INSIGHTS
Mergers & Acquisitions
Buying a Business with SBA Financing: Legal Issues Buyers Don’t Expect
Buying an existing business is one of the most common paths to entrepreneurship. Instead of building a company from scratch, a buyer steps into an established operation with customers, revenue, employees, and systems already in place. For many entrepreneurs, Small Business Administration (SBA) loans make these acquisitions possible by allowing buyers to finance a large portion of the purchase price with favorable repayment terms.
Estate Planning
Protecting Your Legacy: Estate Planning Essentials for Small Business Owners
If you are a small business owner, your company is more than an asset. It represents years of risk, long nights, personal guarantees, and strategic decisions. It supports your family. It supports employees. It may very well be your single largest financial asset.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Do I Really Need an M&A Attorney? What Goes Wrong Without One
If you are buying or selling a business, it is natural to ask whether you truly need an M&A attorney. After all, brokers prepare deal summaries, accountants handle the numbers, and plenty of contracts seem to be floating around online. It can feel like legal counsel is just another line item in an already expensive transaction.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Stock Purchase Agreement vs. Asset Purchase Agreement: Choosing the Right Structure in an M&A Transaction
One of the earliest—and most consequential—decisions in any mergers and acquisitions transaction is how the deal is structured. In most lower-middle-market and main-street transactions, that choice comes down to one of two options: a Stock Purchase Agreement or an Asset Purchase Agreement.
Estate Planning
Estate Planning for New York Property Owners - Part II
In Part I, we explored Beneficiary Deeds (Transfer on Death deeds) and why they are such a streamlined tool for Colorado property owners. If you own property in the Empire State, however, you may have noticed a significant hurdle...
Estate Planning
Beneficiary Deeds in Colorado: What Are They Good For?
If you own real estate in Colorado and are thinking about how that property should pass when you die, a Beneficiary Deed can be a simple and powerful estate-planning tool. It is especially popular for homeowners who want to avoid probate without setting up a trust or engaging in more complex planning.
Business Law
S-Corporations in the New Year (Part Two): What to Do After Your Election Is Approved
Making an S-corporation election is only the first step. Once the IRS processes and accepts the election, the real work begins: setting up payroll, following distribution rules, and staying compliant at the federal, state, and local levels. This follow-up article walks through what business owners should do after the election is effective, and the ongoing rules they must follow to keep their S-corporation in good standing.
Business Law
S-Corporations in the New Year: What Business Owners Should Know Before Making the Election
The beginning of a new year is one of the best times for business owners to step back and reassess their tax and entity structure. One topic that comes up frequently is whether an S-corporation election makes sense. For some businesses, it can meaningfully reduce taxes. For others, it adds cost and complexity with little benefit.
Corporate Governance
A Year-End Legal Checkup for Colorado Business Owners
Five Quiet Issues Worth Reviewing Before the New Year
Mergers & Acquisitions
Mergers & Acquisitions, Simplified: What Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know
If the term “M&A” makes your eyes glaze over, you’re not alone. In plain English, mergers and acquisitions are simply ways to buy, sell, or combine businesses. For small and mid-sized companies, these transactions are not Wall Street spectacles; they are practical tools to grow, retire, refocus, or protect the value you have built.
Business Law
The Most Overlooked (and Most Powerful) Way to Protect Your Business
Sometimes, the simplest solution is also the smartest. Recently, I had a conversation with a business owner who wanted to transfer his 50% ownership interest in a company into an LLC he controlled. His goal? Greater liability protection.
Business Law