Contracts

Contracts are the glue that holds a business together. There is no substitute for a properly drafted agreement. Even the most well meaning individuals can have disputes over how to handle an unanticipated problem. A skilled transactional business lawyer anticipates problems before they arise so that the parties can reach an agreement, in advance, as to how those problems will be addressed. A well crafted agreement sets forth the true intention of the parties so that problems can be avoided in the future.

All too often litigants are surprised to learn that if a disputes does arise, in California, the prevailing party in a lawsuit or arbitration is not entitled to recover their attorney’s fees and costs unless they have a written agreement that contains a proper “Attorney’s Fees Clause.” More importantly, the best way to avoid litigation in the first place is to have a sound written agreement, prepared by an experienced business contract attorney. A poorly drafted agreement can cost a business tens of thousands of dollars.

We prepare, review and help negotiate a large variety of business agreements for our clients throughout California including:

• Agency Agreements
• Architectural Agreements
• Asset Purchase Agreements
• Assignments
• Bills of Sale
• Boarding Agreements
• Brokerage Agreements
• Business Purchase and Sale Agreements
• Closed Corporation Shareholder Agreements
• Confidentiality Agreements
• Construction Contracts
• Consulting Agreements
• Deeds of Trust
• Distribution Agreements
• Easement Contracts
• Equine Breeding Agreements
• Equine Sales Contracts
• Escrow Agreements
• Ground Leases
• Horse Trainer Agreements
• Indemnity Agreements
• Independent Contractor Agreements
• Land Sale Contracts
• Leases
• Lease Option Agreements
• Letters of Intent
• Liability Releases
• Licensing Agreements
• Joint Venture Agreements
• Non-compete Agreements
• Non-disclosure Agreements
• Non-solicitation Agreements
• Operating Agreements
• Option Agreements
• Partition and Business Dissolution Agreements
• Partnership Agreements
• Pledge Agreements
• Powers of Attorney
• Promissory Notes
• Proxy Agreements
• Real Property Leases
• Real Property Purchase and Sales Agreements
• Rental Agreements
• Representation Agreements
• Security Agreements
• Settlement and Release Agreements
• Subordination Agreements

We also assist our clients with the formation of partnerships, limited liability companies, S-corporations, C-corporations and joint ventures. We will work together with your tax, insurance and other advisors to make sure you are building and planning your business in the most cost effective way while reducing risk wherever possible.

We also offer our clients annual “business check-ups” to evaluate existing contracts to make sure they keep up with current trends and changes in the law. We help our clients avoid litigation by engaging in preventative maintenance of their business arrangements. There is no question that having a business attorney review and analyze agreements in advance results in significant savings in the long term.