California limited liability company (and partnership) disputes | Courtroom war stories and lessons learned

A Podcast Guest Appearance — Navigating The LLC Jungle

A huge THANK YOU to Ryan Lockhart — an excellent tax and estate planning attorney and podcast host at the McKenna Brink Signorotti LLP law firm in Walnut Creek, California — for having me on the podcast as a guest!

I am a confirmed podcast nerd, listening to (usually non-legal) podcasts during almost every dog walk and garage workout.  So this was quite an honor!

In the I Know a Lawyer podcast episode published September 4, 2020 — “Navigating the LLC Jungle, with Kevin Brodehl” — I took Ryan and the audience on a short guided tour of The LLC Jungle, the realm of California legal disputes between limited liability companies, managers, members, and third parties dealing with LLCs.

Topics covered include:

  • Business partner disputes and partner compatibility (03:17)

  • Importance of well-drafted and customized operating agreements (04:51)

  • Different LLC management structures (07:07)

  • Member rights (08:43)

  • Manager fiduciary duties and potential pitfalls (12:32)

  • Conflicts regarding authority (be careful with “co-managers”!) (17:43)

  • Dissolution of the LLC (“business divorce”) and buyouts (20:23)

Maybe one day the inspiration will come to start The LLC Jungle podcast….