Business Law

We are dedicated to serving the full range of our clients’ business and commercial needs on both national and international scales. We understand that forming and running any business isn’t easy, and without the right attorneys on your side, there may be several missteps and mistakes. Our attorneys have developed expertise in one or more specialized areas of business law. We have built a reputation for excellence in the quality of our counsel and services to clients from nearly every industry.

Our business attorneys are passionate about helping business owners understand the diverse business laws under which they operate. Although we often confront unique challenges in our business practice, a number of the business transactions we have handled fall into recurring categories, and our business law attorneys practice in a number of core services, including:

SMALL BUSINESS AND STARTUP SERVICES
We provide cost-effective and affordable legal help to startups and small businesses. Our small business practice areas are extensive, and we can serve businesses at various stages of growth. We can guide you through the incorporation process and help you understand the differences, advantages, and disadvantages of each of the following business types: legal entity (Sole Proprietorship, LLC, Corporation, PC, LP, LLP, General Partnership and Joint Venture); Federal tax entity election; drawing up articles of incorporation, operating agreements, bylaws, shareholder meetings, and board resolutions. In addition, we can help you determine what is the most appropriate for you.

We can also negotiate and prepare a variety of documents and agreements, including employment, collaboration, co-founders, licensing, sweat equity, participation, software as a service, non-compete and non-disclosure agreements, founder and shareholder agreements.

Business operations are governed by regulations of government agencies (federal, state and local). Businesses are required to comply with federal, state, and local statutes and regulations enforced by legislative bodies and carried out by regulatory agencies. Some regulations impact the ways in which businesses raise capital; others regulate how they report income, employ workers and independent contractors, etc. Besides the laws and regulations, one must also understand how to position a business for growth, how to protect an idea as well as how to maintain positive business relationships, and how to avoid or resolve disputes in a prompt, cost-effective, and efficient manner. When you work with LGIC, our attorneys will provide you with the right legal representation that will position your business for optimal success.

BUSINESS AND TRANSACTIONAL MATTERS
After the initial formation of your business, our attorneys will guide you through various business transactions, from forming contracts with suppliers or distributors, merging your business with another, acquiring another business, selling your business to other business deals and undertakings.  We will help you understand what each part of these agreements require and make sure that these agreements provide protection to you and your business. Our firm’s network of attorneys works seamlessly to support our clients’ national and international business transactions and litigation. LGIC business transactional lawyers represent individuals and entities engaged in business dealings in the United States and overseas.

As we handle your business transactions, we will work with you through the process of negotiation, including recognizing possible outcomes and deciding on the desired one, planning contingencies for where negotiations lead, and ultimately making sure that your business interests are protected and that you understand all the contractual terms included in every agreement.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS
Doing business in any foreign country can be somewhat challenging, but our experienced transactional attorneys will guide you through the regulatory requirements and compliance issues. From sourcing materials from an overseas supplier; opening new international distribution channels, or technology licensing agreements; venture capital investments in overseas startups; acquiring an ownership interest in a foreign company or joint venture; and providing legal support to a U.S. business for a foreign-based client; and obtaining U.S. work visas for foreign nationals. LGIC attorneys deal with these and many other international issues for both large and small businesses.

Our network of attorneys includes those licensed to practice in different countries, and with a good understanding of the legal, regulatory, cultural and political landscape of the various jurisdictions. With experience handling transactions in different sectors of sub-Saharan African emerging markets in telecommunications, energy, power, water, and agriculture, our business transaction lawyers can guide you through the complexities of operating in such markets.

COMMERCIAL CONTRACTS
At LGIC, our commercial law attorneys will provide guidance in almost every aspect of your business undertaking. Our contracts law team understands various aspects of a business, such as hiring, wages, leases, loans and employee safety. First, we will seek to understand your interest and what you would like to achieve with each contract. Then, we will work with you to negotiate and prepare the relevant documents you will need for your business undertaking, including the terms of your proposed business and contractual obligations. Our overarching goal is to see to it that your contracts advance your best long-term interests.

Our team of attorneys have several years of practical experience in a wide array of areas relevant to our clients, including:

• Negotiating and documenting a wide variety of commercial contracts and supply agreements;
• Providing guidance on a range of issues related to contracting, such as the advisability of “force majeure” provisions, appropriate performance obligations, and restrictive covenant;
• Representing clients in contract disputes leading to outstanding settlements;
• Negotiating nondisclosure agreements to protect confidential information shared in the course of  business negotiations;
• Providing  in-house resources to small businesses who require assistance with their commercial contracts;
• Making provisions for dispute resolution methods that suit the needs of the contracting parties;
• Negotiating and advising clients on licensing, development, acquisition, and protection of software, enterprise management systems, trade secrets, digital content, copyrights, trademarks,  and most other forms of intellectual property; and
• Undertaking reviews of contractual terms when a contracting party fails to live up to their agreements.

FRANCHISE SERVICES
With an extensive breadth of issues that arise in franchising, our franchise attorneys can help you navigate through the complicated regulatory framework relating to the business model, controls, obligations, purchase, expansion, and divestiture of the franchise system. There is a wide variety of federal, state or local laws and regulations that govern the franchise relationship. Violation of any of these laws and regulations may create liability for the franchisee or the franchisor-operator of a business.

Our experience and expertise on franchising is unique. We will help you understand your obligations under the franchise contract, advise and assist with federal, state and local law compliance, franchise registration, disclosure requirements, and provide quality legal representation in litigation. Others are employment relationship, tipping and minimum wage, alcohol beverage licensing, royalty fees, enforcement of franchisee contract requirements, franchise termination, and post-termination obligations.

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
Our attorneys work side -by-side with our clients to insure that the strategic and business objectives driving every transaction are achieved, and we continue to serve you as trusted advisors and allies throughout the lifecycles of the transactions and deals. We are experienced at handling all types of transactions, including domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, patent licenses, divestitures and spin-offs, and public company mergers.

We recognize that with mergers and acquisitions, there is no one- size- fits all, and our attorneys first try to understand your business model, including its goals and how best to achieve that goal. In the event, we also serve as a temporary in-house resource to clients who require dedicated assistance developing strategic pre-mergers plans over a period of time.