Business Guidance
Smart Decisions. Effective Contracts. Risk Avoidance.
A fractional general counsel is a licensed attorney who provides on-going legal services to your business. For a set fee, you have access to this attorney for a legal emergency or for general legal advice. An attorney helps your organization solve legal (and many times business) problems in addition to ensuring compliance with all local, state and federal laws and regulations.
CLICK HERE to see our fractional general counsel services.
Business owners need ongoing support beyond startup. We assist you by focusing on governance and strategic growth planning, contracts, compliance, and risk-minimization strategies.
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Governance - We will assist with filing reports, drafting meeting minutes, advising on board structure, ethical codes, risk management, and compliance,
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Contracts - The firm helps draft, negotiate, and interpret contracts, ensuring clarity to prevent misunderstandings and unintended consequences.
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Strategic Growth Planning - All growth is not smart growth. We assist you with designing and implementing your 1, 5, and 10-year plans, while counseling you on profitability expectations and any potential legal ramifications on the horizon.
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When an internal or external business dispute arises, timely engagement is essential to avoid litigation risks. Future Counsel provides guidance on:
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Resolving disputes among members or employees.
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Establishing employment practices to reduce litigation risks.
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Managing agreements for new partners or owner transitions.
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Drafting employment contracts with restrictive covenants.
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Mitigating professional malpractice liability.
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While it may be a goal for any entrepreneur to see their business thrive indefinitely, it's crucial for every start-up to incorporate a clear exit strategy in its business plan. Moreover, it's wise to prepare for unforeseen circumstances, such as the unexpected death, departure, or divorce of a business partner, which could complicate operations.
Furthermore, if a client is looking to navigate a liquidity event involving their business or wishes to transfer part of the business to another party, whether related or not, meticulous planning is vital. Future Counsel supports both new and established businesses in tackling these matters through effective strategic planning.
The startup phase involves crucial planning decisions, including:
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Choice of Entity
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Asset Preservation Planning
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Family Business Planning
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Selecting the right business entity is vital. We assist in determining the best option. Corporations (C corps and S corps), partnerships, LLCs, and sole proprietorships differ in formation, ownership, taxation, governance, asset protection, and liability coverage.
Our guidance will also assist you with:
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Adding equity partners/silent investors
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Joint venture agreements
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Adding practitioners to your professional practice
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Planning subsidiary structures
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Asset Preservation Planning is crucial in today's society due to increasing risks from disputes, divorce, and evolving liability theories. Effective risk management strategies include exempting assets from creditor claims, minimizing liability through legal entities, and utilizing insurance. Genuine planning focuses on lawful techniques rather than concealment or fraud.
Our firm specializes in financial risk management for individual, family, and business assets, aiming to safeguard client wealth and reduce creditor claims. An effective asset preservation plan involves lawful transfers, establishing entities for asset holding, and incorporating trusts to protect assets for future generations.
Succession planning is essential for family businesses, benefiting owners, employees, and clients. The process involves reorganizing equity, updating estate planning documents, and reassessing insurance policies. It's important to regularly review and update the plan as circumstances change. We ensure the family's business remains secure for the future.
We offer extensive business succession planning. We solve the question of what happens when your business partner dies. We solve the question of what happens when you die. We transfer ownership to daughters and sons. We assist key employees to manage the business until the children come of age.
Most founders and leadership teams are laser-focused on growing the business, paying limited attention to the legal pitfalls inherent in some of their earliest decisions. We balance your day-to-day revenue and operational needs with larger organization and compliance strategies.
Since launching your business, have you noticed that legal questions frequently consume your time and energy? Are you frustrated with having to pause your operations to address legal inquiries from your employees? Or even more concerning, has a business conflict emerged that feels too overwhelming to manage on your own? Don't wait for issues to escalate before hiring an attorney. Future Counsel is here to support all your business's legal needs, including startup, transactions, contracts, ongoing compliance, and employment disputes.
No Attorney-client relationship is created by a request for consultation. Consultation requests should not include any confidential information or seek immediate legal advice, for this reason.
Courts admitted to practice in:
Virginia; Virginia Court of Appeals; Virginia Supreme Court
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia
U.S. District Court, Western District of Virginia
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California