Well-drafted contracts are essential to protecting your business’s financial interests while minimizing the risks of legal liability. Although it can be tempting to rely on contract templates and forms, the absence of skilled legal counsel in the reviewing, drafting, and negotiating of your agreements could spell disaster down the road. Stanfield Bechtel Law takes the concerns and rights of our business clients seriously, and it starts with developing customized contract solutions that take into account their exact needs. Learn more about how our Business Law & Consulting practice group can help you.
The Types of Contracts Our Attorneys Handle
No two businesses are alike, even if they operate within the same industry. Your company will need agreements that govern its relationships with parties both inside and outside your organization. These are a few examples of contracts that your business could use and with which our contract reviewing and drafting attorneys can assist:
- Real estate purchase agreements
- Commercial property leasing agreements
- Employment contracts
- Non-compete contracts
- Non-disclosure contracts
- Partnership agreements
- Shareholder agreements
These may not be the only contracts that your business should consider. We can review the details of your operation and help you determine all types of agreements and whether they can be beneficial to you.
Contract Drafting and Negotiating Services
If the other party or parties to the agreement have not yet proposed a contract, we can draft the initial agreement on your behalf. Our objective is to create enforceable contracts that safeguard your company’s rights and interests while reducing the likelihood of litigation. As your business contract attorneys, we handle a variety of tasks related to drafting sound agreements that include:
- Consulting with the owners and leadership of your business to better understand its contract goals
- Suggesting various types of agreements your business could use
- Drafting the initial contracts with a focus on safeguarding your business and minimizing liability exposure
- Going into detail about the rights and duties created by the contract for you and for the other parties
- Recommending a timeline for the other parties to either approve or request changes to the draft
If the other parties agree to the draft as presented, we will take the necessary steps to properly execute (and record, if needed) the contract. Conversely, if the draft is returned with the requested edits, we will then review those changes with you and proceed accordingly. We can represent you throughout the negotiations and address any issues you may have after the process is complete.
Contract Reviewing and Negotiating Services
You may have already been presented with a contract from a business partner, a third party such as a supplier, or even an employee. Regardless of who has proposed the agreement, it is critical that an experienced business law attorney reviews it before you sign it. Our firm offers the following contract review services:
- Identifying and detailing the legal rights and duties created by the contract
- Pointing out potential loopholes that result from vague, ambiguous, or poorly defined terms
- Explaining what is required to prove breach or default under the contract
- Discussing legal remedies that you or the other party may have in the event of a breach or default, including the opportunity to cure
- Making recommendations for terms and clauses to add, delete, or negotiate
We answer any questions or concerns you have about the contract during our review process. We can also negotiate modifications to the agreement with the other party or parties. Throughout our representation, we will take steps to help ensure the final agreement is fair and beneficial to your business interests.
Why Retain Legal Counsel?
Many businesses understandably want to focus on turning profits and pleasing shareholders, so they may not dedicate as much attention and resources to properly drafting and reviewing their contracts. Instead, they decide to purchase contract templates and forms with pre-written, boilerplate clauses. These agreements may even give them the option to include a variety of terms and clauses.
But there are good reasons to consult a business contract lawyer instead of relying on form agreements that someone else has written. To begin with, these contracts generally fail to take into account specific litigation threats that your company may face. Having an attorney examine the needs of your business, including risks, is critical to avoiding this mistake.
Also, you may not understand the contracts you need or don’t need. You could end up investing money and time in agreements that aren’t really necessary for your company’s operations while overlooking those that are. This ultimately leaves you exposed to more risk. Our attorneys are experienced with business law and can help you understand which agreements you should have and the ones you can do without.
Lastly, we want you to have options for restitution and other forms of relief if the other party decides to breach or default. Immediately going to court to demand damages from a breaching party may not be the best choice under the circumstances. But a pre-written contract may not give you viable options like alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Instead of relying on templates and forms, we will help you execute customized contracts that are far more advantageous to your business.
Ready To Assist With All Aspects of Your Business Contract Matters
In the event you must initiate or defend your business in any litigation that arises concerning your business agreements, we can represent you in court or ADR proceedings. That’s the level of comprehensive legal service you can expect from the business law attorneys of Stanfield Bechtel Law. Reach out to us today to get started.