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July 1st, 2017: The day I experienced virtual reality. As an attorney with extensive experience in telecom & new media, I was first introduced to augmented reality (AR) nearly five years ago. In negotiating Non-Disclosure Agreements relating to this new technology, I understood that AR eyewear and similar devices could alter and/or enhance our visual experience. Interesting concept, right?
{4:00 minutes to read} As a solo, my role has shifted over time from acting principally as a legal scribe to more of a trusted advisor to many clients. Occasionally, a client makes it clear they prefer me to stay in my legal lane and not offer business advice. I find this tension exists for other professionals as well, so I interviewed Larry Cohen, Partner-in-Charge, Business Management Hospitality Group Leader at Marks Paneth LLP, to gain his sage perspective:
1. I understand that sometimes you are hired to provide strategic advice while other clients hire you and your staff to provide traditional CPA services. When there is overlap, how do you know when your client prefers you to “shut up and focus on the numbers?” What are the “tells” when you’ve said too much?
{3:48 minutes to read} Seven years ago, when I launched Aimee B. Davis Law P.C., I was dubious about whether I’d secure the same sophisticated level of corporate transactional work I was accustomed to handling as an associate (and later, as special counsel) in BIG LAW.
One of my primary concerns was the reaction potential clients would have when they discovered I worked from home. Would they take me seriously as a candidate for complex matters? In order to avoid the possibility of having my expertise and experience unfairly discounted by the lack of marble inlays surrounding my workspace, I tried to keep my office location on the down low. (SHOUT OUT to my legacy clients who were always “in the know” and willing to work with me no matter where I was situated!)
{3:30 minutes to read} In February, I experienced every computer user’s worst nightmare. My computer crashed, and unless I was willing to pay $3,000 to a forensic expert (a/k/a a professional hacker), nothing was retrievable from the hard drive.
For several weeks prior to the crash, whenever I turned my computer on, it sounded like a plane about to take off. So, the crash was not entirely unexpected. In anticipation of the inevitable, I purchased a new computer, but unfortunately, my hardware died before I had a chance to set up the new system and transfer the data. I spent a lot of wasted hours stressing out about the anticipated loss of my data, even though I was relying on a third-party, cloud-based storage provider to protect, access and restore my work product.
Despite the fact that it is the shortest month of the year, February was a very long month for me, until I learned some valuable lessons: Continue reading
{4:24 minutes to read} Although Q1 2017 is in the history books, it’s never too late to re-evaluate your business habits and consider how they may be improved.
Transitioning from an employee of BIG LAW to a solo practitioner was challenging, but figuring out how to organize my time has always come easy to me. When I launched Aimee B. Davis Law P.C., people who knew I worked from home commended my self-discipline and ability to stay motivated.
{3:06 minutes to read} In New York State (NYS) every new limited liability company (LLC) must announce its formation by placing notices in two publications for a period of six weeks, at a cost of up to $2,000. This revenue generating mechanism applies to domestic LLCs as well as foreign LLCs seeking to qualify to do business in NYS. Although investors and attorneys have argued that such a “tax” drives new business away from NYS, the legislature has consistently affirmed this mandatory requirement.
{2:54 minutes to read} In light of the hacking allegations into the DNC’s and Hillary Clinton’s emails during the 2016 presidential election, I’ve been thinking about cybersecurity.
Throughout my career, I’ve focused on the use and protection of confidential information, and I’ve often wondered how to effectively prevent cyber-incursion. For nearly as long as I’ve practiced law, I thought that measures taken by the legal community seemed inadequate, because they were generally focused on mitigating liability after such an event occurs, rather than finding solutions to prevent breaches from happening in the first place.
{3:18 minutes to read} I like to say that everything I know about marketing, I taught myself. I didn’t study marketing in school. I never even took a marketing course. However, as the proprietor of Aimee B. Davis Law P.C., I’ve had to learn a great deal over the past 7 years about the best ways to promote my “laptop” law practice, but there is always more to learn about marketing in the digital age.
{3:48 minutes to read} Because I’ve represented several clients in the fashion merchandising industry, and have over 20 years of experience negotiating a wide variety of corporate transactions, I recently attended an Accessories Council event about financing sources for fashion and accessory businesses. The presentation was made by Paul Schulinder, SVP of Rosenthal & Rosenthal.
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In last month’s blog, I mentioned that I regularly attend panel discussions, seminars and business development meetings to meet potential clients, confer with like-minded professionals, and learn new things along the way.
I recently attended a presentation at Facebook’s NYC headquarters regarding How Social Media is Impacting Elections. The strategic use of social media seemed like a relevant topic, before the Republican nominee proved himself to be uncontainable in his Twitter rants.
