In general, these are areas or services where we help business owners:
- Business Formation (Founders Agreements, Registration of LLCs and Corporations)
- Business Partnerships (Partnership Agreements, Operating Agreements, Bylaws)
- Buying/Selling Businesses or their Assets
- Permitting and Licensing (Professional & Vocational Licensing, Liquor Licenses)
- Trade Names, Trademark, and Service Mark Registration
- Licensing Deals and Entertainment/Media Content Agreements
- Liability Waivers
- Commercial Lease Review
- Sublease Agreements
- Management Employment Agreements
- Employee Handbooks
- Independent Contractor or Service Provider Agreements
- Succession Planning (we frequently collaborate with financial advisors and estate planning lawyers)
- Nonprofit Formation and Tax-Exemption Application
- Education and Training Seminars
- Business Disputes, Cease-and-Desist Letters
- Contract & Government Forms/Application Reviews
- Don’t see what you need listed? Just ask! We have over 25 years of collective experience, so we’ve seen a lot of business situations. We do free 30-minute initial consultations.
Consider how we help …
Business owners tend to regulation and paperwork as obstacles to their deals. However, it is usually poor communication, planning, and a lack of attention to details that causes most disputes and penalties. The value of following legal formalities is to mitigate risks and ideally have smooth sailing. For example, a business partner cannot keep changing a deal because it was signed off. Another example, is to avoid penalties and fines by filing timely and accurate reports to the government. The importance of written contacts is cannot be overstated. Documentation of your deal represents one of the best pieces of evidence in a contract dispute.
Second, an lawyer with experience in your industry is critical. Understanding what to look for in a commercial lease or professional agreement is helpful to spot things out for a client new to business law. Doctors go to medical school, chefs become trained at culinary school, and entertainers hone their craft … but they don’t know contract law, intellectual property rights, or industry-specific regulation. They need an advisor, counselor, and navigator to get through the complex web of laws, contracts, and rights. An experienced attorney that knows your industry is an invaluable counselor.
Lastly, for business owners that look to the end, they need an attorney to help them move to the next stage of their life. Whether it be selling or closing their business or succession planning, an attorney can help with those processes and plans. Due diligence is a key process to buying/selling or transferring a business It requires understanding the risks of a deal and yes, reviewing a lot of documentation and information. Selling a medical practice or buying a bar is not just the money changing hands, but the rights, contracts, and relationships that may come with it.
So as a business owner, you should focus on what makes your business great, but let us provide the formalities and advise you on the legal aspects that impact your business deals and relationships.
