Prevent Disputes with Enforceable Contracts and Agreements

Running a business is stressful enough without worrying over lawsuits. Our business contract lawyers draft, review, implement, and enforce an array of contracts and agreements that are designed to help prevent disputes or litigation from arising in the first place.

Contracts, agreements, and transactions our Houston business lawyers regularly handle include:

• Non-disclosure agreements
• LLC or company operating agreements
• Confidentiality agreements
• Shareholder agreements
• Non-compete agreements
• Partnership agreements
• Employment agreements
• Buy-sell agreements
• Independent contractor agreements
• Restriction and separation agreements
• Arbitration or mediation
• Licensing agreements
• Restructuring agreements
• Mergers and acquisitions

When Is It Time to Hire a Business Attorney?

It can be tempting to sidestep the hiring of an attorney. Legal issues may not seem serious enough to justify retaining professional counsel or paying the costs associated with their services – after all, you manage your business expenses as carefully as you manage your household budget. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be judicious in the way you spend money. However, leaving nagging legal concerns untended too long could cost you tenfold more should they develop into litigation down the road.

Experienced attorneys can provide vital support for nearly every aspect of your business – from the earliest stages of business formation and the creation of operating and partnership agreements to regulatory compliance, contract negotiation, and strategies for reducing exposure to risk. “It’s our job to educate our clients on potential liabilities and exposures that could lead to future disputes or litigation if not properly addressed,” says business law attorney David Augustus. “We can look at your situation and identify where things could go wrong, and how best to navigate it.”

So when is it time to hire a business attorney in Houston? Simply put: before you need one.

How Attorneys Help Small- to Mid-Sized, Closely Held Businesses:

1. Business Lawyers Draft Sound, Enforceable Agreements and Structure Compliant Businesses. The old adage that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is abundantly true when it comes to enlisting the help of a business lawyer. By the time you’ve been sued or hit with major legal issues, the preventable damage has already been done. A one-hour consultation with an attorney now can help you better grasp the legal risks and considerations you face as a business owner, partner or executive. Whether you are mulling over a specific matter—such as a simmering dispute—or concerned with mitigating business risks in general, an attorney can highlight exposures and help you evaluate your options while keeping legal costs manageable.

2. Our Houston Business Attorneys Can Help You Make Informed Decisions, Serving as Your General Counsel. There is little doubt that the initial expense of hiring an attorney before problems arise is a far more cost-effective approach than hiring one when it is too late. Litigation can be time-consuming and expensive. By working with our Houston, TX business attorney early on, you can be proactive in preventing problems rather than being thrown into a reactionary scramble. Early intervention will allow you to fully explore available options and make sensible, informed decisions about matters that can have a major impact on the future of your business. You’ll typically have more avenues to explore when you plan ahead than when your business is backed against the wall. As Managing Partner Trey Hendershot notes: “Litigation is not cheap. It’s a lot easier to make informed business decisions on the front end than have to fix things on the back end. Consider trade secrets: An attorney can help you protect your trade secrets with enforceable non-compete, non-solicitation, confidentiality agreements. This is a lot more economical than having five of your key employees leave and set up competition against you after a few years in your employment, while also having to find a way to enforce your trade secrets through litigation.” Working with a business lawyer who has the insight and experience to help you make prudent business decisions may ultimately save you money.

3. De-Escalate Disputes: Business Attorneys Have Tools to Help Keep Disagreements From Turning Into Litigation. Though no one is eager to involve attorneys when minor disagreements arise, failing to consult counsel in a timely manner can allow even the smallest disagreements to blossom into major disputes that threaten a company’s ability to operate. Having an attorney in the batter’s box or hiring one as soon as possible when problems arise can help you put a lid on legal issues that could become larger problems – such as a regulatory investigation with the potential for criminal prosecution, or an infringement claim that could lock you into costly litigation. With early intervention, potentially injurious situations may be de-escalated before they impact your bottom line, place strain on critical relationships, or result in monetary or reputational harm.

Learn How the Houston Business Lawyers at Hendershot Cowart P.C. Can Help You

While partnering with an experienced business attorney may sound prohibitively expensive or low on a business owner’s priority list, it is all about preventing problems and minimizing risks. At Hendershot Cowart P.C., our Houston-based attorneys have devoted decades to representing clients like you in a range of business law and litigation matters. We know from first-hand experience that involving an attorney sooner rather than later can help protect your business so you can sleep better at night.

If you have questions about a start-up, established business, or pressing legal matter, our award-winning lawyers are here to help. Call or contact us online to request a consultation.