WE’RE HERE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES WITH BIG NEEDS.

At Stogner Law, LLC, the focus is on small businesses. All businesses go through periods of growth and periods of recession. We are here to help you navigate the difficulties and challenges of a business lifecycle. At times this means helping new business owners get their business off the ground. At other times it means helping companies through the process of getting loans, signing distribution or licensing deals, or even buying other companies or assets. Periods of stress cannot be underestimated in terms of the negative effects they can have on a company. We specialize in minimizing these effects. This can be through helping companies maneuver financial problems,or settling contract and business disputes. Our goal is to keep you informed so that you can successfully operate at any point on this business lifecycle. With our help, you can allocate risk and resources, keep legal costs down, and allow yourself to spend the valuable assets of time, money, and focus on what matters most: your family and your company.

CONTRACTS

Contracts are the lifeblood of most business. These can include but are not limited to: a lease or purchase agreement to acquire the location of your business; sales or distribution contracts to grow your revenue; license agreements to acquire new technology. A well written contract is not only your means of allocating the risks and rewards between two parties, but also establishes the rules for the relationship.

How we approach a contract is up to you. At times, clients prefer to have a more hands on approach- having us examine the contract and write a summary of concerns or issues while they handle edits and negotiations themselves. At other times, clients would rather us handle everything, including negotiations with the other party. In either case, we want to emphasize that you will be in control of the time and the costs involved in the process. Furthermore, we hope to use this process to ensure that you understand the contract. Many disputes are due in part to the fact that what was written in the contract was misunderstood by one or more party, and the law is unforgiving on this point. If you sign it, you are legally bound to it. Simply put, it is much cheaper to make sure that the contract matches expectations from the beginning, and we can help you accomplish that.

We have experience with a wide range of contracts across many industries:

  • Master Supply Agreements
  • Distribution Agreements
  • Leases
  • License Agreements
  • Contractor Agreements
  • Services Agreements
  • Real Estate Sales

START-UPS

The startup phase can be exciting, but also anxiety inducing for many. There is a lot of work to be done, and it should be done well if you want everything to run smoothly. If you are starting a new business, you must choose the form of your company. Once you do so, you must draft your documents and fill out the appropriate paperwork. If your business has partners, some complex questions need to be answered:

  • How will the company be managed?
  • What happens if a partner dies?
  • Will there be capital calls on owners?
  • How will meetings be called and how will voting work?

These are just a few of the questions you may have to answer, but doing so can save you some hardships later on. In fact, failure to answer these questions fully and agree to them in writing can result in the Georgia default rules applying to your business. This can have strange consequences.

ACQUISITIONS

Acquiring another company or selling the one that you own is generally referred to as Merger & Acquisition(M&A). There are many phases to an M&A transaction:

  • Identifying target buyer/seller
  • Conducting due diligence
  • Identifying liabilities
  • Deal structure
  • Third Party concerns (customer contracts, debt, assigning leases,tax bills, etc.)

The M&A process can be exhilarating for many businesses, but they should be approached carefully and with a plan. Many fall into the trap of thinking that going through this process themselves will save them money because they don’t have to consider attorney fees. This mindset can really hurt you down the road. You can actually save a lot of time and money by having an attorney present to point out issues or concerns from the start. No one wants to walk away from what looks like a good deal because of an issue that could have been handled up front. We can help you ask the right questions to avoid scenarios like this.

If you want to sell your business, getting everything in order can make the process much smoother. This also has the added benefit of showing your legitimate intent to sell and keep prospective buyers on the line. Present your company at its best.