. Don’t lean over to pull out any documentation, as the officer may misinterpret that action. Roll down the window and be polite and respectful in conversation. The correct answer to the question “Do you know why I pulled you over?” is a simple “No.” Listen carefully, respond politely, do not give consent to a search of the vehicle, and make sure they tell you what happened. No ticket should be signed and paid without a review. Students can unwittingly create a criminal record for themselves by doing so. And just say no to giving a fake ID to an officer. It is better to get a ticket for driving without a license than to be charged with being in possession of a forged official document.

Don’t forget about yourself! Sometimes, it can be a hard thing to do, especially for business owners and entrepreneurs. It can seem that there isn’t enough time in the world when you need to get stuff done. But there is. It drives us crazy when we get sidelined, but you have to remember to take a step back when necessary — and there are many times when it is necessary. Taking care of yourself can mean different things to different people. It might mean taking weekends off to spend time with family, making time for exercise, or simply giving yourself time to binge-watch a show on Netflix with some pizza. On this last point, I really have to thank my spouse, who’s been amazing through all of this. She’s helped me find the perspective that I needed to prioritize myself, making sure I took time to rest in order to recover and that I went to all of my doctor’s appointments. If I do nothing else right in life, I married the right person. I was able to sit down and have breakfast with my dear friend, Marci Goldfarb. I asked her for her pro tips for someone who has a child heading off to college this Fall. Marci is a good person to ask, as she practices motor vehicle law and sees a lot of young people in trouble, and she’s successfully launched three of her own kids through the college years. Here’s what I learned. 1. In most instances, your student is 18 or older, which means that in the eyes of the law, your baby is an adult. It also means that as an adult, you need her permission to make financial decisions and health care decisions if she’s unable to communicate. This means, before your child goes to school, have her execute a durable power of attorney appointing you her agent, and have her sign a health care proxy. In addition, many colleges have forms they want signed by students and parents about health care. Be sure to go to her college’s website and fill out the necessary paperwork. If there’s ever an emergency, having the right to act on your child’s behalf should never be a concern. 2. As parents know, college is not an inexpensive proposition. You will want to know how your son is doing with respect to his semester and year-end grades. As an adult, he doesn’t have to tell you. Similarly, now is the time to sign the paperwork the school requires to have grades disclosed to you as well. ... CONTINUED FROM COVER

It’s an exciting time for both you and your student. Make sure nothing interferes with it!

Marci can be reached at 855-MarciLaw (855-627-2452), or at [email protected].

Really, what this month’s message is all about is connections. Being a business owner and entrepreneur can be a lonely and stressful job. But being connected to friends, family, and our own selves allows us to grow and flourish — even when life throws a car at you.

P.S. Everyone needs to be friends with my good friends. Marci Goldfarb can be reached at marci@ marcilaw.com or 855-MarciLaw; Jarad Seigel can be reached at [email protected] or 516-590- 0550; and Theresa Steinkamp can be reached at [email protected] or 516-655-8481.

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Isn’t it time you learned to love your lawyer?

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The Importance of Going Back to the Basics INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 2 3 4 Who Protects Your Intellectual Property? Pro Tips From Marci Goldfarb Think You Have the Cutest Dog Ever?

Cutest Dog Ever Contest DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE CUTEST DOG EVER? PROVE IT!

Send a photo of your dog to [email protected] before August 24 for a chance to win 1 of 3 prizes.

THE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN THE SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER!

1st place - $100 Target Gift Card 2nd place - $30 Target Gift Card 3rd place - $20 Target Gift Card

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