Effective Guidance On Business Transactions
Stephenson Fournier has decades of experience assisting affluent sole proprietors, owners of closely held businesses, multinational companies operating in industries such as real estate, services, manufacturing and the oil and gas industry, and other clients with transactions and related concerns of every type.
Our services include:
- Mergers and acquisitions, as counsel for both buyers and sellers
- Private offerings of securities
- Secured and unsecured loans
- Equity financing
- Transactions and contracts involving suppliers, distributors and customers
- Employment agreements, stock options and incentive compensation
- Partnerships, strategic alliances and joint ventures
- Shareholder agreements
- Buy-sell agreements
- Tax planning and optimization
- Structuring and documenting compensation plans, including equity-based incentives
- Business sales and business succession planning
- Intellectual and proprietary technology licensing and transactions
Strong Business Sense For The Short And Long Terms
Our clients look to us to help them generate value when negotiating, structuring and completing deals that achieve their business objectives, and this is how we have earned our reputation as a law firm that businesses can count on for legal services of exceptional quality involving large and highly complicated types of legal work.
Our Texas attorneys begin by learning the details of our clients’ businesses, their objectives and any other factors relevant to the transactions at hand. This enables us to devise effective strategies for minimizing and managing the risks involved in any given transaction and to provide complete solutions that make good business sense from both short-term and long-term perspectives.
We are responsive, proactive and creative when it comes to working with clients and getting deals done. We also understand that these transactions, however large, may represent only a small portion of the sum total of any given client’s responsibilities to his or her business. Mindful of that fact, we strive to provide each client with no more or no less documentation than makes sense in each case, unless otherwise requested.
Common Questions About Business Transactions In Houston
What types of business transactions do corporate attorneys handle?
Corporate attorneys guide companies through deals that change who owns them, how they raise money or how they’re set up. That includes mergers and buyouts, private stock offerings, loans and other funding, joint ventures, and business contracts. In Houston, much of this work comes from the energy, finance and healthcare industries. Our attorneys represent the business and its owners in these deals.
What is the role of a lawyer in a business merger or acquisition?
A lawyer sets up the deal, leads due diligence and negotiates the purchase agreement. Due diligence means reviewing the other company’s contracts, debts, tax history and legal risks. The attorney writes the promises, guarantees and repayment terms that split risk between buyer and seller. We represent both buyers and sellers. Our attorneys also look at whether selling assets or selling stock gives better tax results.
How do you legally structure a buy-sell agreement for a business?
A buy-sell agreement controls what happens to an owner’s share after a key event, such as death, disability, retirement, divorce or a deadlock between owners. It names the buyer, how to value the share and where the money will come from. Common setups include a cross-purchase plan, where the other owners buy the share, and a redemption plan, where the company buys it. Each has different tax and funding effects, so we review them with the owners before writing the agreement.
How can a private company offer equity-based compensation to employees?
A private company can grant stock options, restricted stock or phantom equity that pays cash tied to company value. The plan documents must address vesting, valuation and securities law exemptions. Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code affects how options are priced. We structure these plans for the company so key employees stay invested without unplanned dilution of control.
Why is succession planning critical for closely held businesses?
In a closely held business, ownership and management often rest with a few people or one family. Without a plan, a death or departure can leave the company without clear authority and spark disputes among heirs. Estate taxes may come due before heirs have cash to pay them. A succession plan coordinates buy-sell terms, entity structure and estate planning so control passes on the owners’ terms.
Contact Us
Contact an experienced lawyer at the Houston law office of Stephenson Fournier at 713-629-9494 or via email.
