Practice 04 · Small-business law
A small-business lawyer for owners, from formation to succession
Most business disputes start with a missing agreement or a contract nobody read closely. We help owners set things up properly from the start and have someone to call before small questions turn into expensive ones.
What we help with
Small-business law matters we handle
- Choosing and forming an LLC or corporation
- Operating agreements and partnership agreements
- Drafting and reviewing contracts
- Commercial leases
- Buying or selling a business
- Contractor and employment agreements
- Succession planning for family businesses
How we approach it
What working on your small-business law matter looks like
Set up properly from day one
The right entity and a clear operating or partnership agreement answer the hard questions, like what happens if a partner leaves, before anyone needs to ask them.
Contracts you understand before you sign
We review leases, supplier agreements, and customer contracts and tell you, in plain terms, what you're agreeing to, what's unusual, and what's worth negotiating.
Planning for the handover
For many owners the business is the family's largest asset. Because the firm also handles estate planning, your succession plan and your personal estate plan are written to work together.
For your consultation
What to bring
Whatever you have is fine. Missing paperwork never stops a first conversation.
How a consultation works- Your formation documents and any operating or partnership agreement
- The contract, lease, or offer you'd like reviewed
- A short list of owners and their shares
- Any deadline you're working to
Common questions
Small-business law, answered plainly
General information only. The answer for your situation depends on your facts and your state’s law.
Should my business be an LLC or a corporation?
It depends on how you plan to take money out of the business, whether you'll bring in investors, and how you want to be taxed. For many small businesses an LLC is simpler to run, but it isn't always the best fit. We'll walk through the trade-offs.
Does a single-member LLC need an operating agreement?
Not every state requires one, but it's strongly advisable. It helps show the business is separate from you personally, which supports the liability protection the LLC is meant to give, and it's often asked for by banks.
Can you review a lease or contract before I sign it?
Yes, and it's one of the most useful things a business owner can do. Send it before you sign, with your deadline, and we'll tell you what it means and what to push back on.
Next step
Talk to a small-business law attorney about your situation.
Tell us briefly what's happening and we'll arrange a consultation. We reply within [RESPONSE TIME].