Legal Research Corner, 1116 COBJ, Vol. 45 No. 11

AuthorAndrea L. Hamilton, J.

45 Colo.Law 11

Legal Research Corner

Vol. 45, No. 11 [Page XX]

The Colorado Lawyer

November, 2016

Andrea L. Hamilton, J.

Free and Low-Cost Resources for Researching Companies

Subscription databases are convenient tools for researching companies. They offer advanced search features, pre-packaged results, and quick access to company authority files. However, these perks come at a cost, and much of the same information can be obtained for free (or a small fee) from publicly accessible authoritative sources. Consider using the resources below when conducting company research, especially when looking for specific details about a business entity.

Corporate Websites

Sometimes overlooked, corporate websites typically offer a wealth of information, including:

• headquarters and branch locations;

• parent company, subsidiaries, and other strategic partners;

• history (including former company names) and mission statement;

• leadership and their contact information;

• products, patents, and trademarks;

• news and press releases; and

• analyst coverage.

To access company profile information, navigate to the company’s retail website and look for links such as “Company site” or “About,” often located at the bottom of the page. Most public companies also have an “Investors” section directing visitors to required U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and disclosures (see SEC section, below).

The Wayback Machine1 is an excellent source for historic information no longer available on a company’s current website. Search by corporate domain to find archived versions of the company’s website; specific sections can sometimes be found by appending a path to the original domain name search (www.dmns.org versus www.dmns.org/planetarium). Because archived pages are organized by date, comparing versions of the same page can uncover hard-to-find details, such as when an individual joined or left the company.

The corporate domain can also be used to ascertain or verify an employee’s email address that is not posted on the corporate website. For example, a Google search of “@dgslaw.com” (with quotation marks) produces hits from the Davis Graham & Stubbs website, as well as other instances where a company email address was used. From these hits, the researcher can likely surmise the email address format and refine the search for a specific individual-for example, “lastname@dgslaw.com”

Colorado Secretary of State

The Business Database Search2 on the Colorado Secretary of State website is a trustworthy tool for searching and viewing business filings. This free resource provides basic information about a business, such as type (e.g., limited liability company, nonprofit, general partnership) and “status regarding timely filing of documents.”3

An initial search brings up a “Summary” page containing such details as the entity’s formation date and jurisdiction, its principal office street address, and the “Registered Agent.” The Registered Agent entry may contain information about the founder, owner, or corporate counsel for that business.

The “History and Documents” page for domestic companies often provides a link to the Articles of Incorporation, which may also include insight into associated individuals, including directors and members. A “Statement of Merger” could be helpful in determining the corporate parent or a former company name; a “Trade Name” filing should provide additional search terms for identifying litigation and news. If an entity is designated “Foreign,” the jurisdiction listing will provide guidance as to another state’s Secretary of State or business registry site.[4]

SEC

If a foreign or domestic company registers its securities,5 pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, “the company must then file periodic reports with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.”6 These reports can be found within the EDGAR Company Filings7 database on the SEC website. Form 10-K in particular (a company’s annual report) contains a wealth of business information, including:

• a description of the business;

• executive officers, with brief bios and compensation;

• significant real property;

• patents, trademarks, and licenses; and

• consolidated financial data, including identification of the company’s auditor.

Form 10-K also contains information about pending and future legal proceedings. Look for Item 3, specific to significant current legal proceedings, and Item 1A (Risk Factors), which anticipates areas of future concern and potential litigation for the company. (See PACER...

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