The Right Business Lawyer Helps Drive Your Success

Having a trusted business lawyer near you is essential with all the laws and regulations, ranging from local to federal. As a business owner, especially a small business owner, it's nearly impossible to stay aware of all the potential legal issues involving business. That's largely because business law covers so many areas, including the following:

  • Intellectual property
  • Real estate
  • Employment
  • Bankruptcy
  • Contracts

So, as you can see, business overlaps with numerous other law practices. At times, it can almost feel like you need a staff of lawyers.

Our firm works with companies of all sizes. Although our offices are in Bucks, Delaware, and Montgomery County, PA, we serve clients regionally and nationally, including the greater Philadelphia area.

Equally important, we offer a wide range of practice areas. So we can support our clients with numerous legal concerns.

How Does Business Law Differ from Corporate Law?

Many people get confused by the distinction between business law and corporate law.

Corporate law focuses on the legal rules of formation, merger, acquisition, sale, bankruptcy, etc. It incorporates how the business will function. Federal and state governments establish corporate law.

On the other hand, business law covers the legal aspects of marketing, production, employee relations, safety, health, etc. Consequently, it focuses on policy enforcement and business functions. The Uniform Commercial Unit (UCU) establishes business laws.

Critical Legal Concerns Requiring the Support of a Business Lawyer

Business law helps to ensure that companies operate fairly and ethically. Additionally, it provides that companies don't engage in activities harmful to consumers or other stakeholders.

Business law regulates business practices. It maintains order, protects rights and liberties, establishes standards, and resolves disputes. In addition, it determines the rights of the company and those of the people working there.

As a business owner, it's critical to understand legal considerations that can impact your company. The best way to do that is by having an experienced business attorney on staff or through a qualified law firm. Otherwise, you can quickly run into legal issues impacting your business operations.

Some of the most common functions of business law include:

Business Formation

Every business requires a form, whether a sole proprietorship, limited liability corporation, S-corporation, partnership, or C-corporation. Each entity has different reporting and tax requirements. Again, a business lawyer can help determine which business structure will best serve you when starting a business.

Contracts

Businesses use contracts to buy and sell goods and services, hire employees, and enter into partnerships with other companies. Those contracts ensure that all parties involved understand their rights and responsibilities and are held accountable if they fail to meet their obligations.

Contract creation and, at times, business litigation are aspects of business law. However, iron-clad business contracts are the best way to protect your organization. So, the best way to ensure an iron-clad business contract is with proper legal representation.

You can avoid potential liabilities by having a business lawyer draft and review contracts.

Employees

Business law involves compensation issues facing an organization. State and federal laws govern compensation and impact minimum wage, pension plans, overtime, and discriminatory practices.

Business law also affects many other employee concerns, including contracts, non-compete agreements, and termination. Consequently, a good business lawyer can also support your business by drafting employee manuals. Those manuals govern dress codes, paid time off, sexual harassment, and more.


Shareholder Rights

The rights of shareholders depend on the type of stock owned and state laws. Shareholder rights are assigned an absolute priority. However, all shareholders are entitled to certain rights. They include the following:

    • Holding meetings
    • Ability to dissent
    • Transferring ownership
    • Filing suits for wrongful acts

Taxation

Understanding taxes is one thing. Complying with tax laws is another. In addition, business taxation impacts your company's costs.

A business lawyer can help navigate tax obligations attached to purchases and sales of businesses and business transactions. They can also help you take advantage of deductions and tax credits to improve your bottom line.

You may not require a business lawyer for every situation. However, issues arise where the complexity and time requirements demand the service of a qualified lawyer.

Dispute Resolution

Another function of business law is resolving disputes between businesses and between businesses and consumers. When conflicts arise, business law provides a framework for resolving them. This may involve going to court, but it can also involve mediation or arbitration.

Protecting Intellectual Property

Intellectual property includes things like trademarks, copyrights, and patents. Businesses rely on intellectual property protection to prevent others from unfairly profiting from their ideas or inventions. Without intellectual property protection, companies would have little incentive to innovate or create new products or services.

Fair Competition

Business law prohibits businesses from engaging in unfair competitive practices like price fixing and market allocation. Additionally, some laws require firms to disclose certain information, such as their pricing and terms of sale.

Why Work with Our Business Lawyers?

Our business lawyers and corporate attorneys provide companies of all types and sizes with efficient and precise commercial law solutions. Those companies run the gamut from significant and limited liability corporations (LLCs) to nonprofit organizations and web-based businesses.

Those businesses are based in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, Washington, DC, etc. So, we're familiar with starting and running a business governed by Pennsylvania laws. However, we're equally aware of laws in other states.

We support those clients with a variety of legal services:

  • Business & Commercial Litigation
  • Business Contracts
  • Business Formation
  • Business Restructuring
  • Business Sales
  • Corporate Governance
  • Franchise Law
  • General Counsel Legal Services
  • Joint Ventures

Talk to a Business Lawyer Near You

Call our local law offices if you need a business lawyer in Bucks, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia County, PA. We also support clients nationwide. We've helped many businesses wade through complex business law issues.

In addition, our varied legal services allow us to access expertise outside business law concerns to deliver broader legal counsel.


Business Law Attorneys

Joel D. Rosen

Joel Rosen | corporate law attorney at High Swartz Attorneys for Law

Managing Partner and corporate law attorney Joel D. Rosen has 30+ years experience practicing law in employment, franchise and business areas.

Richard C. Sokorai

Richard C. Sokorai | litigation Attorney | High Swartz Attorneys at Law

Richard Sokorai is an equity partner at High Swartz. He focuses on civil litigation, personal injury, and environmental law as an attorney.

Donald Petrille, Jr.

Donald Petrille, Jr. | Business & Estates Attorney | High Swartz Attorneys at Law

As an attorney, Donald Petrille, Jr. primarily represents businesses as they wrestle with complex legal issues and individuals in estate planning matters.

Kevin Cornish

Kevin Cornish multi state litigation support attorney

Kevin Cornish is a litigation attorney focusing his legal practice on commercial, civil, contract, construction, and business litigation.

Mark R. Fischer Jr.

Mark Fischer | Litigator in Montgomery County PA

Mark Fischer represents businesses in breach of contract, payment collection, construction defect, & consumer protection disputes in PA and NJ.

Michael J. Stutman

michael j stutman real estate and business attorney at law

Michael J. Stutman, a commercial real estate attorney with over 25 years of experience, is a member of the firm’s business law and real estate practice areas.

Michael A. Luongo

Michael A. Luongo business litigation attorney in High Swartz's doylestown law office

Bucks county Business Litigation attorney Michael A. Luongo also practices personal injury, criminal defense, and in our PA municipal practice.

Sean G. Livesey

sean livesey | montgomery county real estate attorney

Sean G. Livesey Is a Montgomery County real estate attorney primarily focusing on real estate matters, which includes zoning and land development. He also consults with local businesses on property acquisitions, leasing, and real estate tax liability.

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