Attorneys in Charlotte, North Carolina

Business Succession Planning

We understand the needs of owners in what can be a delicate balance of interests.

Our experienced team of attorneys advises the spectrum of closely held businesses and their owners, ranging from single-owner small startup firms to businesses with complex structures and multiple owners, in all aspects of business succession planning including transitioning the ownership, management, and control of a business. Our clients include multi-generational family businesses, startups created by unrelated parties, and everything in between.

Many clients rely upon our full-service representation through all stages in the life cycle of a business – from startup through the closing of transition of ownership. Along the way we counsel and prepare shareholder, operating, and partnership agreements among owners; advise owners with respect to tax planning opportunities, including income, estate, and gift tax strategies; and structure succession plans appropriate to the circumstances and wishes of the owners, whether transition to family members, sale to management or outside investors, or creation of employee stock option plans (ESOPs).

We assist clients growing their businesses with acquisitions, and those transitioning their businesses through sales, in all aspects of these transactions, including negotiating, preparing, and reviewing all transaction agreements and assisting with due diligence.

We pride ourselves on coordinating with each client’s other advisors, such as investment bankers, accountants, and financing sources, whether institutional or private, to maximize the efficiency and value of each client.

Industry / Sub-Industries

If you have any questions regarding Business Succession Planning, contact us here.

Please note that the above text does not constitute legal advice nor does it create an attorney-client relationship.  Should you be in need of legal services regarding a particular matter, please reach out directly to one of our attorneys. Click here for our full website disclaimer.

Representative Experience

  • Assisted owners of multi-state manufacturing business with all aspects of sale to publicly traded strategic acquirer, including providing initial advice on potential exit strategies, engaging in pre-transaction wealth transfer planning, establishing owners’ domicile in tax-advantageous jurisdiction, and ensuring compliance with environmental disclosures.
  • Counseled and advised second and third generations of closely held business related to family continuing control during generational succession (though no longer active in the business) and transfer/maintenance of employee ownership at 50%. Evaluation included full estate plan analysis and implementation for individual family owners, consideration of ESOP option and possible sale or divestiture of business segments (not chosen), incentivization of key employees via ownership, and appropriate ownership-restriction regimens for employees versus family owners.

Group Members