This Chamber U will address the most common legal problems faced and made by small business owners. It will cover, among other things:

• Entity selection and the challenges and consequences faced by a business owner in choosing incorrectly
• Intellectual property considerations for the small business owner, including the cost/benefit of protecting your business' intellectual property early
• How the Affordable Care Act touches small businesses. 

There will also be a significant amount of time spent on how to classify employees for exempt versus non-exempt from overtime purposes, and early employment package considerations for the small business owner. Come join us for a lively informational session on those common legal missteps taken by small businesses owners and ways to avoid them.


Presented by:  Ward & Smith
Deana Labriola and Bridget Welborn

Ms. Labriola's practice encompasses a broad range of business matters, from drafting and negotiating corporate agreements and documents to managing all aspects of mergers, acquisitions, venture capital, and debt and equity financing transactions for a variety of companies. She represents privately held companies, and assists them in all aspects of their business, from corporate governance and transactions to business structuring, development, and expansion opportunities. Ms. Labriola also is leader of the Firm's Technology Practice Group, and represents a number of local technology and biotechnology companies in venture and seed capital transactions, stock option and non-cash compensation plans, and other business structuring for investment. She also has experience in financial aid and distribution of funds for a private vocational school. In addition, Ms. Labriola has experience with student conduct hearings and accreditation processes and guidelines.

Ms. Welborn's health care practice includes counseling hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers on regulatory, compliance and transactional matters. She also focuses on providing assistance to businesses of varying sizes across multiple industries on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Ms. Welborn's practice also encompasses a broad range of business law matters. She assists clients with identifying, enforcing, and protecting their intellectual property rights and general corporate counseling on business formation, contract drafting and negotiations, and the merger, acquisition and sale of businesses.