Business & Corporate Law
Hire Baker & Summy, PC for Your Business Needs
Our team of experts at Baker & Summy, PC understands the complex legal environment that businesses of all sizes face. Avoid lawsuits, fines and other legal troubles in the future by hiring capable attorneys now to guide your business.
Georgia prides itself as a business-friendly state where individuals have the ability to make their dreams a reality. However, launching your own business comes with significant challenges. As a hardworking business owner, you may lack the time to thoroughly research business laws and regulations regarding your industry. Collaborating with a trusted local law firm like ours provides assurance that your business will be in compliance with all federal, state and local regulations.
Baker & Summy, PC has convenient locations throughout the Atlanta area to best serve you. You are only a short distance away from a top-notch team of attorneys eager to assist with your business and corporate law needs. Call us today and together we will put your business on the road to success.
Areas of Business Law We Specialize In
Our team has years of experience in the practice of business law. Our attorneys and support staff offer individualized attention and focused direction on the particulars of your business. With our sound legal advice and detailed approach we help you create a solid foundation for your business and prepare you for the future.
Some of the areas of business law that we specialize in include:
- New business formation: Partnerships, LLCs, Corporations
- Business Acquisitions
- Business Licensing; State and Local Alcohol Licensing
- Franchise Agreements
- Employee/employment/independent contractor agreements
- Federal, State and Local Tax Registrations
- Non-Disclosure agreements (NDAs)
- Non-Compete agreements (NCAs)
New Business Formation
Do not wait until you are already in legal trouble to consult a lawyer. The best time to ensure your business is operating legally is during its formation. As the old saying goes, it is always better to be prepared for something that never happens instead of unprepared for a disaster. At Baker & Summy, PC, we ensure that your business is legally sound and compliant with all regulations.
One of the first legal decisions that entrepreneurs make is choosing the best entity structure for their business. We counsel you on the strengths and weaknesses of sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies, C-corporations, S-corporations and non-profit corporations. Choosing the right entity structure for your business in the beginning is crucial. Your entity structure will be an important factor in determining future choices such as how you obtain financing, hire employees, your personal liability exposure and other critical business matters. Although there are some entity structures that may be preferred over others, we have the experience necessary to put your business in the right vehicle for success. Our lawyers help you select the best structure for your business, while keeping your needs and goals in mind. That way, you can focus your efforts on growing a successful company.
Many business owners balk at the legal costs of hiring an attorney and prefer to set up their business on their own. However, if you consider the expense of legal troubles down the road, hiring an experienced business attorney can actually save you money. Business attorneys provide invaluable services by building the legal framework for your business, ensuring compliance with the laws and regulations specific to your industry and giving you the peace of mind that comes from knowing someone has your back.
Contract Drafting
Contracts are the foundation of any business relationship. Contracts are necessary to solidify the formation of any business relationship and are essential to building a solid business. Contracts can get you and your business into trouble or out of it, depending on how the contract was written. Never attempt to create your own contract without the guidance of an experienced attorney. There is an entire area of study devoted to contract law. Online contract templates do not cover all the aspects of your specific situation. Often, people find themselves in legal trouble after creating a contract that is not detailed enough or leaves holes for the other party to exploit. That is why it is important to hire a qualified attorney with business and contract law experience whenever you create a contract with customers, contractors, employees or business partners. We prepare contracts that focus on your objectives while omitting loopholes the other party can exploit.
Non-Disclosure Agreements
Trade secrets and copyrights are invaluable to a business. Contracts can protect these precious assets from being exposed to competitors. A Non-Disclosure agreement (NDA) is a type of contract that prevents people from revealing certain information to other parties.
As with all contracts, NDAs must be carefully written to prevent legal issues from arising. For instance, an “overreaching” provision in the initial contract can cause a court to deem the contract invalid. We provide knowledgeable, trustworthy attorneys who listen carefully to your objectives and business situation. We prepare legally sound NDAs that lessen the possibilities of a breach and strengthen the likelihood of you winning in court against a disclosure of private information.
Non-Compete Agreements
Non-Compete agreements are a type of contract that businesses create to protect their competitive position. When you hire someone or partner with another business, you risk having that person or business use your own company’s business methods to compete with you after their relationship with your company has ended. Non-compete agreements restrict a person or business from offering services or conducting business in a manner that would compete with your company in specific industries and areas for a specified period of time. A well-written non-compete agreement protects your business against a competitor hiring your former employees or business partners to access information about you. However, note that in many cases, the law places high value on a person’s right to decide where to work and will likely scrutinize any contract that restricts where one can work. Consult with an experienced business attorney if you are thinking about having employees or business partners sign a non-compete agreement. Our lawyers carefully review every detail of a contract to ensure that it is enforceable.