Protect Yourself AND Build Value Through Client Agreements

Some of you may be doing client work without a contract. The rest of you probably learned your lesson. But many small business owners still aren’t doing contracts right.

One of our very own LA Freelance members, Christina DeHayes, J.D., has graciously offered to set the record straight for us. She’ll cover topics such as

When Do You Need a Contract? Are Verbal Agreements Ever OK? 10 Keys to Successful Client Contracts How Can Letters of Intent/Memos of Understanding Come Into Play? How Can I Use Client Contracts to Build Value for my Business Instead of Just Being an Administrative Burden? Common Mistakes Entrepreneurs & Freelancers Cannot Afford to Make When Dealing with Client Contracts Copyright & Intellectual Property – Who Owns the Work? The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session so you can ask the burning legal questions that relate to your business. And we’ll have plenty of time for networking with your fellow business owners.

See you November 13th – this will be the last regular Meetup of 2011, but stay tuned for announcements of our holiday mixer in conjunction with other business groups in the LA area!

More About the Speaker:

Christina DeHayes is a solo practitioner who strives to make “in-house” legal counsel accessible for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Most recently, she spent seven years as sole in-house legal counsel for Asterand PLC, a human tissue based research solutions company. While at Asterand, she managed hundreds of contract negotiations with top pharmaceutical, biotechnology, government and academic institutions. She has experience with all types of corporate negotiations, ranging from M&A and secured financing to employment agreements and multi-million dollar technology licenses. She obtained her B.S. Microbiology from Michigan State University, Juris Doctor from Wayne State University, and is currently studying entrepreneurship via UCLA Extension. She continues to be an active board member for the non-profit Michigan Biotechnology Industry Association.

Attorney Christina DeHayes on LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/pub/christina-dehayes/1/970/658).

BYOW: Bring a snack or drink to share with the group if you can. No worries if you don't, but it is always appreciated!

Thank you to Blankspaces for the generous use of their space! Visit them and learn more about Co-Working space in LA www.blankspaces.com (http://www.blankspaces.com/)