Business Law

Spangler and de Stefano, PLLP are experienced transactional lawyers who focus on business law and estate planning. Transactional law refers to researching, counseling and drafting documents that reflect the goals of individuals and businesses and that puts clients in the best position possible in the event that something bad happens. As transactional attorneys, our lawyers are involved in the day-to-day operations of a business, including drafting contracts, reviewing and designing personnel policies, and advising on general governance, risk management and compliance matters. In addition, our attorneys assist clients in meeting their long-terms goals, such as business succession planning and estate planning.

Being Represented by Business Attorneys Who Are Personally Entrepreneurial in Nature is Beneficial to Business Owners

Our attorneys are entrepreneurial in nature and have been since their youth. Individually or jointly, our attorneys have been owners or founders of a minimum of six businesses. They understand both personally and professionally the challenges and rewards of starting your own business and growing your business. An integral part of having and maintaining a successful business is taking a proactive, preventive approach in running your business. Our attorneys understand that businesses succeed when businesses avoid mistakes by working with experienced business owner attorneys who understands first-hand the joys and challenges. In being owners and founders of several businesses ourselves, we can provide first-hand knowledge that will assist you in avoiding making the same mistakes that we have made.

A Business Owner is Best Protected Through Quality Customized Documents

Drafting quality customized documents takes skill and expertise. Form contracts rarely provide a business owner with the level of protection that is necessary and prudent. In addition, form contracts generally found on the internet are not always state specific and most likely are outdated. That means that the form contract that your business is using from the internet does not comply with Minnesota law and its provision(s) could make your contract void as a matter of law. No two businesses in the same industry are exactly alike. In fact, one business’s goals may be drastically different than another business’s goals, which requires completely different contracts. In addition, the operations of a similar business may be dissimilar, which requires completely different contracts. There are many different ways that a contract may be drafted. A savvy business owner who wants to have and maintain a successful business will want an experienced business attorney to take the time to understand the owner(s) goals, its operations, and its options in providing the best protection in the event that something bad happens. The attorneys at Spangler and de Stefano, PLLP work directly one-on-one with the business owner(s) to understand its goals and operations in order to provide the owner(s) with its best options.

Transactional Business Attorneys Understanding of Best Practices in Drafting Documents Are Enhanced When They Are Also Extensively Experienced in Litigation

As experienced litigators with more than four decades of combined litigation experience, we have greater insight into transactional drafting errors. In other words, our extensive litigation experience provides our attorneys a better understanding and clarity as to best practices in drafting contracts, commercial leases, equipment leases, independent contractor agreements, general contractor agreements, subcontractor agreements, franchise agreements, buy-sell agreements, non-compete agreements, operating agreements, bylaws, purchase agreements, partnership agreements, and other documents.

We Represent a Wide Variety of Business Entities

Our attorneys have represented a wide variety of business entities and industries. We have represented C-Corporations, S-Corporations, Non-profit Corporations, professional firms, limited liability companies, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, general partnerships, joint ventures, sole proprietorships and other legal entities. We represent business entities that are domestic (formed in Minnesota) and that are foreign (that are formed in another jurisdiction other than Minnesota, but conduct business in Minnesota). In addition, we represent a wide variety of business entities with a broad range of issues, including but not limited to legal entity formation, buy-sell agreements, shareholder agreements, partnership agreements, non-compete agreements, licensing agreements, independent contractor agreements, purchase agreements (commercial real estate and buying or selling a business), landlord/tenant agreements, commercial real estate leases, employment issues, and dissolving a business. Furthermore, we assist business owners and families with pre-nuptial/postnuptial agreements, business succession planning and estate planning: wills, trusts, power of attorneys and health care directives.