Counsel for the people who own the building or the business, not just the building.
Entity formation, asset purchases and sales, closely held stock transfers, and the day-to-day corporate work small and mid-sized Hampton Roads businesses actually use.
Formation
To exit
The same firm that forms the LLC handles the sale years later, and the real estate in between.
Under one roof
Business + property
Most business sales involve a building or a lease. We close both sides together.
Practical
Not academic
Documents built for how your company actually operates, not a template with your name in it.
What we handle
Work we do for closely held businesses.
If you own a company in Hampton Roads and need a lawyer who returns calls, start here.
01Entity formationLLCs, corporations, and partnerships: formed, registered, and documented with operating agreements that fit the owners.
02Asset purchases & salesBuying or selling a business: purchase agreements, allocation, non-competes, and the closing itself.
03Stock & membership transfersClosely held stock transfers, buy-sell agreements, and admitting or buying out an owner.
04Commercial contractsVendor, service, and independent contractor agreements reviewed or drafted to protect the business.
05Owner successionCoordinating the operating agreement with the owners' estate plans so a death doesn't freeze the company.
06Real property for businessBuying the building, signing the lease, and financing secured by company-owned property.
How it works
How an engagement runs.
Step 01
Conversation first
We start with what the business does and where it's going, not with a form.
Step 02
Scope and fee
You get a clear scope and a fee you agree to before work begins.
Step 03
Draft and review
Documents drafted, walked through with you in plain language, and revised until they fit.
Step 04
Execute and file
Signed, filed with the Commission where required, and delivered in a package you can hand your CPA.
Questions
What business owners ask.
Answers here are general. Your entity, your state of organization, and your tax posture all matter.
Ask us directlyLLC or corporation?
For most closely held Virginia businesses an LLC is simpler to run, but the tax treatment your CPA wants can change the answer. We'll talk through both before filing anything.
Do I really need an operating agreement?
Yes, especially with more than one owner. Without one, Virginia's default rules decide what happens in a dispute, a death, or a buyout, and they rarely match what the owners assumed.
I'm buying a business. Asset or stock purchase?
Buyers usually prefer an asset purchase to leave liabilities behind; sellers usually prefer stock. The right structure depends on the liabilities, the licenses, and the lease. We walk through it before drafting.
Can you handle the building too?
Yes. That's the point of using us: the business closing and the real estate closing get coordinated instead of colliding.
Do you do litigation?
No. We're a transactional firm. If a dispute needs a courtroom, we'll refer you to litigators we trust and stay involved on the transactional side.
Other services
Starting, buying, or selling a business?
One conversation will tell you what the deal actually needs.