Business Lawyer in Burlington

There isn't one point at which every business should incorporate. The right structure depends on what you're building, where the business is today and what you expect it to become.

We help business owners consider their options, incorporate provincially or federally where appropriate and make sure the corporate records and Minute Book are properly established from the beginning. We can also review existing corporations where the records haven't been kept as current as they should be and help bring things up to date before financing, investment or a potential sale makes that much more important.

Most business partnerships start well. That's usually why you decided to go into business together in the first place.

A shareholder agreement isn't about assuming that relationship will fall apart. It gives everyone an opportunity to deal with difficult questions while they're still sitting on the same side of the table. What happens if someone wants out, becomes ill or dies? How will a shareholder's interest be valued? What happens if one person wants to sell? How will future financing obligations be handled?

These aren't always comfortable conversations, but they're considerably easier to have before there's a disagreement. We help shareholders work through those decisions and put an agreement in place that protects both the people involved and the business they've built.

If you're thinking about buying or selling a business, it makes sense to involve your lawyer before the deal is already sitting in front of you waiting for a signature.

Whether a transaction is structured as an asset purchase or a share purchase can have significant legal and tax implications, and the Agreement of Purchase and Sale needs to reflect what has actually been negotiated. We work with buyers, sellers, accountants and other advisors on the structure, agreements, due diligence, financing and closing.

Selling a company you've spent 20 or 30 years building is also very different from selling an asset that has no history attached to it. The legal transaction may be familiar to us, but we don't assume the decision feels routine to the person making it.

Eventually, many business owners begin thinking less about the next stage of growth and more about what happens to the business in the longer term.

That can involve an estate freeze, family trust, amalgamation, intergenerational transfer, restructuring or preparing the company for an eventual sale. These decisions often require legal, accounting and tax advice to work together, so we regularly collaborate with our clients' accountants and other advisors when developing and implementing a plan.

Succession planning is also one of those conversations that benefits from starting earlier than you think you need to.

Business financing can involve much more than the amount being borrowed and the interest rate attached to it.

Fieldstone Law acts for both borrowers and lenders in commercial financing transactions, including acquisition financing, credit facilities and other secured lending. We review the commitment and security documents and make sure our clients understand the obligations they're taking on as part of the financing arrangement.

Most businesses enter into agreements constantly, and their importance isn't always obvious until a relationship changes or something goes wrong.

We draft, review and negotiate commercial agreements including purchase and sale agreements, service agreements, terms and conditions, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, letters of intent, shareholder and partnership agreements and loan agreements.

We also know where our practice ends. If a matter requires specialized advice in an area such as employment, intellectual property or franchising, we'll tell you and help connect you with someone who works in that area.

A commercial lease is often one of the longest financial commitments a business makes, so it deserves more attention than simply confirming the rent and move-in date.

Fieldstone Law acts for landlords and tenants in office, retail and industrial leasing. We review the practical and legal implications of the terms, including rent and additional rent, renewals, permitted use, signage, repairs, assignment and subletting and termination rights, so you understand the agreement you're entering into before you're committed to it.