AboutA. Hall, Minnesota Attorney Expertise As a licensed Minnesota attorney, I can answer questions involving Minnesota law in the following areas: business ownership issues, forming a business, contracts, employment, securities, copyrights, trademarks, patents, licensing, trade secrets, unfair trade practices, shareholder disputes, tax law, M&A, corporate law, general business law, and resolving disputes through negotiation, arbitration, or litigation. I can provide general information for these topics in geographic locations outside Minnesota.
Experience Aaron Hall is a licensed attorney, admitted to practice law in Minnesota state courts and the U.S. Federal District Court in Minnesota.
Aaron Hall's experience includes service at the law firms of Fredrikson & Byron, Morrison Fenske & Sund, Foley & Mansfield, and Henningson & Snoxell. Aaron Hall also served as a judicial extern under the Honorable Paul A. Magnuson, United States District Court Judge, and as an adjunct professor at Concordia University teaching Introduction to Business Law, Business Law for Marketing Professionals, and Internet Law for Marketing Professionals courses.
Aaron served in a variety of appointed positions for city, county, and state government entities, including the Burnsville City Board of Appeals, the 35W Solutions Alliance, the Minnesota Department of Revenue Property Tax Assessment and Classification Reform Study Group, and the Heart of the City Steering Committee. In 2007, the Minnesota Justice Foundation recognized Aaron for providing over 200 hours of pro bono legal services during the year.
Organizations American Bar Association
Minnesota Bar Association
Hennepin County Bar Association
Minnesota Small Business
Publications Associated Press, Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, Duluth News Tribune, William Mitchell Law Review
Education/Credentials Aaron was awarded his Juris Doctor degree cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law, where he served on the William Mitchell Law Review. He was recognized on the Deans List for outstanding academics and received the CALI Awards of Excellence in Corporations and Alternative Dispute Resolutions courses. Aaron served as President of the Business Law Society and coordinated the establishment of the Corporate Appellate Law Moot Court. He was awarded his Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing Management and Innovation summa cum laude from Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Awards and Honors Ten Outstanding Minnesotans, Minnesota Jaycees
Question I am in a business that has four partners and i am one of them. Me and my partners have two restaurants and we split, each two get to manage one of the stores, but we all have the same 25% shares in both of the stores. I just got voted not to work in the company because of several mistakes that i did that cause the business a little bit of money. I was one of the two partners in one of the stores that was managing all accounts receivable and payable. My partners feel that i should go look for another job as a penalty because of those mistakes. Also, they came up with calculations that i should pay $5600 of those losses and i agreed. Now I'm having a hard time looking for a job that can support me and my family. In the beginning of our partnership, we didn't have any agreement signed saying that we can vote anyone out of the company and not to work in the company. I just need to know how that works and what to do.
Answer It appears your rights as an owner are being violated, and you should speak with a business attorney in your state.
In general, an owner of a closely held business has a number of legal rights based on the other owners' "fiduciary duties." Business owners owe each owner "fiduciary duties" such as a duty of loyalty, a duty not to compete, a duty to disclose material information affecting the business, etc. In addition, the relationship of the owners is governed by the owners' reasonable expectations regarding the business. One reasonable expectation may be the right to employment in the organization.
I can't tell you whether you have a right to employment or whether the other owners can vote you out; that legal analysis should be done by an attorney in your state. However, I have serious concerns about how the other owners have treated you, and the law affords you a number of rights and protections that may have been violated by the other owners' actions.
To protect your rights, I suggest you speak with a business attorney in your area who understands fiduciary duties owed by owners of closely held businesses.
