Areas Of Practice

 In our business law practice, we advise clients on a broad range of legal and business issues.  Our clients include businesses of all sizes, from entrepreneurial start-ups to large public corporations, in all types of industries, as well as business owners.  Much of our practice is transactional in nature and we have particular expertise in advising with respect to buying and selling private companies.  We also spend a great deal of time assisting smaller and mid-sized corporations in their dealings with much larger, often national and multinational corporations, where our clients are providing services to such larger corporations.

Our business law practice can be broken down into three basic components:

• Advising with respect to starting a business
• Advising the established business, to protect it and to help it grow  
• Advising with respect to the purchase and sale of a business and other business closures 

 We provide the following services to those thinking of starting a business:

• Determining the appropriate structure for the business
• Incorporating the business including professional corporations
• Registration of general partnerships, limited partnerships and limited liability partnerships
• Business name registrations
• Extra-Provincial registrations
• Shareholders' agreements and partnership agreements
• Maintenance of minute books
• Assistance with banking arrangements
• Assisting potential franchisees with the review of franchise disclosure documents

 For established businesses, we draft, review and negotiate many types of agreements, including the following:

• Customer and supplier agreements
• Service agreements and master service agreements
• Distribution and reseller agreements
• Confidentiality agreements
• Real property leases
• Equipment leases
• Software licenses and software development agreements
• Employment agreements and consulting agreements
• Review of existing agreements to ensure that the business is adequately protected

We also assist with:

• Bank financing for borrowers
• Private financing (both debt and equity) for both lenders and borrowers
• Corporate reorganizations, including estate freezes
• Creditor proofing
• Preparation and filing of Articles of Amendment, Articles of Amalgamation and Articles of Continuance
• Creation of employee stock option plans and other employee incentive programs
• Franchising matters for both franchisors and franchisees
• Creation of terms of use for websites
• Creation of privacy policies
• Provision of general legal and business advice with respect to a wide range of matters

 For those thinking of selling their business or buying a business, we provide the following services:

• Advising business owners in connection with a potential future sale of their business including addressing potentially problematic legal issues and facilitating tax planning
• Assistance with respect to all aspects of the purchase and sale of a business, including drafting and negotiating the letter of intent, conducting legal due diligence and drafting and negotiating the share or asset purchase agreement and all supporting documents
• Assistance in purchase financing
• Introductions to investment bankers, business valuators and others involved in the mergers and acquisitions process
• Assistance in shareholders' disputes including shot-gun buy-sell situations
• Assistance with succession planning
• Preparation and filing of Articles of Dissolution