Business Law

Full-Service Skills In One Package

As a business owner in Michigan, you are regularly faced with legal challenges that affect the long-term success of your venture. From structuring your company to negotiating and enforcing contracts to adhering to regulatory and licensing requirements, you need to know that you’re making the right decisions for your future. That’s why you should work with real lawyers who know how to use the law to devise the real solutions you need to succeed.

Let Herbert Machnik Law Firm breathe life into the law with our pragmatic, affordable, and comprehensive legal representation. Contact us today for an initial case evaluation with a business law attorney to discuss our firm’s services and how we can help you protect your company’s rights and interests.

Entity Formation and Business Structuring

Choosing a legal structure for a new business is one of the most important first decisions that company founders will make. That’s why we are proud to work with entrepreneurs and business founders during the formation of their entities and business structuring processes. Our firm has extensive experience creating partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations.

Our attorneys will take the time to sit down with you and your team to discuss your business objectives, concerns, preferences, and goals to help you choose a suitable business form and structure the legal entity. We can assist you with drafting articles of organization, bylaws, operating agreements, shareholder agreements, and other governing documents, providing you with guidance and support as you negotiate with your business partners.

Our experienced legal team understands the nuances of Michigan law and how it affects entity formation and business structuring. We can assist you with all the details of registering and organizing your new company, setting you on the best path toward business success.

Contracts and Business Agreements

Our experienced legal team assists businesses with various commercial contracts, including:

Vendor/supplier agreements
Sales agreements
SaaS agreements or EULAs
Master services agreements
Independent contractor agreements
Employment contracts and equity compensation agreements
IP licensing agreements
Non-disclosure agreements
Restrictive covenant agreements (non-competes, non-solicitation agreements)

Michigan and federal laws impose various rules, restrictions, and requirements for commercial agreements. This is why it’s so important to have experienced legal counsel able to draft valid, enforceable contracts and negotiate explicit, comprehensive agreements that adequately protect your company’s rights and interests. At Herbert Machnik Law Firm, our in-depth experience with commercial contracts helps us to advocate on your behalf should you find yourself in a legal dispute with a counterparty to a business contract.

Business Conflicts and Dispute Resolution

Our firm has extensive experience representing companies and entrepreneurs in business disputes and alternative dispute resolution proceedings. We can help you with legal matters like the following:

Breach of contract claims arising from issues such as non-payment, non-delivery, failure to perform, delayed performance, or non-conformity with contractual requirements
Business tort cases, including claims of misrepresentation, fraud, or tortious interference with contract or prospective business advantage
Shareholder or partnership disputes, including shareholder oppression claims or conflicts over business governance

We can represent you at all stages of a business dispute, including during the early stages of a conflict, where you may still salvage a business relationship. Our negotiation skills can help you pursue a favorable resolution that allows your company to move forward with a counterparty after a dispute. We can also represent your business in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), as we have considerable experience in both mediation and arbitration. Finally, we have a proven track record of representing businesses in litigation in Michigan courts in all types of commercial and employment litigation. Our legal team has extensive courtroom experience, and we’ve been trial-tested in some of the most complex commercial disputes.

Employment Issues and Labor Law

Our business law attorneys can advise your company regarding applicable state and federal employment and labor laws, including wage-and-hour, workers’ compensation, and anti-discrimination statutes. We can help your company develop employee handbooks and corporate policies to comply with your business’s legal obligations under state and federal law. Our attorneys also assist businesses with a range of other employment issues, such as wrongful termination, discrimination, or harassment claims. Let us help you comply with employer regulations under Michigan and federal law.

Regulatory and Licensing Compliance

Our firm can help your business understand its compliance obligations specific to your company’s industry, whether you operate in healthcare, retail, IT, consumer products, or construction. Our attorneys will identify the laws and regulations applicable to your business to inform you of your company’s regulatory requirements. We can also provide your company with strategies and support to meet those regulatory obligations.

Our seasoned Michigan business law attorneys can also help your business identify state- and city-specific licensing requirements, including professional licenses or local business licenses. We can assist you with administrative proceedings to secure necessary permits for your business or to address potential disciplinary or revocation proceedings. Our firm can also provide ongoing support to your business as other regulatory and licensing obligations arise. This can help you avoid fines, penalties, or potential operational disruptions caused by administrative proceedings.

Business Transactions

Our attorneys serve businesses engaged in complex transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, ownership succession, or wind-downs. We can guide you through each step in the process of consummating a merger or acquisition, including business valuation, due diligence, deal negotiation, contract review, closing, and resolving post-closing issues such as earn-out compensation.

We can also advise you on transactions to pass a business to a successor family member or a key employee taking over the company. When you choose to close your company down, we can assist you with all the required steps under Michigan law. Our firm can handle all aspects of ensuring a smooth ownership transition or company shutdown, giving you peace of mind and protecting your personal interests after you’ve moved on from the business.

Why Choose Our Michigan Business Law Firm?

When it comes to business law matters, it’s important to get things right. A single mistake could lead to a drawn-out dispute that affects your company’s success and profitability. Let the business law attorneys from Herbert Machnik Law Firm help you protect your legal interests because:

Our attorneys dedicate the time necessary to thoroughly understand your situation and goals, offering proactive, tailored solutions that recognize a one-size-fits-all approach cannot provide optimal results for you or your business.
Our legal team boasts a diverse range of experience, knowledge, and skills, enabling us to match you with counsel that’s suited to your specific needs.
We take a collaborative approach to legal representation, offering you cost-effective results and support.
Our lawyers are committed to providing excellent client service. We put you and your business at the center of our efforts, always responding promptly to your inquiries and keeping you updated on the progress of your legal matter.

Contact Us Today for Your Business Law Needs

If you own or run a business in Michigan, you need experienced legal counsel to help you protect your company’s interests and put it on the path toward success. Contact Herbert Machnik Law Firm today for a confidential consultation with a business law attorney to discuss how we can assist your company with its legal needs.