Small Business & Commerce

Hamilton Squibb & Shores provides general legal help for a wide variety of business and investment activities.  As needed, our firm collaborates well with bankers, accountants, tax planners, brokers, and other professionals who serve our clients.

START-UP

Once a start-up ourselves, we help entrepreneurs launch businesses and help investors establish a variety of business and ownership vehicles, providing representation with the following:

  • Entity formation and business structures, including limited liability companies (LLCs), limited liability partnerships (LLPs), limited liability limited partnerships (LLLPs), as well as general partnerships and joint ventures
  • Drafting and preparation of Company Agreements and Partnership Agreements
  • Filings with the Texas Secretary of State
  • Private placements and compliance with exemptions from securities regulations
BUSINESS OPERATIONS & DISPUTES

Small-business owners inevitably confront a variety of legal issues.  Helping small businesses navigate these issues efficiently and effectively, we offer our assistance with the following matters:

  • General contract negotiations and service agreements
  • Contract and business disputes
  • Settlement agreements, releases, and indemnities
  • Real-estate matters
PURCHASES & SALES OF BUSINESSES AND BUSINESS ASSETS:

Buying and selling a businesses or business asset can be simple or complex.  Our attorneys work closely with other parties and professionals and strive to ensure that our clients’ interests are safeguarded.  Balancing caution with efficiency, we help clients with every aspect of a purchase-and-sale transaction.  In connection with business sales, our attorneys have experience handling the following:

  • Purchase-and-sale agreements
  • Due diligence
  • Transfers of stock, membership interests, and partnership interests
  • Bills of sale and real-property conveyances
  • Noncompete agreements
  • Indemnity agreements
  • Tax-allocation agreements
  • Closing
WIND-DOWN:

When partners part ways, or when a business owner changes fields or retires, our firm helps put the affairs of a business in order.  To wrap up business matters, we coordinate the wind-down process, and we offer guidance and documentation necessary for the release of creditor claims, distribution of company assets, and formal dissolution.