On April 1, 2019, Christopher T. L. Brown and Yuan “Ruth” Qi formed NorthStar Law Group, P.S., bringing nearly thirty years of experience to the Pacific Northwest and the Asia-Pacific region. With offices in Olympia, Tacoma, Seattle, and Shanghai, China, NorthStar Law Group, P.S. provides high quality and personalized service in the areas of business…
BIG NEWS!! I will be going to Shanghai, China in November to represent several of my clients along with my own law practice at the China International Import Expo! I’ll be going with the Thurston County Economic Development Council who in turn is going with the Washington (State) Department of Commerce and 20+ other business-related entities under the “Choose Washington…
As you may know, the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) enacted by European Union went into effect on May 25, 2018. It basically says that a person’s data is their own and that people can opt out of having their information used or shared by companies for marketing or other purposes – the “right to…
Last week, the Supreme Court of the United States (“SCOTUS”) handed down its much-anticipated decision regarding a state’s ability to collect sales tax from out-of-state merchants on transactions with in-state residents. In South Dakota v. Wayfair, SCOTUS overturned its previous decision in Quill v. North Dakota, and held that states can require vendors to collect sales…
There are many aspects you as a business owner need to consider, plan, and prepare for. The number of these aspects increases when thinking about what you want the business to be in the future. Do you want to keep your business in your family? Are you sure the steps you’re taking now will allow…
At the start of 2016, laws for Washington limited liability companies (“LLC”s) went through some major changes. While there were numerous revisions to the law that we enacted, these are the top three changes to the default rules I want you to be aware of if you are currently a member / owner of an…
For those that engage any financial transactions online or use social media, there are new laws going into effect you’ll want to know about, known as “Digital Assets” legislation. These laws allow executors of estates and other agents access to a deceased person’s online records. Digital asset laws are needed to identify the accounts the…
When one of our loved ones passes, we feel many emotions. Grief, pain, sadness, and heartache to name a few. Another common emotion is tension. It can be felt in many situations and interactions with those closest to us. Here are four subjects involving family and close friends that can potentially sink an otherwise…
While setting up a partnership or multi-member LLC, each partner or member having equal ownership in the entity makes a lot of sense. Even though the partners may be doing different work in different capacities (i.e., one person creates the product, one person does the marketing, one person provides the capital, etc.), it’s still understood…
Just Who is the Beneficiary? Determining the beneficiary of a retirement account or life insurance policy of a deceased person can be challenging, but it’s easier than you think. To prevent any confusion, it’s crucial you know about what benefits get passed on and to whom. There continues to be perplexity about these matters for…