Business/Corporate
What sets DOJO law apart from others is we get business especially small business and its owners and entrepreneurs. Our attorneys serve as outside general counsel to closely held and family owned small businesses advising on all kinds of business-related issues. Moreover, as a small law firm, we personify entrepreneurial spirit with a practical common-sense approach and business knowledge. We are much like our clients in that we get their pain points whether it be legal, business or otherwise. We understand decisions that impact your organizations. We are strategic thinkers, planners, and trusted advisors to our clients.
As a full-service small firm, we advise/counsel on a comprehensive range of commercial, financial and transactional issues, including business formation, entity selection, shareholder agreements, capital raising, small business mergers and acquisitions including government contracting M&A, Workouts with creditors and liquidity events. Our clients range from middle market enterprises to small privately owned companies and start-up businesses. We are experienced advising new companies on choice of entity, legal structure and venture capital financing. We work with closely held family owned businesses in a variety of industries. We also have long standing relationships with accountants, valuations experts, bankers and brokers that assist our clients.
Represented client/buyer in connection with acquisition pursuant to an asset purchase agreement including novation of contracts among other transactional documents
Represented seller in connection with small business M&A transaction under a stock purchase agreement including equity interest of target company
Represented client on an investment by outside investor on a convertible promissory note with its affilates and related entities with option for additional investment
Serves as outside general corporate counsel to government contractors, engineers, architects, technology companies, and various businesses on broad range of business issues including contract matters, employment matters, payment matters, corporate governance matters, compliance programs and regulatory concerns
Counsel start-ups to mature businesses on choice of entity decisions,
partnerships, limited liability companies, joint ventures, corporate formation, sale of business, due diligence, audits and related corporate agreements
Advise, counsel and draft various corporate agreements including shareholder agreements, partnerships, joint ventures, teaming, subcontractor, among others
DOJO Law offers legal, advisory and representation on a variety of areas over cybersecurity, data management and privacy concerns. If you contact, collect, retain, store or share data about individuals or other protected information, it is likely you are subject to an ever-growing and complex myriad of state, federal and foreign laws, regulatory schemes, and industry standards.
These rules require you to implement and support appropriate privacy and data security safeguards, as well as mitigate the harm of any breach. Privacy and data security compliance also requires you to identify, understand and meet the increasingly heightened standards often included in your contracts with customers, vendors, lenders, members and others.
We guide you on compliance with those laws and contract duties helping you manage, use and dispose of information. Should there be a breach event, we can walk you through all facets of the crisis, including by assisting with internal and external forensic investigations, communicating with law enforcement, determining the extent of any required notifications, ensuring that notices and other actions comply with applicable laws, mitigating the harm done, managing the damage to reputation, and defending against regulatory penalties and lawsuits.
We understand the technology, the laws and the underlying principles of privacy, data security and data management. We have worked with clients to reduce privacy and data security exposure in a landscape of rapidly changing risks, while accounting for their unique circumstances and resources.
There are a myriad of U.S. federal laws requiring compliance such as NIST, HIPAA, HITECH, CAN-SPAM, COPPA, FISMA, FERPA, FCRA and others. States have their own, unique laws, such as California’s CCPA. At the same time, foreign jurisdictions are increasingly adopting strict data protection laws with extraterritorial application that reaches U.S. organizations, including GDPR, ISO, and ePrivacy laws (European Economic Area), PIPEDA (Canada) and other laws that are either copycats of, or inspired by, GDPR.
We perform readiness reviews to support your privacy status and ensure its effectiveness and compliance. We also develop related analyses like Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA) to ensure conformance with applicable legal, regulatory, and policy requirements for privacy; Identify and evaluate the risks of privacy breaches or other incidents and effects; and Identify appropriate privacy controls to mitigate unacceptable risks.
Cyber insurance generally covers your business liability for data breach that includes sensitive information, including but not limited to personally identifiable information, such as your account number, social security number, credit card numbers, driver’s license and health records, among others.
While major insurance companies offer insurance against the cost of a data breach, there is as yet no agreement on industry standards. With a full understanding of the policy language and how it would apply in the event of a breach, we provide you guidance on how you need to negotiate with insurance companies. We can also perform assessments of your security or privacy programs that may lead to reduced insurance costs.
We review, analyze and assess your vendor contracts. We also negotiate contracts for clarity of terms. In addition to your own processes, you may encounter issues with certain vendors, such as cloud service providers and web hosting firms, that utilize language that may impact your information. We perform a thorough dissection of your contract for advice and counsel.
- Represented client on computer and internet law matters including web site audit, data management, domain name and ecommerce issues
- Represented rehabilitation and orthopedic centers client on data management and privacy related issues in multi-office health care practice
- Represented technology company client on data management and data privacy across enterprise in connection with federal government contract
- Represented technology company over data concerns in US and India operations involving multi-office, staff and customers for mid and end clients
Workouts
While we do not handle bankruptcies, we do however work with our clients to structure and negotiate out-of-court workouts and financial solutions with lenders to meet the objectives of both creditors and debtors. We craft practical solutions which often lead to out-of-court settlements, forbearance agreements, workouts of deficiencies where roadmaps may include sales, mergers, and acquisitions. We work on resolving complex issues, saving our clients the time and expense of court proceedings. In our experience, early, up-front engagement and planning often allows cases to proceed in the most economical manner.
•Work-out/Restructuring of line of credit called by Citibank on behalf of A/E firm
•Work-out/Restructuring of real estate loans into forbearance by Capital One Bank on behalf of multi-location orthopedic and rehabilitation centers
Commercial and Business Litigation
Our attorneys try cases. We offer full-cycle litigation services. We practice throughout MD and the District of Columbia, and before a wide range of tribunals, including state and federal trial and appellate courts in the region, administrative agencies and alternative dispute forums. We have local counsel relationships with lawyers for Virginia actions. While a small firm, we provide sophisticated, cost effective litigation including appeals and alternative dispute resolution such as mediation and arbitration. Our small business and entrepreneurial clients like that we can evaluate a case quickly, provide a solution path, weigh costs/risks and tackle the case through appeals, if any. We prepare each matter with the issues presented in the case, craft litigation strategy, address issues from discovery through trial or settlement. We treat cases as one that will go to trial, while creatively resolving difficult cases without trial.
CALIFORNIA: Clearlite, Inc. V. Idc Technologies, Inc., Case No. 3:13-Cv-05018-psg, USDC, Northern District Of California, San Jose Division (2014)
DC: Muir v. Navy Federal Credit Union, 336 F.Supp. 2d 1 D.D.C. March 1, 2005.;
MARLAND: Atchole v. Silver Spring Imports, Inc., F. Supp.2d, 2005 WL 1768746, D. Md. July 27, 2005
NORTH CAROLINA: Estate Of John J. Sherman, Iii, And Chrystal Crawford V. The Cincinnati Life Insurance Company, The Cincinnati Financial Corp, Case No. 5: Ll-Cv-00750-H, USDC, Eastern District Of North Carolina, Western Division (2012)
OCAHO: Robert Heath v. OPTNATION, OCAHO (2020)
FLORIDA: Dew Software, Inc. v. CitraTek, Inc., 17-CA-005622 (2017)
US COURT OF FEDERAL CLAIMS: E&E Enterprises Global v. U.S.A
VIRGINIA: Synchronsis, Inc. v. DataSync et al, CL-2018-0014692 (2018)
Government Contracts
DOJO Law has experience in federal and state procurement. We represent clients from proposal submission through claims and dispute resolution, and at every critical step in between. We provide clients with advice on compliance with contract requirements and regulatory issues to avoid disputes and minimize clients’ liability exposure. We have a focus on small business government contractors in variety of industries such as A/E firms, IT companies, construction and trades, staffing companies, consulting firms, among others.
We advise and counsel in the administration of government contract life-cycling, bid and proposal document preparation, contract negotiation, joint venture, teaming agreements, Small Business Administration regulations and programs, Minority Business Enterprises and Small Disadvantaged Business Enterprise programs and, in particular, we counsel small businesses under various government set-aside programs including 8(a), HUBZONE, and the Small Disadvantaged Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB). We help clients navigate compliance matters, contractor responsibility, internal investigations, disclosure requirements, ethics compliance, recordkeeping and reporting requirements. We advise/counsel on subcontracting documents, mentor-protégé agreements, NDAs, cure plans and the like. Should claims or disputes arise we represent our clients at the various Agency-level administrative forums, Board of Contract Appeals, Court of Federal Claims and Federal Court.
Finally, we represent minority, women and veteran-owned contractors in all aspects of government contracting.
Appeal of Associated Building Maintenance Co., Inc. DGS Solicitation No. 001IT820846 Docket No. MSBCA No. 3109
Petition for Judicial Review Associated Building Maintenance Co., Inc. DGS Case No.: C-13-CV-19-000448
8(a) certification with USSBA Philadelphia, PA Office
8(a) certification with USSBA Washington DC Office
Administrative Matters before GSA; DOE, SSA and HUD
Represented client in Civil False Claims Act investigation by the US Department of Justice
Labor/Employment
At DOJO Law, we have experience in labor and employment law that allows us to assist clients create a practical platform on which to make labor and employee relations decisions. Using this understanding, we provide labor and employment law advice and counsel tailored to achieve personnel objectives and avoid unnecessary litigation. Should litigation arise however, our labor and employment attorneys combine their experience in the intricacies of employment law, and litigation to give you the benefit of in-depth legal knowledge. DOJO Law utilizes a broad-based cost-effective approach and experience to the practice of employment law.
Our experience includes employee handbooks and work rules, affirmative action, wage and hour payment disputes, advice and counsel on drafting effective personnel policies and procedures and handling certain employment discrimination cases. We spend considerable time training our clients and their supervisors on a host of employment related issues ranging from how to properly interview and hire the best applicants, provide appropriate benefits and compensation, manage and where necessary discipline their employees, provide a safe workplace free from harassment or other improper conduct, and how supervisors can more effectively manage their employees.
Represented client in breach of contract and wage payment collections claims; case settled
Represented client in breach of contract and separation agreement claims; case settled
Represented client in employment discrimination action against the U.S. Department of Defense; case settled; client awarded damages and attorneys’ fees
Represented client in employment discrimination and reasonable accommodations action against the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Wash, DC; case settled by way of administrative agreement
Represented client against former employee; case dismissed against client
Represented client against former employee in unemployment claims; case dismissed against client
Represented a senior executive in navigating enforcement of competitive (restrictive) employment agreements by life sciences employer
Immigration
Dev has been practicing US immigration law since 1996. You are not just a case. The firm is cognizant that application it is filing on your behalf represents your “American Dream”. The firm excels at providing individualized attention, careful planning, and meticulous attention to detail. We want your hard work to pay off.
The firm has represented clients in a gamut of fields including Construction Management, Pharma, Hospitals, other Health Providers, Engineering firms, Telecommunications, and Information Technology firms. We have also represented a number of not-for-profit firms, educational institutions, outstanding professors, and researchers.
In today’s environment, your immigration lawyer needs to be capable of representing you the client in courts. The firm’s federal court experience includes litigating cases in the U.S. District Courts in Washington D.C. and Maryland, the U.S. Courts of Appeal in the Fourth Circuit, and D.C. Circuit. The firm has also successfully represented clients in Immigration Courts – including extreme hardship cases, adjustment cases, cancellation cases, and other removal cases.
Robert Heath v. OPTNATION, OCAHO (2020)
Pham v. Holder. United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. August 05, 2011 442 Fed.Appx. 62 2011 WL 3421488;
Cameron v. Holder, United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. September 04, 2014 583 Fed.Appx. 99 2014 WL 4360048
Assefa v. Holder, United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. June 01, 2010 380 Fed.Appx. 252 2010 WL 2182106
Authored Immigration and Nationality Handbook, Vol 1, American Immigration Lawyers Association, 1996-1997;
Visa Processing Handbook, American Immigration Lawyers Association, 1996.
Resolved extensive US Department of Labor audits of H-1B dependent firms in Virginia, Florida, and New Jersey.
Exemplary cases in business immigration:
H-1Bs and L-1 visas for entrepreneurs few months after startup;
H-3 visas for multinational firms;
O-1 and EB-1 immigrant visas for individuals working in fields of conservation, wild-life management, agricultural economics, statistics, mathematics, nuclear physics, and other fields.