Business formation, contract drafting, commercial transactions, trademark registration, and franchise matters — the transactional foundation that sound litigation strategy is built on.
The firm’s transactional practice is built on a simple observation from the litigation side: most commercial disputes begin with a document that was not drafted carefully enough. The transactional work is designed to keep clients out of the litigation pipeline — and, when disputes do arise later, to ensure that the contracts are on the client’s side when they do.
The firm advises entrepreneurs, investors, and established business owners on entity selection, formation, and governance. Work includes Michigan LLC and corporation formation, operating agreements, shareholder agreements, buy-sell provisions, and the governance documents that determine what happens when circumstances change — a founder departs, a new investor enters, or a sale opportunity arises.
The firm drafts and negotiates the contracts that define commercial relationships: supply agreements, distribution agreements, services contracts, employment agreements, non-disclosure agreements, licensing arrangements, and commercial leases. The emphasis is on anticipating dispute points before they arise — drafting for the conversation that happens three years later, not just the deal that closes next week.
The firm handles the purchase, sale, and restructuring of closely held businesses — including distressed acquisitions, asset and stock transactions, earnout structures, and the tax and liability allocation questions that accompany them. For business owners considering succession, the firm coordinates with estate planning counsel on the firm’s Family & Estate side to structure transfers that work in both directions.
The firm handles federal trademark registration before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and defends registered trademarks against infringement. Trademark work is frequently paired with business formation and branding decisions for new ventures, and with franchise matters for established businesses seeking to license their marks.
The firm advises both franchisors and franchisees on franchise disclosure documents (FDDs), franchise agreements, territorial rights, renewal and termination disputes, and federal and state registration requirements. Representation includes the preparation of FDDs for Michigan-based franchisors and the review of franchise documents for prospective franchisees considering the purchase of a franchised business.
A contract is a prediction. The careful drafter is simply the one willing to imagine more versions of the future than the parties will admit matter.
The firm handles new matters on a consultative basis. Call the office, or reach us through the contact form on our main page.