If you are searching for a Traverse City business lawyer, the attorneys at Revision Legal have extensive experience handling business law matters in Traverse City and the surrounding areas. Our Traverse City business lawyers have handled the following matters:
- Corporate formation, including the creation of LLCs and corporations;
- Corporate financing, including business investments;
- Mergers and acquisitions;
- Liquor licenses, including Redevelopment Liquor Licenses within the Downtown Development Authority district;
- Business litigation, including breach of contract, employment, and fiduciary dispute litigation;
- Real estate, including land development and business and building purchases and sales; and
- Protection of intellectual property assets, including trademarks, copyrights, and patents.
Our Traverse City office has represented a number of Traverse City’s largest brands, such as Right Brain Brewery, M22, and the National Cherry Festival. Our founding partner has served on the Traverse City Downtown Development Authority, the 20 Fathoms tech incubator, and the Traverse City History Center. Our attorneys have also served on the Watershed Council and have worked with many local non-profits.
Traverse City, Michigan is home to many small businesses. A Traverse City business lawyer can provide valuable services to these businesses, including counseling on start-ups and business formation, contract review and negotiation, liquor licenses, real estate, and intellectual property protection. A Traverse City business lawyer can also help with the sale or acquisition of a business and with litigation in the event of a dispute with a partner or another business. If you are a Traverse City business owner, it is important to have a lawyer who understands the unique challenges and opportunities that come with doing business in this community.
Business Formation and Corporate Law in Traverse City
One of the most consequential decisions a business owner makes is choosing the right legal structure. Michigan offers several options — sole proprietorships, general partnerships, limited liability companies (LLCs), and corporations — each with materially different implications for liability protection, taxation, governance, and transferability.
The Michigan Limited Liability Company Act (MCL 450.4101 et seq.) governs the formation and operation of LLCs in the state. For most small and mid-sized Traverse City businesses, an LLC provides the right combination of limited liability protection and flexible management. The operating agreement is the governing document of an LLC and, when drafted properly, addresses profit distributions, management authority, member voting rights, transfer restrictions, and buy-sell provisions. A poorly drafted operating agreement — or no agreement at all — is one of the primary causes of business partner disputes.
Corporations, governed by the Michigan Business Corporation Act (MCL 450.1101 et seq.), are the preferred structure for businesses seeking outside investment, planning a future exit, or requiring formal governance structures with boards of directors and shareholder agreements. A business attorney can analyze your specific goals and recommend the structure that best serves them.
Contract Drafting and Review
Contracts are the foundation of every business relationship. Vendor agreements, customer contracts, employment agreements, non-compete and non-disclosure agreements, lease agreements, and independent contractor agreements all define the rights and obligations of the parties and determine how disputes are resolved. Traverse City businesses frequently operate with handshake deals or downloaded templates that do not reflect the actual terms negotiated or fail to address the disputes that inevitably arise.
A Traverse City business lawyer reviews contracts before you sign and drafts agreements that accurately capture your business terms, protect your interests, and hold up in litigation. Specific attention should be paid to limitation of liability clauses, indemnification provisions, choice of law and forum selection clauses, and termination rights — provisions that are often glossed over until something goes wrong.
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Business Sales
Buying or selling a business is a complex transaction that requires careful legal and financial due diligence. Whether the deal is structured as an asset purchase or a stock purchase has significant tax and liability implications. In an asset purchase, the buyer acquires specific assets and can generally avoid assuming the seller’s liabilities. In a stock purchase, the buyer acquires ownership of the entity itself, including its liabilities and obligations.
A Traverse City business attorney performs due diligence on the target business, reviews and negotiates the purchase agreement, ensures regulatory approvals are obtained (including any required MLCC license transfers in liquor-licensed transactions), and structures the transition to protect both parties. The Traverse City market — with its mix of tourism-driven hospitality businesses, retail establishments, and technology companies — presents acquisition opportunities that require attorneys familiar with both Michigan law and the regional business environment.
Intellectual Property Protection for Traverse City Businesses
Traverse City businesses have built nationally recognized brands. Companies like M22 and Right Brain Brewery have developed trademark equity worth protecting. Intellectual property protection for a Michigan business typically involves:
- Trademark registration with the USPTO for brand names, logos, and product names;
- Copyright registration for creative works, website content, and marketing materials;
- Trade secret protection through properly drafted NDAs and confidentiality agreements; and
- Enforcement of IP rights through cease-and-desist letters and, when necessary, federal litigation.
Business Litigation in Northern Michigan
Even well-structured businesses end up in disputes. Partnership disagreements, breach of contract claims, non-compete enforcement, trade secret misappropriation, and commercial landlord-tenant disputes are the most common forms of business litigation our Traverse City clients face. Revision Legal handles business litigation in the Grand Traverse County Circuit Court, the Michigan Court of Appeals, and federal courts including the Western District of Michigan.
Our approach to business litigation is practical. We evaluate the merits of a dispute, the likely cost of litigation, and the realistic range of outcomes before recommending a strategy. Many disputes are resolved through negotiation or alternative dispute resolution. When litigation is necessary, we pursue it aggressively.
Contact a Traverse City Business Lawyer
If you are looking for a Traverse City business lawyer, contact Revision Legal at (231) 714-0100. We provide legal services to Traverse City businesses of all sizes, from early-stage startups to established regional companies. Our attorneys are embedded in the Traverse City business community and understand the local market. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
