Business Planning

Legal Advice For Your Entire Business Life-Cycle

We represent individuals and their businesses in a wide range of industries. We strive to build a long-term relationship with the businesses we represent. We provide the complete range of services to address your evolving needs from the creation of your business to the eventual sale of your business. 

We provide reliable guidance whether you are an established business or are looking to start a new endeavor. We regularly help clients analyze business issues and solve complicated legal challenges that enable them to achieve the goals of their business. 

We invest the time to thoroughly understand your business interests and personal priorities. Each business faces unique issues and challenges, which often include:

• Personnel Matters
• Taxation
• Succession Planning
• Liability Protection
• Entity Creation
• Compliance Issues  

Our practical understanding of economic and commercial issues affords us the ability to address your needs through both proactive business planning and the timely resolution business disputes. Having access to proven legal advice can be essential to the success of your business.

We understand that cost is a primary driver for our business clients.To ensure our services are adding value, we structure the billing arrangements to promote the best interest of a long-term relationship and to make sense with your specific business model.We provide flexible, cost-effective solutions to meet our clients’ diverse needs.

Selecting The Right Corporate Form

When you start a business you want to do it right the first time. Starting up a business deserves your full time and attention, so let us guide you through the business formation process. Selecting the correct entity form for your business affects both the liabilities you are exposed to and your options for growth. 

We help you make an informed decision in selecting among the range of entity options, including:

• Corporate structures (C. Corp, S. Corp.)
• Limited liability companies (LLC)
• Limited liability partnerships (LLP)
• Professional corporations (P.C.)
• Partnerships
• Sole-Proprietorships

 

 

Ongoing Business Needs and Outsourced General Counsel

Once your business is up and running, we help you navigate the complex requirements to keep you compliant with state and federal regulation. Businesses face increasing competition and must also adapt to increasing laws and requirements as they grow. Proper legal planning for your business allows us to handles these issues so that you can focus your efforts on expanding your business.

We can provide your business with ongoing legal services in an outsourced General Counsel capacity or we can provide assistance on an as-needed basis. We structure this relationship to provide a cost-effective manner of addressing your legal needs without having to hire another employee or department.

We provide assistance with management of ongoing operations, employment benefits, reporting obligations, risk management, corporate governance, structuring transactions, and keeping your records and books up-to-date.  Typical records we provide include:

• Articles of Incorporation
• Bylaws
• Minutes from Shareholder Meetings
• Minutes from Board Meetings
• Stock Ledgers

We monitor and proactively address any potential legislative and regulatory changes that may impact your businesses. Not only do we provide you with generalized Resources, but we also will directly contact you for material issues to share our knowledge and insight.

Business decisions often involve numerous decision-makers.  We collaborate with your management team and other advisors so that these different disciplines operate in unison to achieve a comprehensive solution. 

Preventing Business Complications Through Experienced Contract Negotiation, Drafting, Review, and Litigation

Most business disputes involve the breach or an oral or written contract.  Contracts are an integral part of life and essential element of your business. Contracts define the scope of obligations, responsibilities, and relationships with other parties. Contracts exist between a business and its clients, its employees, and its suppliers/vendors.  Contracts also exist among business partners as well.

When you are looking to enter into a new contract we ensure that the agreement is enforceable and clearly protects your interests. Many subsequent contract issues can be avoided with a carefully drafted agreement. Examples of contracts we typically draft for our clients, include:

• Buy-Sell Agreements
• Employment Agreements
• Lease Agreements
• Non-Compete Agreements/Covenants Not To Compete
• Non-Disclosure Agreements
• Shareholder Agreements
• Service Contracts
• Severance Agreements

We can also review your rights under an existing or proposed contract. We explain the terms of the agreement so that you can evaluate every possible course of action. If either party cannot perform their obligations under an existing contract, we can defend your rights and help you secure the best remedy available. If an amicable solution cannot be reached then our detail-oriented practice can offer experienced counsel to be your advocate in Litigation,

Mergers, Acquisitions, Divestitures, Dissolution, and Selling Your Business

We help you manage your business opportunities through your business life-cycle. Whether you are looking to grow through the purchase of a business or sell your business, we work with your management team to identify and evaluate your options. 

The purchase and sale of a business often involves unique complexities involving the transfer of assets and employees. Deciding which assets to buy or sell or whether to retain prior management can significantly alter the success of any deal. Our firsthand experience with these issues allows us to provide in-depth guidance when dealing with these complexities to arrive at an optimal agreement. 

We design tax-efficient strategies for business owners including those with extensive real estate holdings, manufacturing entities, and intellectual property interests. 

Common issues we address when performing business succession planning include:

• Bills of Sale
• Buy-Sell Agreements
• Commercial Real Estate Sales, Purchases, Leases, and Other Issues
• Due Diligence
• Financing Concerns
• Non-Compete Agreements/Covenants Not To Compete
• Shareholder Agreements

 

We welcome the opportunity to meet with you to discuss how we can be of assistance, so please Contact Us.