Commercial Transactions & Business Organizations

One of the major components of the Firm's practice is the representation of small to medium size closely-held businesses. The Firm provides a wide range of services relating to clients' day-to-day business operations, counsels clients in the selection and formation of business organizations suited to their particular needs, and represents business organizations and their owners in negotiating, structuring and closing transactions involving the sale and purchase of businesses and business assets.

The Firm's services in these areas include the following:

• Advising clients in the selection of the appropriate form of business organization to meet their particular needs.
• Forming business entities and preparing all documents necessary for the creation and governance of business entities.
• Negotiating and preparing documents related to business organizations, such as partnership agreements and shareholder agreements.
• Negotiating and preparing documents between business organizations and key employees, including employment agreements, confidentiality agreements and
  non-compete agreements.
• Representing sellers and purchasers in connection with business acquisitions (including both stock and asset acquisitions), mergers, combinations and joint ventures.
• Representing businesses and business owners in disputes among or between the business organization and its shareholders, owners or partners.
• Representing businesses and/or owners of businesses in various types of litigation arising out of the organization and operation of a business including minority shareholder suits, actions for the appointment of custodians or liquidators and similar litigation.
• Representing businesses in resolving and litigation commercial disputes of all types, including breach of contract suits and suits seeking injunctive relief to restrain violations of non-compete and confidentiality agreements.

Unruh, Turner, Burke & Frees' tax practice offers a broad range of individual, business and estate tax planning services. These services supplement our services in other areas such as estate planning and representation of clients in real estate and commercial transactions.

In particular, the Firm provides comprehensive advice and counseling on the structuring and tax implications of real estate and business acquisitions, business reorganizations, joint ventures and partnerships. The Firm counsels and represents clients in structuring and completing tax deferred exchanges of like-kind property and provides intermediary services in carrying out like-kind exchanges of real estate.

As part of the Firm's estate planning and administration practice, the transaction group provides comprehensive advice on gift and estate tax planning, including planning for family wealth transfers, business succession, family limited partnerships, charitable giving and post mortem tax planning techniques.