Lawyers for New Jersey Contractors and Small Businesses
New Jersey Contractors and Small Business Legal Services
McLaughlin & Nardi’s New Jersey business lawyers are experienced in assisting contractors and small businesses with all their legal needs. We represent businesses and companies of all sizes, large and small, but our hearts are with the small business owner and contractor – they often have their lives wrapped up in their businesses, and for them the business is often an extension of themselves – their souls are in it. They create the vast majority of jobs in America, they are the innovators, and they are the ones who take the greatest risks.
Regardless of their size, all businesses and contractors have legal needs, the difference is that small businesses don’t have unlimited manpower – the person dealing with the legal issues is also supervising the on-site crews, running the equipment, making sales and handling billing. Contractors have the same legal needs which larger companies do, but without the resources to keep a full-time legal department on staff.
We provide comprehensive legal services for almost every kind of business, from startup, through growth, to dissolution. However, the best thing our business attorneys can do is to help businesses to be proactive and plan so that legal problems are avoided, which is always less expensive than litigating after a problem – which could have been avoided – has exploded; and while we are experienced litigators, our goal is to help you run your business smoothly, efficiently and profitably.
Business Formation
Picking the correct type of business entity is one of the most important decisions a business can make, and properly forming it is one of the most important things a business can do. The choice will have drastic tax consequences, and determine whether the employees and owners will be protected from personal liability. Likewise, how a business is structured will have a dramatic impact on its ability to avoid future problems.
Toward that end, our lawyers advise on choosing the right type of entity, such as limited liability companies, subchapter S- corporations, subchapter C corporations, sole proprietorships, general partnerships, limited partnerships, family limited partnerships, and actually form and filing the new entity. We negotiate and draft agreements among the owners. We counsel owners on tax and succession planning; and on planning to protect business owners’ personal assets.
Contract Negotiation, Drafting and Review
A good contract is like what a good vaccine is to a patient – it can prevent major problems down the road. But our attorneys know that contracts are more than just that. Rather, they set the terms of business and employment relationships, and their terms significantly affect a business’s operations and bottom line, both in revenue and expenses. Therefore, we believe contract negotiation, drafting and review are among the most important services our attorneys can provide.
Business Operations
Once the business is formed, many legal issues arise in ongoing business operations. Our business attorneys are experienced – and enjoy – working with contractors and small businesses to navigate these legal mine fields so that they can focus on their core business and make money. We can function as outside general counsel and outside human resources. We provide general business law advice, counsel and guidance. We also assist with providing counsel regarding legal issues in corporate governance, control and management. We represent the business in collection of its accounts receivable. Our firm also provides registered agent services.
Employment Issues
For most businesses, labor is the greatest cost. Bad employees can cause significant damage to businesses. However, employees are a business’s greatest asset, since good employees get the job done. Our employment attorneys are expert and experienced at representing businesses in all aspects of the employer/employee relationship. We also represent businesses in Department of Labor audits regarding misclassification of employees as independent contractors, and sales and payroll tax issues.
Business Transactions and Financing
Our New Jersey small business lawyers represent and counsel businesses and business owners, both buyers and sellers, borrowers and lenders, in virtually all small business transactions. We ensure that our clients’ interests are protected. This is, of course, is in the interest of all parties to the transaction, since everyone benefits when transactions are closed quickly and economically. At the same time, we are focused on ensuring that all legal formalities are met, and that our clients’ interests and bargaining position are at all times protected.
Real Estate and Property Transactions
Our New Jersey real estate attorneys have extensive experience at representing people and businesses in all aspects of commercial real estate, from negotiations, to due diligence, to closing, including: commercial real estate sales, purchases and leasing. We also handle due diligence, tax issues and Industrial Site Recovery Act issues.
Business Litigation
Sometimes business disputes, be they with customers, vendors, competitors, employees or other owners, cannot be peacefully resolved, and litigation becomes necessary. Our New Jersey business litigation attorneys have extensive experience in a wide-range of business litigation from negotiations to mediation, arbitration and trials.
Dissolution
Eventually all businesses – even the best of businesses – must end. This may come from the owners’ retirement or a dispute among them. It may come because the assets were sold, or because of financial difficulty. The dissolution process is complex, but our goal is to make the winding down and dissolution process painless, profitable, and legally compliant.
To learn more about what our New Jersey business attorneys can do to help, please e-mail us or call (973) 890-0004.