Dedicated Collierville Attorney Takes Care of  Your Business Law Needs

Deftly handling company formation, contracts and disputes in Tennessee

When selecting a law firm to help you form a business, draft agreements and resolve contract disputes, or dissolve your enterprise, you need a lawyer who knows more than the law. You need a lawyer with a sophisticated understanding of business and financial matters. Since 1996, businesses throughout the greater Memphis area have trusted William L. Hagan III, founder of The Collierville Law Firm, to help them at every stage of their existence, from formation through litigation and dissolution.

Understanding the nuances of forming a business entity

Your business’s structure can have far-reaching consequences that might not be obvious from the outset. Our firm can explain your options, listen to your concerns and help you choose the entity that best aligns with your objectives. Mr. Hagan holds a degree in finance, but he also knows when to bring in outside experts such as CPAs and financial planners. We can guide you through every aspect of creating a viable working entity in any of these forms:

• LLCs
• Professional corporations
• Partnerships
• S corporations
• C corporations
• Sole proprietorships

If a problem or question arises later, we will be able to provide a solution that protects your entity.

Drafting sound contracts and resolving disputes for Tennessee businesses

Our law firm helps companies throughout the metro Memphis area execute solid contracts that are easily interpreted and stand up to court scrutiny. Our skill in contract negotiations helps your company avoid mistakes, which can be extremely costly when they result in disputes.

Most business relationships are based on a contract that dictates how every party will behave. Unfortunately, not all parties always adhere to the contract, and some may misinterpret its terms.  Disputes can evolve from any language within any contract, including:

• Equipment leases
• Real estate leases
• Agreements of sale
• Employment agreements
• Shareholder agreements
• Partnership agreements
• Nondisclosure agreements
• Indemnity agreements
• Performance agreements

With a strong understanding of how businesses are structured and the rights available to each party, including minority owners, we are able to help clients resolve disputes between partners, shareholders and investors. We also negotiate buyouts between co-owners, which often involve valuation issues.

When a dispute cannot be resolved outside court, our firm files a breach of contract action to obtain the best results for our business clients. Much of our practice involves business litigation, so we know that proving a breach of contract often rests on the language of the contract and demonstrating that the other party violated it.  William L. Hagen III has the contract law and litigation experience to protect clients’ interests throughout their business’s life cycle.

Guiding businesses through the winding-up process

When it is time to dissolve your business, you must meet several requirements, including these:

• Hold a board of directors meeting to formally dissolve the company
• Hold a shareholder meeting to formally vote on the board’s dissolution
• File annual reports and final paperwork with the state of Tennessee

The winding-up process also involves selling assets and distributing proceeds to shareholders and making arrangements for debts. Claims filed against the corporation, its directors or officers before it is terminated may proceed, but there are limits on the legal actions that can be taken against a corporation following dissolution. We help company executives sort through the complex winding-up process in a manner that protects them and results in the least stress possible.

Drafting employment contracts that protect your company

Among a company’s best assets are its employees, but they can also be a source of conflict. Our law firm assists companies in drafting and enforcing employment contracts that help reduce disputes and protect the business. As with any other contract, the specific language is key to the contract being valid and properly interpreted. We also represent employees accused of violating employment contracts.

One key provision of an employment contract is a noncompete agreement that prevents the employee from working for a competitor for a designated period. Our firm has been handling such agreements for more than 25 years and can help employers and workers find the legal solutions they need to protect their interests.

Contact an attorney with decades of business law experience in Collierville

At The Collierville Law Firm, we can assist you with your business’s legal needs, whether you’re located in Collierville, Germantown or anywhere in the Memphis metro region. Call 901-614-0318 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation at our office on New Byhalia Road near Poplar Avenue.