Get Rice: Ronnie O'Brien Rice, Ph.D., Lawyer

In a world of venture capitalism, tech company selling, and Shark Tank; it is important to make sure that the transition is done well legally.  Not too many founders and/or acquiring companies think the transitioning through regarding a founder leaving the company. When the founder of a business leaves, there are several legal considerations to keep in mind in order to keep the business going.   And when we mean keeping the business going, we are taking about growth. As we all know, that if you aren’t growing, you are dying. Succession Planning: Having a plan in place for when the founder leaves can help ensure a smooth transition and minimize disruption to the business. This may include designating a successor, creating a buy-sell agreement, or establishing a board of directors. Review of Contracts: Make sure to review any contracts that the founder was party to and determine if there are any provisions that may be affected by their departure.   Not too many times ...

 Whenever you are reading my blog, you might see these 3 words:  Motivation, Law, & Business. In   this post, I discuss the laws and principles regarding motivation in the business world There are several laws and principles that pertain to motivation in the business context, including:   the self-determination theory, the expectancy theory, the equity theory, the goal-setting theory, and the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. The Self-Determination Theory, which states that individuals have innate psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and that fulfilling these needs leads to greater motivation and well-being. Especially in America, there is a significant thought process for these. These can be helpful in business world as not too many people can operate without these motivations. The Expectancy Theory, which posits that individuals are motivated by the belief that their effort will lead to high performance, which will in turn lead to d...

For some reasons, a lot of people think very highly of themselves. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with a little of self-confidence. However, when in any relationship, you want to understand your role and the ‘value’ you bring to the table. I mean think about it. How many times you have interviewed someone, and they want an ungodly amount of money with no education, experience, or new ideas? Understanding your worth in any relationship will increase your value and the areas you need to improve, regardless of type. In earlier times, everyone had a role in society. As you can tell, that didn’t work out so well. And I think it is partly due to people resting on their laurels and not trying to improve themselves. This post is about knowing you value, but more importantly adding to your value. As mentioned above, in earlier times, people were birth in specific situations. And without any type of self-improvement, then the people will perish. Also, it is important to realize...

I'm currently reading a book titled The Greatest You by Trent Shelton. I’m on page 81 in the book and it’s very insightful. I’ve never heard of this author before, but I saw his book on the shelf in Barnes & Nobles in Macon, Georgia last year while with my college roommate.   Long story short, I'm in the chapter where he writes about burning the right bridges. And I think this is an interesting viewpoint because there are a lot of people in our lives who are negative, don’t add value, and look to gain from you at every waking moment.   Unfortunately, there are people out there who fall prey to these individuals because of their generous heart.   So you might be wondering why am I talking about this? The answer is simple:  Most schools of thought will tell you when you run into these ‘energy drainers’ run away fast. But, what happens when these energy drainers are spouses, children, supervisors, and/or clients? You become an energy transformer....

What’s purpose? And how does one find it?  Purpose to me is the motivation that gets you up in the morning and starts you on your way. It something internal (with or without an alarm clock). Some people call this your ‘why.’ Early on in my life, I struggled with my purpose. I was always naturally happy and positive. However, I did not get up early in the morning and I was not passionate about what I was doing.  So, I asked myself the basic question ‘what is purpose?’ And I found the answer by observing and hanging with other people who seemed to be highly motivated and successful. Now, when I’m talking about success, I’m talking all-around. My meaning of successful was a person who had it together in regard to their family, church, health, finances, etc.  What I found is that people with purpose had their life ‘tight.’ Meaning, they might have not been married to a super model, but the relationship they had with their spouse was AMAZING. There was respect, love and affect...

 I realize that 2020 has been a year that many people wish they could chug like a bottle of scotch. However, the truth of the matter is that 2020 is still a part of your life. It is important to learn how to embrace the ups, downs, highs, and lows to improve your situation.   We are only able to control a certain amount of the circumstances that occur in our life. Yet, we do have the ability to control our reactions when things do not go as planned. No, my friends, this is not one of my “feel good” posts. This is a reality check, a get off your butt and be productive in your life post.  If you are reading this a few years from 2020, understand that the United States just voted, and a new President will be inaugurated in January. Some people are upset and frustrated while others are happy with the choice of our country’s new leader. Regardless of your perspective, you are still in control of your life.  Life is what you make it . Does life throw some curve balls ...

We all know about great companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft, but are we aware of their failures? Of course, we should celebrate the big and small wins. Nevertheless, we need not overlook the failures that were faced by ourselves or others. I am guilty of going off and being a little peeved (Tony Robbins) when things do not go as expected or planned. However, I think that is not an excuse to try to focus on the failure, how to rectify it, and ensure that it does not happen again. How many times in our lives have we failed and made attempts to cover it up without getting to the source of the issue? We believe that if we just focus on our strengths and positives, the negative aspects of our personalities will just disappear. We must face failure.  Most of the time, facing our failures is easier than facing someone else’s. We know the right things to say and which buttons to push with ourselves. Yet what happens when we must talk to our colleagues, employees, or peopl...

Now I know you wondering what in the world I am talking about, but yeah you read correctly. Let’s discuss the new trend today……relationships that end in restraining orders. Don’t get me wrong I know most of you have experienced this situation at some point in your life and your reasoning for filing was valid, but let me tell you lately I’ve worked with several clients who have had accusations against them which have been false. Somehow our society has become one who utilizes the legal system to moderate their relationships. Yet most people do not realize the court systems frown upon citizens exploiting it for frivolous claims. Webster defines frivolous as not having purpose or value. A restraining order  is defined as a document or process that one engages when someone feels threatened or harassed. However, this process is used to cover one’s tracks and there has been influx of unmerited Restraining Order reported. So….as the GREAT lawyer I am, let me present to you relatio...

 I know we hear this time and time again, that’s Thanksgiving is about giving ‘thanks!’ But, how many of us actually do this? Take time to give thanks by doing something for others, spending time with love ones, and being appreciative of the things you have. Know there are people less fortunate than you. Thanksgiving is a chance for you to express your appreciation for the big and small things in life. I know that everything in your life might not be going as planned. But, appreciation is a way to (1) focus on what you have, (2) find opportunities for growth, and (3) destress your life from everything that seems to be going wrong. And know this, there is always someone who can use your help. So, you complaining about something that is not going right might be something small for someone who does not have a place to live or food to eat. Sometimes we can get lost in our own world where we feel that the small problems of our life are major. Spend some time with others who think ...

We forget that the power of life and death is in the tongue. We must do a better job with making sure we are mindful of what we say to others and more importantly ourselves. How many times have you been thinking that something bad or good is going to happen and it happens? Some people call it the Secret Law of Attraction, etc. However, you want to classify it, it works. I know you are wandering what am I talking about. But it is simple. What you say controls the life you live. . So, what are you saying to yourself? What are you saying to your spouse? What are you saying to your family? Do wish your living situation were to change? Do you wish you had better luck? Change what you are saying to yourself, verbally and internally. The good book talks about guarding your heart as the issues of life flows through it. I would say the same thing to you. Be mindful of what you focus on , as that is what you are going to think, and what you are going to say. This life is about being ...

What is publishing? Publishing rights allows a person to sell or do business with music, books, curriculums, etc. And when I say do business with it music or books, I mean partner with other companies or brands to put on maybe a concert, party, etc. With publishing rights, there come contracts, collaborations, and deals that help promote a specific song, album, book, or movie. When you are trying to publish a body of work, it takes multiple people to publish it. For example, you need a producer, artist, sound engineer and others to get a song ‘off the ground.’ And like any other project, there can be conflict that arises out of these projects. This is where having a good contract in place helps. I’ve worked with several groups of people to either help develop a contract or handle contract disputes . All in all, I’ve found that without having a contract, things can go haywire. When it comes to artist, many either not business savvy or do not care about the business side of deve...

How many people you know who always busy I know a lot of people. One of those people is ME. I have found that to be very successful you have to delegate. And I’m not talking delegating for the sake of just telling someone what to do. Or you getting them to do something that you don’t want to do. I’m talking about getting some one to do a task that you don’t have time to do. Or getting someone to do something that they are much better at doing than you. One of the ways to delegate is to bring on people who have a vested interest in your mission. Oftentimes people think it's about paying people a certain amount of money to get them to do the right job. Where money is definitely a factor, you can find good people and not break the bank. What I typically do is if I'm trying to keep things within a budget, I offer people incentives to grow with the company. When you give people incentive to grow with you and you encourage them to help grow the business; you find that people be...

We all have our moments where we are wanting to get so much accomplished in a day? Just yesterday, I got up late because I wanted to spend time with the family. But, I knew I had to get work done too. So, I ended up not completing everything I had planned. So, yes, I know the feeling. How do you accomplish two things at one time? My answer to this question is simple. If you want to accomplish more in life, ‘know your limits.’ Don’t try to get everything done on your ‘to do’ list at the hand of others or detriment to yourself. Life is very much so about progressively getting better. But, also, it’s about living. I talk about this on my podcast:   Success Pays. We all have those limits where we are just inefficient. You have to know everything that you are capable of and keep your focus within that wheelhouse. It is tempting at time to put more on your plate because you are seeing others doing it (appearing) or you are slacking in areas in your life. Don’t look at others. A lot...

I get a lot of calls about contracts. What is a contract?   A contract by law is (1) an offer, (2) an acceptance, and (3) mutuality. *There is a case about a million-dollar case in Alaska where a contract was formed on a napkin.   Back to our regularly scheduled program, let's break the elements of a contract. The first element is an offer. An offer is when a party offers some type of product or services to another person. The next element is an acceptance in which a party sees an offer and either offers to pay for service and/or product; or provides some service and/or product in exchange. The latter part is what some courts may call a reliance.   The third element of a contract is mutuality . Mutuality is a tricky element of contract law. Because mutuality is if the value comparable, it bargained for, or the value exchange reasonable. Many people don't understand that even though you might have a written contract, if there is some type of the duress, no bar...

What do I mean consistency is the cousin to success ?  There are a lot of people that think you become an overnight success, except the successful. The successful know that what appears to be ‘an overnight success’ took years of working on their craft. To be successful, you have to have a certain high level of consistency. You must stick to your plan, goals, and vision! How many of you guys know someone who is always trying something new and trying something different but never sticks with anything? My point exactly. You either knew or thought of someone in your mind instantly. Now, I don't think it's bad to try something new or to switch it up. However, I think the more times you switch it up and deviate from your original plans, the less likely you are to achieve them. Success can be elusive to some. But, it's really not. Success comes to those who really want it. And consistency is one of the determining factors of achieving success. I wanted to make money to p...

Why you should let people know who you are? Well, first, how are you going to get paid? If people don't know who you are, what you do, and how you make money; there's no way that they can refer you business. I'm not saying throw your success in people face. Just because you are in the top of your class and make a million dollars a year, does not mean everyone wants to hear it. However, if you want to help others to be in the top of their class or make a million dollars, TELL people . If you want to be successful in life you have to let people know what you do for a living, what you're about, and what you represent. I am doing this program 75 Hard developed by Andy Frisella . And the programs require no drinking and working out twice a day, amongst other things. For me to be successful with this program, my group of friends and family need to understand that I'm not drinking alcohol and my time is very limited. So I'm now on day 40 something. But I think th...

I know you think this might sounds like common sense, but a lot of people don’t understand the importance of being honest with their lawyer. Honesty with the right people is important. If you can’t be honest with your lawyer, then who can you be honest with. So why is it important to be honest with your lawyer ? 1.        The lawyer needs to understand where to start 2.        You don’t want anything unexpecting to come out in court I know this sounds simple, but please know that we all have our own faults. A lawyer is to advocate for you even in your worst situation. And the lawyer has probably heard worst. Now, I’m not saying that you need to tell every last detail. But, there are some details that every lawyer needs to know about their client. There are certain aspects that a lawyer must report. For example, if a client is going to cause injury towards themselves or others, the lawyer has to notify authorities. ...

 This is something that I’ve been avoiding for a large part of my life:  Selling . Yes, if you own a business or work for a company, you need to be selling! Why? Because revenue conquers all! And how do you obtain or increase revenue? You increase it with sales. No matter what field you work in, you are doing some form of selling. Yes, you may be a doctor, lawyer, dental hygienist, tire repair person, etc. In all of these fields, there is an element of selling. Selling is the process of getting someone to buy a product or service. Yes, I’m having to break it down like we are in elementary school because a lot of people shy away from this as if it is a bad aura around the subject. I fell in love with selling not because of the money, even though I enjoy it. I love selling because I’m providing something to someone who needs or want it. I tell all of my clients where they are legal clients or business partners, that if it is coming out of my mouth, you can take that to ...

I was asked the other day ‘why am I so motivated about business and law?’ The answer is simple, motivation helped and helps me through my lows in life, my educational degrees, etc. So, what does this have to do with friends ? Real friends will help motivate you in personal, business, etc. When I say motivate, I’m talking about investing in your business, words of encouragements, social media shares, etc. Yes, I’m one of those guys who want to make sure that everyone in my group win! And you should be one of those people as well. Helping others to accomplish their goals is the epitome of friendship. You can have a lot of friends who buy you drinks, take trips with, play golf with, etc. But, how many friends actually invest in your business whether it is a big commitment or buying a $20.00 t-shirt from your friend? I know a lot of times when we think that friendship is just about having fun, but true friendship is about helping each other out during the high and low times of life...