Decisions made and actions taken during the process of business formation will have a significant effect on the owner's exposure to personal and professional liability and the company's profitability. At High Swartz LLP our attorneys have extensive experience in a wide range of industries, and provide investors, entrepreneurs and businesses in transition with sophisticated legal counsel designed to protect and promote the new and restructured businesses. As your counsel, we will help you make the right decisions and will implement necessary legal measures on your behalf, allowing you to focus on business management.
Our business formation and business organization services
Our clients include closely held companies, new ventures, large corporations and not-for-profit organizations. From offices in Montgomery and Bucks Counties, our attorneys continue our firm's long tradition of providing exceptional legal representation and responsive service to start-ups and established companies in many jurisdictions, including Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Legal services for new ventures and businesses in transition
One of the most critical decisions in the course of business formation or reorganization is the selection of the appropriate form of entity. Our lawyers advise our clients on the opportunities and risks inherent in a partnership, limited liability company (LLC), Subchapter S corporation, Subchapter C corporation or sole proprietorship; and the necessary prerequisites for non-profit organizations to maintain tax-exempt status. Issues to consider include exposure to tax liability, exposure of the business owner(s) to personal liability, flexibility to seize business opportunities and operational control. Our attorneys are prepared to provide essential services, including the following:
- Drafting and filing articles of incorporation and corporate bylaws (for Sub-S corporations and Sub-C corporations)
- Drafting articles of organization and operating agreements (for LLCs)
- Drafting partnership agreements
- Drafting shareholder agreements and minutes of shareholder and directors meetings
- Securing tax identification numbers
- Preparing stock certificates
- Loss prevention
- Licensing issues
- Regulatory compliance
- Advice and representation in mergers and acquisitions
- Employment law issues
- Commercial leasing
- Franchise agreements
Legal services for established businesses
We also provide a full range of business and commercial law services for established companies. When a client of our business law group is involved in a dispute, we work closely with attorneys from our contract and business litigation practice group to protect our client's interests.