Areas of Practice
BUSINESS CONSULTING
A large percentage of the firm's business clients are privately or closely-held entities, usually small corporations and limited liability companies ("LLCs"). We are ready to advise all forms of business, including corporations, limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships, general partnerships, joint ventures, sole proprietorships and non-profit organizations.
We recognize the importance to the business owner of dealing with attorneys who are both knowledgeable about the client's business and sensitive to providing immediate, effective, and proportional solutions to their legal needs.
Over the years we have built and nurtured long-standing relationships with clients, providing on-going, in-depth consultation that frequently goes beyond providing legal advice. As in every other area of our practice, we take pride in providing efficient, cost-effective services. We enjoy working with our clients and take great satisfaction helping them achieve their goals.
We provide virtually every legal service a corporation will ever encounter from help establishing a legal entity through reorganization, sale and dissolution.
BUSINESS ENTITY FORMATION
We regularly assist founders and entrepreneurs with the formation of their companies. Companies can be formed using multiple types of entities such as corporations, partnerships, or limited liability companies.
We listen to your needs and expectations for a start-up enterprise and counsel you through the process of choosing which entity is best for you. We guide you through the laws and procedures necessary to form the legal entity and document its ownership structure. When there are multiple founders, we assist you in memorializing in writing the relative rights and obligations among you. We know the importance of correctly documenting the formation of new legal entities, as well as the importance of maintaining the entity so that you and your personal assets continue to be protected from the risks of owning and running a business.
ONGOING LEGAL SUPPORT & BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Choosing a business structure is only the beginning. Our involvement does not end when the business entity is formed. We continue to service the day-to-day legal needs of numerous businesses and provide you with legal guidance at every stage of your business, such as:
If we do not have the expertise to help you with what you need, we have a broad base of friends and colleagues in complimentary areas upon whom we can draw for additional expertise in areas such as intellectual property, employment and labor relations, workers' compensation, altermative dispute resolution, and litigation. Some of these experts are listed on our Friends Colleagues page.
ESTATE PLANNING
Most people will tell you that it is important to have a Will. But what most people do not know is that even with a Will, when you die your estate will go through a long and expensive Court process called Probate, which can take up to a year and a half to complete. A Probate procedure is open to the public, allowing and even encouraging people to come to Court to make their claims to your estate. The way to avoid this for most people is to set up a Revocable Living Trust, which ensures greater privacy and ease of administration.
We customize each client's estate plan to his or her individual needs, whether it be drafting a Revocable Living Trust, Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust, or setting up a Charitable Foundation. If we know you as a business client, we are then able to coordinate your estate plan with your business holdings and needs. Often times a client's estate planning needs also involves general corporate law. With expertise in both areas, and familiarity with your business as well as personal needs, we are able to take a multiple service approach to our clients to create the most ideal estate plan for you.
PET CARE PLANNING
What will happen to your pet if something happens to you?
For most pet owners, our furry and feathered friends have become members of the family. They provide us with laughter, comfort, unconditional love, and fun throughout their years. In turn, we love them and care for them. But what happens if we are no longer able to care for our pets? Who will take care of our best friends then?
While few think about establishing a legacy for their pets, it is as necessary and easy as setting up a will or trust for our children and grandchildren. While some pet owners may actually talk to friends or family or have an implied understanding that a specific person will care for their pet, this arrangement has no legal force, nor does it allow for money to be left for the person to take care of the animal. The unfortunate result is that the pet may ultimately be left to the care of a shelter where it is unlikely to survive very long.
Your Estate Plan can detail who will take care of your pets, your desires in regards to your animals and their needs, habits, likes and dislikes. In addition, a special account or trust may be left to the new caregiver to ensure that they are able to provide for veterinary care, grooming, supplies and toys, and burial expenses for the pet. We will assist you in establishing the right type of estate plan to provide for your pets the way you want them to be cared for.
