BUSINESS LAW & GROWTH
Have a lawyer on your team.
We support startups and small businesses through their exciting lifecycle, from business formation to sale - and every challenge and opportunity in between.
Is there anything more exciting than starting your own business - bringing your ideas to fruition? Your mind is bursting with concrete ways to make the world a better place.
But slow down, partner. Business formation is a pivotal time in your new company's lifecycle. Your choice of entity impacts ownership, liability, taxes, profit sharing, ongoing management, eventual sale, and much, much more. We can help you make the ideal choice.
For example, is a general partnership the right move for a co-founded organization? What about dispensing with corporate structure, and making this a sole proprietorship? What state do you want to incorporate in? When do you need a founder's agreement? What about protecting your brand? Do you need a trademark? Looking to do some good in the world - should you file a 501(c)(3) non-profit or a certified benefit corporation? And what do you need to do to maintain the entity you chose?
We can answer all of these questions, walking you gently through the advantages of each entity type - and bringing this crucial decision to life. We can help you with ongoing entity management, too.
Once that's in place, we can guide you through active management. This includes drafting employment agreements and client / vendor contracts and choosing proper terms of use. Down the line, we'll help you navigate the rough waters of investments and acquisitions - and advise you as you prepare for a decisive exit.
We aren't document providers. We are trusted advisors here to help you start a business with a strong legal foundation that is ready to flourish, but also prepared for a rainy day. Our comprehensive flat fee business Solid Start Package is meant to include not just the binder and some basic incorporation documents, it's about educating you to understand exactly what your business really reads to protect itself, to protect you individually, and to move forward and thrive. Go ahead and compare our Solid Start Package with anything else out there. We include analysis and ownership not just of the entity, but also of the intellectual property-- probably your most important asset. We include not just bylaws or an operating agreement-- but also a stock restriction agreement and, even more important, a real conversation with you about what will happen when a founder needs to leave, dies suddenly, or has some other problem that harms the business like a personal bankruptcy or criminal charges.
Introducing the Business Counsel Service Plans
Our Business Counsel Service Plans are perfect for entrepreneurs and business owners that want to protect their business from legal pitfalls. With a monthly retainer you can stop worrying about the clock every time you call with a legal question, need a document review, or want us to write a cease and desist letter to someone infringing upon your brand. This is a way for a business to have a lawyer on their team without the cost of hiring a full-time lawyer in house. Although we still offer flat-fee, hourly and other piecemeal legal services, members of our Business Counsel Service Plans get their legal needs addressed before a crisis hits because we are involved in their overall business strategy. In law the old axiom "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" applies double because the "cure" to an unwelcome lawsuit can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
