LEGAL COUNSEL FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Stafford Owens can provide experienced, custom-built guidance and advice to individuals, businesses, and not-for-profits. We are happy to provide comprehensive legal advice for day-to-day operations (contracts, human resources, etc.) to sales, mergers, acquisitions, and divestiture. Our Commercial and Corporate Services Include:

Business Start-up & Ownership:

• Formation of Corporations
• Formation of Limited Liability Companies
• Formation of Partnerships
• Formation of Not-for-Profits

International Trade Transactions

• Importing and Exporting Transactions and Documentation
• Establishing or Acquiring Subsidiaries in the U.S.
• Cross Border Employment Agreements
• International Borders (specifically the U.S./Canadian Border)

Employee/Employer Relations: GO TO PAGE

• Compensation & Consulting Agreements
• Executive Employment Packages
• Officer & Director Responsibilities
• Termination Agreements

Real Estate: GO TO PAGE

• Commercial Real Estate Acquisition, Financing, and Leasing, and Commercial Bank Financing
• Commercial Real Estate Litigation
• Environmental Audits
• Regulatory Compliance
• Construction Contract Drafting and Disputes

Taxation: GO TO PAGE

• Tax Planning
• Advise on Tax Impact of Shareholder/Member Agreements
• Employee Benefit Plans
• Mergers & Acquisitions

U.S. & Canadian Client Agreements

EXPERTS IN US/CANADA BUSINESS

Stafford Owens has been involved in US/Canadian trade for over 30 years. We serve the trade route between New York City and Montreal; the border along this route is one of the most important border crossings in North America. Plattsburgh serves as a strategic bridge for Quebec into the U.S. economy. The Canadian economic impact on the Plattsburgh area reached $1.6 billion in 2004 and has continued to grow, making trade an important driver of employment and GDP.

Several of our attorneys provide guidance, counsel and regularly participates in panel discussions, speeches and presentations throughout the United States and Canada on matters related to U.S./Canadian Trade and Business Transactions, including Bill Owens, Susanna Piller, Jessica Miller, and Brendan Owens.

FORMATION OF CORPORATE ENTITIES

What type of business entity to utilize depends on the nature of the business and the type of tax result you are trying to achieve. We suggest our clients look seriously at a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or a Subchapter S Corporation (Sub S Corporation) as both are entities resulting in only one level of taxation.

For our Canadian clients, we would rarely recommend an LLC because it tends to have adverse tax consequences in Canada. Sub S Corporation shareholders are limited to citizens or green card holders and may also have adverse tax consequences in Canada. The majority of our Canadian clients form C Corporations.

The process of forming business entities, whether it be a Sub S Corporation, an LLC or, a C Corporation, is essentially the same. It requires filing with the state government where you will be incorporated and the preparation of the necessary documents.

An LLC also requires the drafting and execution of an Operating Agreement, which contains many provisions related to how the business is operated and the relationship between members. A similar document can be drafted for either a Sub S Corporation or C Corporation and is referred to as a Shareholders Agreement.

We provide advice as to the State of Incorporation based upon the type of business, desired tax outcome (lowest possible) and where you will physically operate.

HERE FOR YOU & YOUR BUSINESS

We have formed hundreds of business entities and drafted numerous Operating Agreements and Shareholders Agreements. Forming corporate entities is an area in which we have tremendous experience and can offer our clients strategic advice on how to proceed.

Our attorneys can counsel you in all areas of your business affairs, as well as handling commercial real estate transactions. We will strategize and implement plans and processes to help avoid problems in your business transactions - and should an issue arise, we have the know-how to assist you in navigating them successfully.