Small Business Consulting
We take great pleasure in working with both individuals considering pursuing their dream – starting their very own business, as well as young businesses facing challenges on the road to growth, stability and profitability.
Start Ups
A first issue for all individuals starting a new business is choice of entity – the opportunity to consider governance issues and preferences, sources of financing and investors, management and tax matters. Considering these issues in a thoughtful, deliberate fashion can help to maximize your objectives while minimizing taxes and unnecessary costs at both the entity level and for the owners personally. While we use paralegals to assist us, we believe the initial meeting to discuss your objectives and review your options cannot be delegated; you will always meet with an experienced business attorney to discuss, review and plan for establishing your business entity. Anything short of good planning could jeopardize your business objectives.
Beyond Choice of Entity
Choice of entity is only the starting point for your new business. There may be leases to negotiate, both for premises and equipment, bank or other financing matters to resolve, a franchise agreement to pore through and dissect, employment and confidentiality agreements to consider, and more. The list of the myriad of issues which a new or existing business may, and likely will face, is long and varied. We bring a wide variety of background to counseling small business clients, allowing us to guide you through the maze of laws, regulations and issues in an economical manner. Our goals have never been, and will never be, a “one shot” representation. Our goal is to represent our business clients for the long term.
Established Companies
Once a new business is established, we continue to provide ongoing advice for the wide variety of legal issues which may be confronted by a growing business. Employment contracts and restrictive covenants, financing, corporate governance and shareholder agreements, including Buy-Sell Agreements which allow a company to remain “close” while providing liquidity to the owners, general contracts, acquisitions, mergers and divestitures, are just some of the issues a small business may need to address. Read more about our business services under Corporate Law.
This is a sampling of the small business law services provided to small- and medium-sized businesses:
- Asset Purchase Agreements
- Buy-Sell Agreements
- Capitalization Options
- “Choice of Entity” Considerations
- Contracts
- Covenants Not-to-Compete (Non-Competition Agreements)
- Employment Agreements
- Financing Options
- Initial Organizational Issues
- Leases
- Registered Agent Services
- Member/Shareholder Agreements
- Shareholder Disputes
- Tax Issues
Small Business Consulting Articles
Consequences of Doing Business in Other States Without Qualifying
When a business entity does business in a state other than in its state of organization, the business entity may be required to “qualify.” Qualify means nothing more than obtaining a certificate of authority and appointing a resident agent upon whom legal process may...
Piercing the “Veil” of a Company’s “Limited Liability”or Looking Through the Entity to Hold Owners Liable for a Company’s Debts
A recent Missouri Court of Appeals case out of the Eastern District of Missouri now gives us an indication of how the Missouri courts will approach the issue of piercing the “corporate veil” of a limited liability company. The case is Mobius Management Systems, Inc....
“Business Insurance Coverages: Protecting Both Your and Your Company’s Wealth”
Incorporating or electing to conduct business in another statutory business form, such as a limited liability company, can do much to protect your personal assets from being called upon to satisfy a company liability. However, the limitation of liability afforded by...
Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005
As you may already have read, or at least heard, Congress enacted legislation which substantially revised the Bankruptcy Code. The new law is generally effective as to bankruptcy cases filed on or after October 17, 2005. The Bankruptcy code is divided into Chapters....
