Robert Long Legal -- Small Business Services Guide

Selecting the right business form for your circumstances. For a joint venture, a partnership agreement may be all that is needed. For an ongoing enterprise, or when personal assets need to be protected from business-related liabilities, a Limited Partnership, Limited Liability Company, Limited Liability Partnership, or Corporation may be indicated.

The first step is to sit down with an attorney at the Law Office of Robert I. Long to discuss your circumstances.

Once a business form is selected, the Law Office of Robert I. Long can assist you with completing and filing the forms to bring the company into existence including, if necessary, confirming that there is not already a company with the identical or substantially same name already registered with the California Secretary of State. We will also assist you in making available tax treatment elections and other forms as needed to bring the business into existence in good standing. We can also prepare an operating agreement or resolution by which the rights and duties of the company principal owners are defined, and issue stock certificates or certificates representing ownership interests.

For stock corporations, including those having made an “S” election (i.e., to be treated like a general partnership for income-tax purposes), we can assist you with the conduct of annual meetings and the preparation of minutes of both regular and special meetings as well as resolutions of the directors or shareholders as needed.

The Law Office of Robert I. Long also stands ready to represent your business for other legal matters that may arise, including adding or removing principals (owners), new issues of stock or issuance of a new class of stock, dissolution or winding down of the company, assisting in the negotiation of contracts and other documents of a legal nature, pursuing enforcement and collection actions and otherwise representing your business in court or before administrative agencies.