Lynchburg & Forest, Virginia Small Business Law Firm
Small businesses are an integral part of the state of Virginia, contributing to local economies by providing employment opportunities, stimulating growth, and fostering innovation. But forming and running a small business isn’t easy, and without legal counsel along the way, there are multiple opportunities for missteps and mistakes.
At the Straw Law Firm, our Virginia small business lawyers are passionate about helping business owners in our state understand the business laws under which they must operate and pursue growth and opportunity. If you are thinking about forming a small business, or are a small business owner who does not currently have legal counsel to assist you, our lawyers can help.
Our Small Business Practice Areas
We are ready to assist your small business with all of its legal needs, and we are confident in our ability to guide you through the most complex matters. Our small business practice areas are extensive, and we can serve businesses at various stages of business life. Our areas of knowledge and skill include:
- Business formation. If you have a wonderful business opportunity and the funding to turn that opportunity into a true business, it all starts with business formation. Because there are many different types of business entity structures from which to choose, working with a lawyer at the onset is advised. We can guide you through the differences, advantages, and disadvantages of each of the following business structure types, and assist you in determining which is most appropriate for you:
- Sole proprietorship – a business owned by a single party;
- General partnership – a business owned by two or more partners;
- Limited liability corporation (LLC) – a business that has limited liability, much like a corporation, but where profits and losses are counted towards one’s personal taxes without corporate taxes; and
- Corporation – either an S corp or a C corp, corporations are legal, independent entities that are separate from owners, and pay taxes independently as such.
In addition to guiding you through the various business structure types, our lawyers will also handle all paperwork for the purpose of business registration on your behalf, and can even help in selecting a name for the business and trademarking it. Additionally, we also provide small business tax representation, assisting your business in understanding its tax liabilities and how to mitigate unnecessary and excessive taxes.
- Business transactions. If your business is past initial formation, the time may come when you are thinking about various business transactions, such as forming contracts with suppliers or distributors, merging your business with another, acquiring another business, selling your business, and various other business deals and undertakings. Failing to work with a lawyer when engaging in any type of business transaction can have serious repercussions; contracts are often chock-full of complicated legal language that, if misunderstood, could cost you more than you intended. Working with a small business lawyer who is committed to protecting your best interests is strongly recommended.
- Intellectual property. If your business produces any type of content or material that is new or original, the only way that you can protect that content from being used by others without your permission is to secure a copyright, patent, or trademark. Each of these types of intellectual property protections is different, but all offer rightful ownership to the copyright/patent/trademark holder.
- Employee contracts and related matters. If your small business will be hiring any employees, there are numerous employee-related matters that our law firm can help you to address. These matters include, but are not limited to, the formation of employee handbooks, the creation of employee contracts, and the various laws surrounding employment and labor, including wage and hour laws, discrimination laws, workers’ compensation laws, and more.
- General representation. Even if you don’t have a specific legal matter that needs to be addressed, our lawyers can provide general representation in regards to day-to-day operations, as well as counsel should any hiccups or issues arise. For example, our lawyers offer contract drafting services, business planning and growth services, collections representation, and more.
- Dispute resolution and litigation. Finally, one of the most pressing reasons to retain legal representation for your small business is in the event that a business dispute arises. A business dispute may be anything from an internal dispute involving an employee (i.e. an employee alleges unlawful termination and threatens litigation), a dispute with a supplier, a contract dispute as part of a merger or other business transaction, or even a dispute among business partners and owners, among other things. If a dispute arises, understanding the dispute resolution methods available to you, such as mediation and negotiation, as well as a what a successfully resolved dispute will look like and how to protect your best interests, is important. In the event that a case requires litigation, you can count on our lawyers – we have litigation experience, and know how to navigate a courtroom and even the most complicated of suits.
Ensure Your Virginia Small Business Has the Representation and Protection it Requires
Small businesses are governed at both the state and the federal level, which means that there are dozens of laws to which you must adhere. But business success is about more than just being law-abiding; one must also understand strategies for business growth, how to protect their ideas and content, effective tax strategies, how to maintain positive relationships with interested parties, and how to effectively avoid or resolve disputes quickly and quietly. When you work with the Straw Law Firm, our lawyers will provide you with the effectual, honest legal representation that your business requires for optimal success.
Schedule a Consultation with Straw Law Firm Today
Working with our small business law firm is easy. We can provide ongoing, general counsel for your business, or work with you intimately in regards to a single legal issue, such as business formation or dispute resolution. To learn more about our legal services, our experience, and how we may be able to assist your growing business, please call our skilled Virginia Business Law attorney today at (434) 595-3581 or stop by our office in person. You can also send us a message telling us more about your business and its legal needs and we will be in touch shortly.