The High-touch Legal Services® Blog…for Startups!

© 2009-2021 Dana H. Shultz

You Can’t Use “Corp” in the Name of an LLC (in CA or NY)

Logo for Quora, symbolizing Dana Shultz's answer to a question about the name of an LLC

This post is based on a question about limited liability companies that I answered on Quora. (The answer focuses on NY, because that was the questioner’s state, and CA, because that is where I practice.) Q. Can I use the word “Corp” in the name of an LLC (for example, AcmeCorp LLC or WhateverCorp LLC)?

The section reference? below has been updated to reflect California?s new LLC law that took effect on January 1, 2014 (see RULLCA Brings New LLC Laws to California in 2014).

A. No. NY LLC Law Section 204(e) states, inter alia, that the name of an LLC may not contain “corporation” or “incorporated” or any abbreviation or derivative thereof. This prohibition is not unique to NY. California Corporations Code Section 17701.08(e) has a similar prohibition for LLC names.

Check out all posts about LLCs.

Dana H. Shultz, Attorney at Law? +1 510 547-0545? dana [at] danashultz [dot] com
This blog does not provide legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you need legal advice, please contact a lawyer directly.

Why Does the Other Party Want to Apply NY Law?

This post is based on a question that I answered on OnStartups. Q. I’m in the process of closing a deal with a new client, and the only sticking point is the choice of applicable law. I am located in state A, the client in state B. My contract says it will be governed by the law of state A. The client wants to change this to New York. Why? Would doing so open my company up to any unintended side effects/liabilities (e.g., taxes)?

(more…)

Angel Investment: California Leads in Deals and Dollars

Hslo Report logo

On March 8, The Angel Resource Institute, Silicon Valley Bank and CB Insights released the first Halo Report, which analyzes early-stage investments by angel investment groups. Of particular note: In 2011, California accounted for 21% of the deals and 29.8% of the funds invested.

Other noteworthy findings: (more…)

When “Doing Business” isn’t “Doing Business”

Scrawled question mark, symbolizing questions about the different meanings of "doing business"

Significant responsibilities or liabilities can depend on whether one is “doing business” in a state. As this post explains (principally referring to California law for examples), doing business” can mean three different things in three different contexts.

Doing Business as a Foreign Entity

First, an out-of-state entity will need to register with a state as a “foreign” entity if it is doing business in the state. As explained in Doing Business in CA? Be Sure to Register”, the term used in the California Corporations Code is to “transact intrastate business”, which is defined as “entering into repeated and successive transactions of its business in this state, other than interstate or foreign commerce” (emphasis added). (more…)