Canandaigua Corporate Lawyers Represent Large and Small Businesses

Experienced Western New York firm provides a wide range of legal services

Throughout Western New York, Kenyon & Kenyon serves as trusted legal counsel for small and large businesses in a wide array of industries. If you’re looking to launch a new operation, require representation in a contract matter or are engaged in a commercial dispute, we’ll put our combined seven decades of legal experience to work for you.

Trusted advisers help startups establish corporations, LLCs and partnerships

When launching a new business, the importance of selecting the proper legal entity should not be overlooked. You have several choices under New York law that can offer protection of personal assets and other possible advantages, such as:

• Corporations — Filing a Certificate of Incorporation with New York’s Department of State protects the personal assets of business owners in the event that the company incurs debts or other legal liabilities. Most startups can file with the IRS as an S corporation, which taxes the income that shareholders collect on a personal basis, or a C corporation, where the business itself is responsible for tax obligations.
• Partnerships — In a general partnership, each partner maintains personal liability for business losses. This responsibility is “joint and several,” so even in a case where several partners are liable, one might be forced to pay the entire debt if others lack sufficient funds. Limited partnerships allow investors to limit their exposure to what they’ve invested in the business.
• Limited liability companies — A limited liability company, or LLC, offers some of the flexibility associated with traditional partnerships combined with the protection against personal liability that corporations provide. To create one of these entities, Articles of Organization and a Certificate of Publication must be filed with the state.

Choosing the most appropriate structure for your business won’t guarantee success, but making well-informed decisions at the start of your operation can help you avert some unexpected negative consequences down the road.

Diligent attorneys handle a full range of issues relating to business contracts

To thrive in a tough market, businesses need reliable contracts that safeguard their interests and foster their ability to succeed. From simple deals to complex, multiparty documents, our firm drafts, reviews, negotiates and enforces contracts relating to:

• Property transactions — Even a small oversight in a real estate sales contract could destroy the value of your investment. We represent buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants and lenders in all types of property transactions.
• Confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements — Protecting your intellectual property and customer information is more important than ever due to digitally stored information and high worker migration. By drafting sound confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements, our firm helps businesses protect what is theirs.
• Employment agreements — Setting clear terms at the outset of an employment relationship can prevent misunderstandings about compensation and minimize the potential for litigation.

For these contracts as well as documents addressing licensing, franchising, mergers and acquisitions, we make sure that you are completely cognizant of each side’s rights and duties under the contract in question. If a dispute arises, we vigorously pursue appropriate relief under the terms of the deal or through litigation.

Skillful advocates guide companies through transactions

From the first negotiations through the letters of intent and final completion of a business transaction, potential legal hurdles exist. There’s never a guarantee that the deal will get done, but exhaustive preparation and insightful legal advice give you the best chance for a positive outcome. We assist businesses at all phases of the merger and acquisition process. Our firm drafts and negotiates all types of corporate and commercial contracts, including asset and equity purchase agreements and nondisclosure pacts. If a regulatory filing or some other government authorization is required, we formulate those materials as well.

Assertive business litigators pursue favorable results when a dispute arises

No one goes into business looking to expend time and money on litigation, but sometimes disputes demand assertive legal action. Our firm concentrates on finding prompt, cost-efficient ways to resolve external and internal conflicts favorably. If going to court offers the best opportunity for a successful result, we represent businesses in a wide array of litigation matters, including cases involving:

• Breach of contract claims
• Corporate disputes
• Allegations of fraud
• Intellectual property matters
• Tort actions
• Employment issues
• Debt collection
• Products liability

As we work closely with the businesses we serve in Western New York, our attorneys focus both on trial strategy and on delivering a resolution that puts our clients in the best position to succeed going forward.

Contact an insightful Western New York corporate law attorney for a consultation

Kenyon & Kenyon provides legal counsel on a wide range of corporate issues to Western New York businesses. To arrange a consultation concerning your particular issue, please call 585-577-7577 or contact us online. We are located in Canandaigua.