Business Planning & Litigation
Planning
West, Edwards & Associates offers you advice and counsel in the formation of your business, often in coordination with your CPA, assisting you with the creation of the entity that will serve you the best, whether you choose to incorporate or form a limited liability company, commonly known as a LLC, or operate as a sole proprietor or a traditional partnership. The attorneys of West, Edwards & Associates prepare corporate formation documents as well as periodic corporate resolutions for stockholders and directors. LLC's are governed by the all-important Operating Agreement, which is a document that should be crafted to suit your needs and wishes. A good Operating Agreement for a multi-member LLC will provide restrictions on the transfer of ownership and buy-sell provisions in the event of the disability, death, or bankruptcy of one of the members.
The attorneys of West, Edwards & Aitken are committed to understanding each client's unique challenges, needs and objectives, and implementing a planning solution that addresses each of them, while incorporating the best tax-planning opportunities. Careful consideration is given to the seamless transition of the closely-held business, uninterrupted access to income, and the preservation and management of assets for children, grandchildren and future generations. The depth of their experience has helped business owners, executives, physicians, and other individuals create the necessary structure to implement their goals.
Litigation
In the course of their combined business litigation experience spanning more than half a century, the seasoned complex civil litigation attorneys of West, Edwards & Associates have extensive experience representing all types of entities from Fortune 100 companies to sole proprietorships; from multi-national corporations to the mom and pop business on the corner. The extremely close relationships they have forged with many of their business clients over the years allows them the unique ability to approach the representation of businesses mindful of both the necessary steps to implement a successful legal strategy and the practical concerns and issues being faced by in-house counsel and senior executives at larger companies, as well as by the owners of smaller companies and family run companies. They seek effective legal strategies that make business sense.
When you hire West, Edwards & Associates, you are getting the best of both worlds as their unique practice melds the expertise and sophistication of a large law firm with the accessibility and more reasonable cost structure of a smaller firm. At West, Edwards & Associates, every single aspect of your matter will be handled by one of their two experienced partners. Accordingly, companies that engage West, Edwards & Associates will reap the benefits of West, Edwards & Associates’s large firm capabilities, while West, Edwards & Associates’s more reasonable cost structure will have far less of an impact on the bottom line than large firm representation, giving many smaller companies a level of representation that they might not otherwise be able to afford.
From their Baltimore, Maryland litigation law firm, the business trial lawyers of West, Edwards & Associates represent clients throughout Maryland, as well as from Delaware, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC in a wide range of matters including Business Contract Disputes, Breach of Contract, Business Torts, Employment Agreement Disputes, Trade Secrets, Non-Compete Clause Disputes, Insurance Coverage Disputes, Partnership Disputes, Pursuit of Outstanding Accounts Receivable, Recovery of Fraudulent Transfers, Appeals of Adverse Judgments, Professional Malpractice, and Disputes with Current and Former Employees.
Many businesses are now electing to resolve commercial disputes through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms such as arbitration and mediation. The experienced business litigation attorneys of West, Edwards & Associates are extremely well versed in all of these processes having handled hundreds of arbitration and mediations. Moreover, the attorneys of West, Edwards & Associates have an added advantage when representing clients in arbitrations and mediations because they can approach these matters from the perspective of having sat as decision-making arbitrators and certified mediators.
In order to avert costly resolutions of business disputes in the courtroom, many clients of West, Edwards & Associates also invest in counselling for preventative measures. The Baltimore attorneys of West, Edwards & Associates have helped many companies avoid disputes and potential trials in the first place by minimizing certain risks and potential areas of disagreement through the drafting and reviewing of contracts, employee manuals, compliance programs, and other legal and employment documents. In order to further help businesses mitigate litigation risk, the attorneys of West, Edwards & Associates are also available to give informative and engaging presentations to employees of your company on hot button topics such as the appropriate use of company e-mail systems, compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and avoiding potential litigation through smart hiring practices.
Whether your company is negotiating an agreement with a new business partner, hiring a new key employee, just received a demand letter threatening litigation, has just been served with a lawsuit, or is looking to appeal an adverse judgment, contact the experienced Baltimore business litigation attorneys of West, Edwards & Associates for a free initial consultation to discuss your matter in complete confidence, today. In matters of commercial litigation and litigation prevention, they offer the experience and sophistication of a large law office combined with the exceptional personal attention found at a small firm. To that end, weekend and late evening appointments are available, if needed.