Business Services
Bundled mission-critical services for small- to mid-size businesses.
Single Point-of-Contact Coordination. Efficient Project Management.
Becker has redefined the client-attorney relationship through its Business Services Group. The Group takes a project management approach to provide bundled legal services to small and medium-sized businesses that know they need legal support but lack the revenue and volume of legal issues to justify hiring their own in-house general counsel.
Issues do arise, however; and when they do, traditionally, legal work is done on a reactionary basis, usually in crisis mode. Becker’s approach anticipates problems before they occur and takes the appropriate steps to avoid them or minimize their impact. This proactive model delivers a more efficient service product to the small and medium-sized businesses that need them most. As their trusted business advisors, we provide a unique bundle of business services that address many of our clients’ day-to-day issues, as well as their long-term plans and future goals.
The services, individually or combined, help our clients easily and cost-effectively obtain legal advice. Becker serves as an outsourced general legal counsel, operating as a member of the client’s management team by rendering strategic advice, handling day-to-day legal needs, and managing extraordinary legal affairs that justify the use of outside legal experts.
As our clients’ trusted business advisors, our lawyers for SMBs facilitate client gains through improved performance, advanced thought, and enhanced relationships.
Your Business Can Count on Our Attorneys for Services Related, But Not Limited to:
Business Entity Formation and Governance
We advise both public and private entities, their principals, officers and directors regarding different forms of organization available to limit personal liability. We counsel our clients regarding: fiduciary responsibility of directors and officers; disclosure issues; financial reporting; management succession and compensation; board composition and structure; conflict of interest and change of control matters; and stockholder rights plans.
Corporate Finance and Securities
Successfully accessing capital is a key factor in determining a company’s ability to implement short and long-term growth plans.
Our corporate finance and securities attorneys have experience that includes:
- Assisting public and private clients in mergers, acquisitions, asset purchase, restructuring, and other transactions
- Guiding business clients during start-up, laying the groundwork for attracting capital, including preparing issuers through IPOs and follow-on offerings
- Working hand-in-hand with our clients to develop appropriate disclosure documents and respond to SEC comments to ensure efficient and effective counsel
- Counseling our public clients, post IPO, on reporting requirements, insider trading, corporate governance, internal investigations, and enforcement matters
Commercial Transactions
We take a global approach to commercial transactions to assist our clients in furthering their business objectives. We provide counseling prior to contract negotiation, as well as assistance in the negotiation of contract terms. Our attorneys aid in the drafting of domestic and international marketing and distribution agreements, joint development agreements, and OEM and reseller agreements. We also assist with due diligence investigation, offering support in mergers, acquisitions, and asset sales and purchases.
Employment, Labor, and Staffing
- Employment agreements and restrictive covenants
- Wage and hour compliance, overtime, worker classifications, government audits and related litigation
- Workplace discrimination claims under state and federal law
- Wrongful termination disputes and litigation
- Personnel policy development and training
- NLRB unfair labor practice and representation cases
- Union negotiations, grievances and arbitration
- Severance agreements and claims mediation
- Successorship, joint employer and co-employer issues
- Work visas, H1-Bs, I-9 compliance, and E-verify
- Federal and state court, and agency litigation of employment claims
Mergers and Acquisitions
The utilization of mergers and acquisitions by successful companies as valuable components of long-term growth and innovation strategies is a growing trend. Timing is almost always critical: opportunities can emerge and evaporate virtually overnight. Our attorneys provide counsel critical for our clients to capitalize and close on these major opportunities.
Our attorneys advise buyers, sellers, investors, shareholder groups, boards of directors and other interested parties in all aspects of complex business combinations and other forms of acquisition. We focus on the big picture by understanding and balancing our client’s culture, needs and vision. With this focus, we collaborate with our clients to create value during each phase of the transaction.
Many times, our most important contribution occurs at the outset of the transaction when we assist our clients in their analysis, structure and planning of the transaction. This initial planning serves to inform the subsequent negotiations, diligence, document preparation, and closing.
Real Estate
We advise clients in all aspects of real estate, from conception through closing and beyond. Our industry experience includes retail, commercial, residential, hospitality, and mixed use.
Our attorneys’ real estate proficiencies include:
- Commercial leasing
- Construction matters
- Due diligence reviews
- Environmental Issues
- Financing
- Joint ventures
- Real estate acquisitions and sales
- Real estate investment vehicles
- Real estate litigation
- Re-development law
Taxation
Becker represents clients in all aspects of federal and state taxation, including providing advice to help minimize taxes in connection with domestic and international corporate transactions and investments, business formations and choice of entity decisions, executive compensation, business succession, and sales taxes. The firm is experienced in handling federal and state tax controversy matters and ruling requests, including IRS and state tax audits, court proceedings and refund claims.