Business formation

Starting a business requires many decisions, not the least of which is which business structure to adopt. The firm’s Dallas business attorneys help enterprise owners choose the right path for success.  To avoid litigation, your business needs contracts drafted and reviewed.  The firm’s attorneys have the expertise to troubleshoot, optimize, and strategize at the drafting stage to substantially mitigate risk.

Choosing a legal structure for your business can be a daunting first step in setting up shop. You may be inclined to simply pick an entity type that you’re familiar with, such as a corporation. But making a poor decision can hurt your business prospects before you’ve even made your first sale. Understanding the differences among business structures can help you make the most money, with the least hassle, while keeping your tax bill as small as possible.

Choosing among a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company (LLC), or corporation will affect the amount of tax you will be required pay on business profits. Sole proprietors, partners, and LLC members generally use personal income tax rates to calculate the tax they owe on business profits. Corporations and LLCs that elect corporate taxation are subject to different tax rates that only apply to corporations. Some corporations and LLCs, however, can make a special election to be taxed as an S corporation. This allows you to report business income on your personal tax return, if that is what is in your best interest.

Business Contracts

Contracts are the basic building blocks of business. Contracts are designed to prevent, or at minimize the cost of, litigation.  Many parts of your business operations, from opening a business bank account to ordering inventory, are based on agreements between you and other parties. Knowing the features of a valid and enforceable contract can protect your business – preventing disputes up front and enforcing your agreement when things go wrong.

Employment law

Employment law requires dual legal perspectives—defending businesses and advocating for employees.  Our business attorneys in Dallas are skilled at both.  Learn more about our employment law practice.

Business Litigation

When you own or operate a commercial enterprise, you face the possibility of legal action every day, whether you need to file a lawsuit to protect your bottom line or defend against claims that could have a harmful impact on your business. When you can’t settle such differences through negotiated settlements or other cooperative means, you want an experienced and knowledgeable lawyer to protect your rights, one who has been in the courtroom and successfully protected the interests of others with similar concerns.

Mediation and arbitration

Our business attorneys have extensive experience in mediation and arbitration, securities issuances and restructuring.  Learn more about our mediation and arbitration services.

Mergers and acquisitions

Mergers and acquisitions, also referred to as M&A, are typically complex transactions. In some cases, the contractual documents can be hundreds of pages long, although your agreement may be shorter if your business is small. Mergers and acquisitions are often effective ways for small businesses to gain entry into new markets because the other company involved may already have access to these markets.

Securities

The business law firm in Dallas assists clients with securities matters, including structuring securities transactions related to public offerings, subscription agreements, corporate opinion letters, aiding with SEC investigations, and shareholder derivative lawsuits.  Learn more about our securities practice.

Franchise Law

Franchising is one of the world’s most popular business models. Over 700,000 franchise-related businesses exist in the United States alone. With a franchise, you can build your business on the reputation, or brand, already established by the franchisor. Opening a business under a franchise arrangement, however, comes with many restrictions.

Taxation

One thing you can’t avoid when operating a business is filing business tax returns and paying income tax on your profits. No matter how meticulous you are with your business taxes, there&’s always a possibility that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and state tax agencies will choose your return for audit.