Business-Minded Legal Solutions

At Stephenson Fournier, in Houston, our depth of experience and resources enable our firm to achieve optimal business solutions of every type with comprehensive, high-quality legal services.

Sophisticated, Focused Counsel For Your Business

Complex, high-dollar transactions require many critical elements to come together. Knowledge of the balance between business risk and opportunity is one. Painstaking attention to the details of a proposed deal is another.

Attorneys from our firm can assist in a full range of areas, including:

• Business transactions: We know how to get deals done while maximizing benefits, minimizing risks and protecting your interests. These are skills we have acquired through decades of experience with all facets of transactions from acquisition, or business formation and operation, through succession planning, mergers and divestitures, and are important components of the value our firm has to offer.
• Contracts and agreements: We bring clarity, focus and a keen eye for detail to the process of negotiating and drafting both routine and highly sophisticated business agreements and contracts. We also provide contract review, create form contracts, and assist clients through legal audits to develop and fine-tune policies and procedures.
• Finance and tax: We protect the interests of equity investors, help companies raise capital, and negotiate for private equity and mezzanine financing, all with consideration for minimizing our clients’ potential tax liability.
• International business: Our firm frequently helps international clients seeking to expand their business in the United States, including Texas.

Questions About Business Transactions And Tax Planning In Houston

What should a company consider before acquiring another business?

Start with what you are really buying. Review the seller’s money records, contracts, debts, real estate, intellectual property and tax risks. The deal structure matters just as much. A purchase of assets and a purchase of stock split risk and taxes in very different ways. Our lawyers study the target’s duties and win protections in the purchase agreement, such as promises about the business, repayment terms and conditions that must be met before closing.

How can commercial developers minimize tax liability during property acquisitions?

Tax planning works best before anyone signs a contract. The type of entity, the deal structure and the closing date can all change what a developer owes. Depending on the facts, options may include like-kind exchanges, cost segregation studies and holding the property in the right entity. Our lawyers work with your accountants to pick the strategies that fit the deal and the tax rules.

What do international business owners need to know about expanding into Texas?

Begin with the entity. Many international owners set up a Texas subsidiary or partner company to hold assets, sign contracts and limit risk. You also need to plan for state registration, franchise tax, hiring rules, property ownership and how profits move back across borders. U.S. tax rules and your home country’s rules affect each other, so our lawyers plan the structure with both in mind before you invest your first dollar.

Why are legal audits necessary for established companies?

Companies change faster than their paperwork does. A legal audit checks contracts, entity records, leadership documents, employee policies, intellectual property and rule compliance. It finds gaps before a buyer, lender or investor does. For an established company, it also helps with planning who will lead next and gets the business ready for a sale or loan. Our lawyers help clients fix problems and update their policies and procedures.

How does a company safely navigate private equity financing?

Private equity brings money and control, so the terms deserve close attention. Our lawyers negotiate the company’s value, board seats, payout priority, protection against lower share value and exit rights. We also check how the funding affects current owners and the company’s ownership structure.

Planning, Acquisition, Choice Of Entity, Formation, Finance, Operation and Divestiture or Exit Strategy

Our lawyers offer knowledgeable guidance and strategic advice for all phases of business ownership. We provide general counsel for business concerns and help clients navigate complex and difficult issues.

Contact the Houston law office of Stephenson Fournier online or at 713-629-9494.