Finding a lawyer to take care of your personal, intellectual property, and business needs shouldn’t be a chore!   Debora McNichol practices law and mediation in Raleigh, North Carolina and Southside Virginia.  She understands the difficulties inherent in running a business, and the diverse needs of modern families, especially when those entities cross state lines and span the globe! Contact Debora McNichol for a free initial 1/2 hour consultation to discuss your legal issue.

 

 

 

 

Whether a brick-and-mortar store, a cyber-biz, or a home-based business, the entrepreneur has a myriad of laws with which to comply and other considerations before ever flipping the “OPEN” sign.  Non-compliance with local ordinances and State and Federal laws can mean fines, delays, and in some cases, criminal culpability!

 

As a business grows, expansion, acquisition, and compliance concerns provide tension and uncertainty for even the most seasoned small business owner.

 

With a hands-on background in business and the bottom line, Ms. McNichol can help you with your North Carolina or Virginia business set-up, including organization, trademark establishment, and State and Federal compliance.  Call her for a free initial half-hour consultation, and let Ms. McNichol facilitate your business transactions.

 

 

 

 

A few hundred years ago, the United States Constitution provided Congress the power “[to] promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.”  This power led to modern federal intellectual property law, which encompasses trademark, service mark, copyright, and patent law.   As such, intellectual property owners have protectable rights in their IP, but they must take steps to establish their rights before they can receive the full benefit of federal and state law.

 

Ms. McNichol specializes in “soft” IP, such as copyright and trademark law.   Call Ms. McNichol to discuss your IP issue, or to register your trademarks at the USPTO and your artistic works with the Library of Congress.

 

 

 

 

Whether you need a new will, are going through separation or divorce, or even dealing with a traffic ticket or expungement, you need an attorney who will work toward a satisfactory outcome for you, maintain your privacy, and give you perspective.

 

Even during happy events such as purchasing a new house*** or preparing for a wedding, the stress and legal issues involved can overwhelm a couple.  Having a good attorney working through the issues can relieve much of the stress.  Call Ms. McNichol for a free initial consultation on your case, and take some of the worry off your back.

 

 

 

Complicated issues may become even moreso once state lines are crossed. 

 

Whether personal, criminal, or business, your legal issue that spans two states (or two countries) invokes not only the law of those states, but also federal law.  A common example of this pertains to child custody rules.

 

Issues concerning jurisdiction and which law would apply in any particular case are also complicated.  For example, the treatment of a deceased person's real property in a state far away may not be the same as that of the real property in the deceased's home state.

 

 

 

 

*** Ms. McNichol is qualified to serve as a closing agent on commercial real estate in North Carolina and Virginia.  Ms. McNichol is qualified to handle consumer real estate transactions in North Carolina, but not in Virginia.