Blog
How to Protect Trade Secrets When Employees Leave
Losing employees can trigger more than just a hiring gap. For many business owners, there's a quiet concern that walks out the door with them—sensitive data, confidential strategies, or proprietary methods. When an employee leaves, especially for a competitor, there's...
You’re Fired! How to Legally Let Employees Go
Letting an employee go is rarely a simple decision. It comes with tension, risk, and often, uncertainty. You might be dealing with repeated underperformance, a toxic attitude that's hurting the team, or a legitimate business shift that makes a role redundant. But even...
What to Do the Moment You Suspect Fraud
You notice something that feels off. A payment that shouldn't have gone through. An account that doesn't quite balance. A team member is acting a little differently. It's subtle, but enough to make you pause. And now you're wondering: could this be fraud? If you're...
What to Do If a Business Partner Violates Your Agreement
When a business partner steps outside the bounds of your agreement, things get complicated fast. Maybe they’ve made decisions without you, mishandled money, or simply stopped fulfilling their role. What once felt like a shared vision now feels out of sync. It's...
What is a subpoena?
A subpoena is a way to get either documents or testimony about a case from a non-party. For example, assume John is suing Suzy, but Tom has relevant records. A subpoena could be sent to Tom for relevant records even though Tom is not a party to the lawsuit. What...
What are the elements of the contract?
"To prevail on a cause of action for breach of contract, the plaintiff must prove (1) the contract, (2) the plaintiff's performance of the contract or excuse for nonperformance, (3) the defendant's breach, and (4) the resulting damage to the plaintiff." (Richman v....
What is a Summons?
A Summons is a Document which gives you information about when you need to respond to a lawsuit. A Summons can vary depending on the Court involved, or other agency. Below is an image of a Summons similar to one that a party might receive if they were sued in...
Do you have a dispute about amounts due under a contract?
Added on 04/30/2025, Updated on 05/06/2025 Sometimes parties have a dispute about the amounts owed under a contract. For example, many types of contracts require payment that is not always a fixed amount per month. Examples of this can include payments based on the...
Employer Alert: Avoid Problems with ICE and other Federal Authorities!
Many employers already know that you cannot hire someone who does not have the right to work in the USA. That means that most illegal immigrants (unless granted work authorization) cannot work for a business. The legal problems from hiring someone without proper work...
How do you Vet Contractors, like Roof Contractors?
Recently, I had to search out Roof Contractors to replace my roof. I learned a number of things. I took a few steps that helped me. There are multiple ways to check up on a contractor, and combining these methods gives you the best protection. Step One: Check Their...
Is Nick Heimlich familiar with Commissions and/or Bonuses and those disputes with employees?
Added on 04/30/2025 Yes, Attorney Nick Heimlich has dealt with commissions or bonuses based on performance. Sometimes the disputes about pay are adjudicated by the California Department of Labor Standards Enforcement, under the Department of Industrial Relations by a...
New Minimum Wages Laws of 2025 by City
As of 2025, California state minimum wage is $16.50 per hour and the state minimum salary for exempt workers now $68,640.00. 2025 Local City Minimum Wages In 2025, multiple cities have increased their minimum wages: San Jose: $17.95 per hour Sunnyvale: $19.00 per hour...
What happens if you buy property without being married before?
In the bay area of California, home prices are really high. These high prices sometimes lead to people deciding to buy properties together even if they are not married yet, or are just friends or colleagues. While it is legal to buy property with other people,...
Can you sue if someone interferes with your use or enjoyment of your personal property?
Yes. When someone wrongfully interferes with your control of personal property then often a lawsuit for a conversion cause of action may apply. What is personal property? Personal Property is for most individuals or businesses are things like cars, belongings,...
What types of cases does the Law Office of Nick Heimlich handle?
There are a variety of cases that Nick Heimlich handles. Below is a short bulletpoint list of categories of cases that he has handled or could handle. While he handles these types of cases, this is not a guarantee that he will handle your case, as each client is...
