“He is robbing you blind.” Business owners are never emotionally prepared to hear these five words, but they should be poised for action to protect their own interests and those of their companies’ when business relationships turn hostile.
Recently in Arizona, the owner of a residential property rental company found this out the hard way when she was told by a former employee that the manager of her company’s 150 properties was stealing from the company. A widow nearing retirement, she had made a series of business mistakes, including giving the manager stock in the company without proper legal documentation, as both a reward for past service and to motivate and compensate him for future work. The once loyal employee began to take control of the owner’s $25 million investment under the guise of “handling the details” of the business. He took control of the accounting software program, the company credit cards and kept details from the owner by misinforming her of the time for meetings with the company accountant. She was dumbstruck when she received the phone call from the former employee, but, on reflection, it all made sense. Her business acumen for finding deals on distressed properties and turning them into rentals had not prepared her for the complexities of dealing with a business divorce. As a business owner you need to protect yourself. The following provides some tips you should keep in mind if you believe a business divorce is imminent.
Gain Control
When there is a shift in the business relationship, as owner your first step should be to get back your position of power. You will need to separate yourself immediately from the person causing the conflict in your business. In this case, the property owner fired the manager, changed the locks on the doors, cancelled credit cards and changed passwords to all the computer systems. You will need to take this even further to protect your intellectual property and files. Talk to your IT and file room staff about securing access and tracking of information and control of passwords.
If you are fortunate enough to have your company running well today, this is the perfect time to make sure confidentiality policies are in place and have a lawyer review your company documents. It makes more sense to manage risk and resolve conflicts before they start to touch your bottom line.
Stop Talking
It is tempting to unload your frustrations on your accountant, your tax advisor, other employees and even your next door neighbor. But the truth is those comments could come back to cost you money, leverage and possibly your business reputation. While there are some exceptions, as a general rule, conversations you have with someone, other than your lawyer, can be used in court. Make your attorney your sounding board, confidant, champion and warrior. What you tell your attorney is protected by attorney-client privilege. It is the bedrock of your right to have effective counsel; without it, lawyers could not effectively represent their clients.
Keep Original Documents
This property owner had a bad habit of giving away original documents. When it came time to organize her case, this made the task even more challenging for attorneys, expert witnesses and even business advisers. Making a copy of a document is fine, but make sure you keep the original. Be sure to maintain the integrity of original documents by keeping them free of extraneous handwritten notes. If you write on these documents, you may make your case more difficult. If you want to make a note about a business matter, grab a Post It note.
Hire a Lawyer
You may know your business, but your expertise is in the company, not the law. A good lawyer needs to be the captain of your ship as you navigate a business divorce. Your lawyer may recommend a business adviser to get your company back on track. While this is a “divorce” of sorts, it isn’t the job for a family law attorney; you need an experienced business attorney who has dealt with breakups in the business arena. Get referrals through people you know in the business community, professional organizations or your local bar association. Do not be afraid to ask a lawyer if he/she has ever done this type of work. In some cases, a team of lawyers may be necessary. You may need experience in several different areas to get the matter resolved.
Turning the Tide
How did the widowed property owner fare with her business on shaky ground and her future retirement threatened? Through a mediation process, she was able to regain control of her company and tocarve her co-owner out of the business. The woman is now back in a take-charge position, buying and managing properties. Most importantly, her future is in a more secure place.
Like a marital divorce, a business divorce is never easy but, once resolved, you’ll be able to run the company instead of letting bad employees or unsuitable business partners run you.
Leon Silver and Dan Garrison are shareholders at the law firm of Shughart Thomson & Kilroy. They lead the firm’s Business Divorce team. They can be reached at 602-650-2000.
