Myra Binstock is the owner of Myra Binstock Legal Search, a search firm specializing in the placement of Intellectual Property attorneys (patent, trademark and copyright).  Myra is a former paralegal whose own career includes years both as an administrative assistant to an Appellate Division Judge and sole paralegal for a Fortune 100 corporation. She understands the working environment of companies and law firms, and knows how to match the right person to the job.  With respect to networking, Myra’s particular interest is in connecting sole practitioners, an area that has been for heretofore neglected. There is a strong need for an active network from which overflow work and mergers can be developed, and she is dedicated to building this market.

1.  How did you get started doing what you do?

I got started in my business 20 years ago when I was looking for a new paralegal job.  I had been working at Ingersoll-Rand Company in Woodcliff Lake, NJ for 10 years and it was getting stale.  I was getting a divorce and my daughter suggested that I might find better opportunities in New York.  So, I had a guy I was dating drive me to a recruiting firm on 42nd Street (right by the lions at the Public Library).  I asked him to wait while I dropped off my resume.  I emerged three hours later!   The firm had made me an offer to be the new  Office Manager and I had accepted.  (Luckily, my friend was still there.)  After learning her business for  a year, I moved to another firm that subsequently went out of business.  At that point, I had been placing intellectual property attorneys and I decided to start my own firm.

2.  What is your biggest joy and what is your biggest headache?

My biggest joy is feeling a sense of accomplishment and being able to make my own business decisions and succeeding.  Before, I was just a cog in a big wheel.  Now, I’m at the helm, and if I make a mistake, I pick myself up, dust myself off and start again.  It gives me a sense of who I am and what I can do.  My biggest headache is the pressure of being in a commission business and learning how to allocate money towards expenses.  There is a definite ebb and flow in my field of work. 

3.  Where do you spend most of your time online (business-wise)?

Most of my time on-line is spent at sites of law firms and corporations I want to call for job orders.   I familiarize myself with what they do and how they work.  And, then I call applicants who, I feel, would  be good for a particular client.  I also spend time on IP-related sites and Linkedin.

4.  What is the one thing, person, service or resource you can’t do without?

I can’t do without a daily game of Scrabble with my daughter on Facebook.  It keeps me close to my family and grounded.  We’ve never gotten along so well before and we can make comments to each other and stay in touch.  I go back to work reinvigorated and feeling renewed.

5.  What do you wish someone had told you the day you started your business?

I don’t wish I had been told anything before I went into this business.  When I was younger, I wanted to be an archeologist.  That wasn’t in the cards.  Now, I view all the things I’ve learned in my business as an adventure to discovering an old relic….. me!

Addressing the concerns of crafters and artisans:  Consumer Reports:  The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) has extended a one-year delay in implementing the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).  This Act was intended to increase product safety in products geared towards children with respect to such hazards as lead paint.  However, it would have severely hurt small toy, clothing and craft businesses by implementing expensive testing and standardization (even for, say, those who didn’t use paint in their goods).  The provisions regarding lead paint prohibitions for certain children’s products remain in full effect.  So, don’t go shutting down your Etsy store, crafters!  

 Fair Pay, Okay!  In one of his first Presidential acts, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Act into law.   As discussed earlier in this blog, this act will allow suits to be brought to bring pay equality in the face of gender disparity (reducing a Supreme Court decision which made it harder to do so). 

Don’t Get Overtaxed!  It’s that time of year - after you digest your Superbowl wings, and heed the call of the groundhog, you business owners may want to be considering your tax filings.  Here’s some year-end tax tips you may find useful!

You eat well and work out to avoid the doctor; brush and floss to avoid the dentist – so why not attend to your legal health?

One area in which people commonly run into disputes is in dealing with landlords, whether residential or commercial. 

Here’s some positive, helpful yet simple steps you can take when renting a new space, whether for living or for business.

1.     Create a master file  when you move into your new space - whether it’s an envelope, file folder or box – that is dedicated to your apartment or space.  It should contain the following:

a.     A copy of your signed lease.

b.     Any additional contracts or riders (also signed).

c.     Contact information for your managing agent, super and landlord.

d.     Photos – printed out (don’t leave them in your camera) – of the initial conditions in your empty space.  These should include any cracks, damage, loose floor tiles or anything else that can be attributed to you later on.  Print them out (any drugstore can do this for you these days) and date them.

e.     Copies of your first month/security deposit check.

f.      A legal pad and pen.

2.     As you occupy your space, use the envelope for cancelled rent checks, letters to and from your landlord and any other relevant correspondence.  Use the legal pad to record incidents (such as noise from neighbors, attempts to secure repairs, telephone contact with your landlord).  If additional photos are needed to document damage and repairs, take and print them, date them, and keep them here.

There are many cases where having these documents handy would have been a great help in dealing with a landlord tenant issue – whether it is demonstrating proof of paid rent, disputing security deposit charges, verifying terms of the lease or even going to court.  A little preparation can save you many headaches down the road.

Note that although Michelle is an attorney, this is not intended to constitute legal advice; if you have a legal problem, please consult an attorney specifically for your needs.