MLMLegal.com and Babener & Associates have had long term professional relationships with many direct selling companies, from startup to stable. We were involved in early stages of a number of leading MLM companies, including some traded on the NYSE.

We aren’t just lawyers. We often know more about the direct selling business than most of our clients. In many ways we have become partners with our clients since we’ve been in the industry for such a long time. We often take on a significant role as both a legal and business advisor for our clients.

Generally speaking, however, most of our clients try to cover all of their bases legally right at the beginning of launching. They often have their agreements in place, as well as their policies and procedures. Companies will secure a trademark early in development, which is very important. As is tax issues, regulatory compliance and relationships with their consultants. Company owners are building a living organism that is constantly changing and growing, which is why so many of the companies that we represent have been with us for five, ten, even twenty years or more. For instance, in 1990 we assisted one of the largest direct selling companies, from Japan, to establish headquarters in the U.S. Today we represent them in nearly 40 countries. We have been their key legal advisor for almost 25 years.

Successful companies have a great product, they are able to recruit and they have adequate funding. There are many factors that contribute to the early success of a company. We are simply one arrow in the quiver of that success.

If you are interested in attending the Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company conference visit our conference page, view our speaker list, or get more details. All executives/owners of direct selling companies are welcome to attend. Call 800-231-2162 to register.

Our next Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference takes place May 20, 2016 in Las Vegas. View our conference flyer and speaker list online. Participate in our Innovation Campaign for your chance to receive TWO FREE TICKETS to attend our next conference.

If you’re reading this blog post and the conference dates above have passed, check our website for the current conference dates.

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Visit us at www.mlmlegal.com to learn more.

At the very least, a direct sales company should not enter the marketplace without legal review of its marketing program. Hiccups caused by having to respond to regulatory agencies, consultant complaints, vendor conflicts, etc. can be bad for any MLM business and its reputation.

An experienced and seasoned direct sales attorney can be the single most valuable resource that a MLM company can ever utilize. Look for a professional who has represented leading direct selling companies as well as startup companies.

As industry experts, they commonly know more about multilevel marketing and direct selling than most of their clients. In fact, more than half of our conversations with clients involve discussions about the MLM industry, rather than the mere legal aspects of running a direct sales company. And over time, such an experienced “consigliere” (see the movie The Godfather) may become the most trusted business advisor to a company and a vital member of the business team.

Apart from tremendous insight into the business, an experienced network marketing attorney can answer in five minutes what would take a business attorney five hours to research. And, the business attorney would likely still not completely understand the issue, let alone the solution.

The direct sales industry has – for better or for worse – provoked vast amounts of legislation and regulatory control that network marketing attorneys must navigate.

A brief list of regulations, legislation and legalities that experienced MLM attorneys, such as Jeff Babener of Babener & Associates, must commonly appraise include:

– Pyramid statutes

– MLM statutes

– Business Opportunity Rule

– Securities

– FTC regulations

– Postal regulations

– FDA rules and regulations

– Distributor relationships

– Vendor relationships

– Distributor discipline

– Trademark

– IRS and tax regulations

– International expansion

– Sales tax

– Marketing

– State law and registration

– And, legal review of sales kit contents, which include:

1) Consultant agreements

2) Policies and procedures

3) Product brochures

4) Compensation plan

5) Marketing plan presentations

6) Forms, from receipts to multiple owner applications, etc.

At the very least, a direct sales company should not enter the marketplace without legal review of its marketing program. Hiccups caused by having to respond to regulatory agencies, consultant complaints, vendor conflicts, etc. can be bad for any MLM business and its reputation.

Click here to watch the full video!

For more information, watch the video The Legal Issues of Starting and Running a MLM Company.

For more information about the importance of hiring a network marketing, visit Attorney Jeff Babener’s websites: www.mlmlegal.com and www.mlmattorney.com.

In addition, our next Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference takes place October 22 and 23, 2015 in Las Vegas. View our conference flyer and speaker list online. Participate in our Innovation Campaign for your chance to receive TWO FREE TICKETS to attend our next conference.

Visit us at www.mlmlegal.com to learn more.

There are many factors that contribute to the early success of a company.

MLMLegal.com and Babener & Associates have been with many network marketing companies from the very beginning, from startup to stable. We were involved in early stages of a number of leading MLM companies, including some traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

We aren’t just lawyers. We often know more about the direct selling business than most of our MLM clients. In many ways we have become partners with our clients since we’ve been in the industry for such a long time. We often take on a significant role as both a legal and business advisor for our clients.

Generally speaking, however, most of our clients try to cover all of their bases legally right at the beginning of launching. They often have their agreements in place, as well as their policies and procedures. Companies will secure a trademark early in development, which is very important. As is tax issues, regulatory compliance and relationships with their consultants. Multilevel marketing company owners are building a living organism that is constantly changing and growing, which is why so many of the companies that we represent have been with us for five, ten, even twenty years or more. For instance, in 1990 we assisted one of the largest direct selling companies, from Japan, to establish headquarters in the U.S. Today we represent them in nearly 40 countries. We have been their key legal advisor for almost 25 years.

Successful direct selling companies have a great product, they are able to recruit and they have adequate funding. There are many factors that contribute to the early success of a network marketing company. We are simply one arrow in the quiver of that success.

Watch the video MLM Startup Tips, Educational Resources, Answers to Network Marketing Questions attorney Jeffrey Babener offers quick MLM startup tips, answers, and resources, as well as access to additional educational resources for startup network marketing companies.

For more information on the network marketing industry visit www.mlmlegal.com and www.mlmattorney.com.

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Our next Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference takes place May 15th & 16th, 2014 in Las Vegas. Call 503-226-6600 or 800-231-2162 to register. If you’d like to see how you can get free tickets to the next MLM Startup Conference, visit our Innovation Campaign page.

Visit us at www.mlmlegal.com to learn more.

Hello, I’m Jeff Babener, Editor of MLMLegal.com and I’d like to speak with you today about creating clear agreements between company owners. It is one thing for a MLM business to fail because of regulatory, legal, or financial challenges, but periodically, the industry is aghast when a MM company fails due to a dispute among company owners. Unfortunately, such events have occurred. The causes for such failure occurs because the business owners did not at the time of inception take sufficient care to outline their respective rights and responsibilities.

It may be a legal matter, but then again it is often a case of differing expectations about the future of the business. These expectations should be out in the open at the commencement of the business and mechanisms for dynamic change should be anticipated, including exit strategies for owners. The worst case scenario, which has occurred, is paralysis of the business while owners argue over management objectives. Obviously this problem cannot occur when there is one principal owner to the business. It tends not to occur when there are two owners. Three owners tend to produce a revolving alliance of two against one. More than three owners may well be a prescription for future disputes. In any event, managing expectations starts at home and at the beginning of the business.

Wishing you the best in your direct selling business, I’m Jeff Babener.

For more information visit our websites: www.mlmlegal.com and www.mlmattorney.com.

Or, visit these links for more information:

Profile of the Leading MLM Law Firm – Babener & Associates and MLMLegal.com

MLM: Legitimacy through Statistics, Global Business Position, and Pyramid Schemes

Learn What is Needed to Recruit Top-Selling Distributors for Your MLM Company

Interview with Expert MLM Attorney – Are Earnings Calculators Legal?

Why do companies restrict the type of advertising carried on by their distributors?

Should I Launch my MLM Business Locally or Nationally?

Paying Commissions on Sales Tools, Sales Kits, and Training Materials……No!

The Role of MLM Legal Counsel – Why Hire a MLM Attorney

Four Factors that Make a MLM Company Successful

Explaining Your MLM Company to the Public: Answering the Hard Questions

Who Should be the First Key Employee that a Company Should Hire?

MLM Executives Must Raise Capital in Order to Recruit Key Distributors

MLM Pyramid Schemes – Everything You Need to Know All in One Place

Interview with Expert MLM Attorney – How to Handle Compliance Discussions with your Distributors

Are you Starting a MLM Company?

The Top Two Reasons Why MLM Companies Fail

MLM and the FDA

How Important is Philanthropy to a MLM Company?

The Hallmarks of Legitimate Direct Selling/Network Marketing Companies

What Differentiates a Legitimate Direct Selling/Network Marketing Company from an Illegal Pyramid Scheme?

How Important are Merchant Accounts and Payment Processing Solutions for Direct Selling Companies?

Should an MLM, Direct Selling, Network Marketing Company Launch Internationally Immediately?

What Factors Make MLM Executives and MLM Companies Successful – Video

Make sure to visit our blogs for the latest information on the direct selling industry: MLMLegal Blog Home and MLM Attorney Blog Home. HINT: Chose a category to narrow your search for discussion topics!

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And, as always, visit MLMLegal.com, the best MLM resource on the web.The next Starting and Running the Successful MLM Company Conference is quickly approaching! On February 21^st and 22^nd, 2013 we are hosting the MLM Conference for the 25^th year! This is now our 63nd annual conference (held almost consistently three times per year over the last 24 years). All executives/owners of MLM, direct selling, network marking, and party plan companies are welcome to attend. This is the original MLM Startup Conference, hosted and perfected by direct selling industry expert, MLM Attorney Jeff Babener. Call 503-226-6600 or 800-231-2162 to register. (Can’t make this event? Keep an eye out for our May and October conferences as well.)

Visit us at www.mlmlegal.com to learn more.