Your Fort Walton Beach Business Lawyers
At Southern Legal, our attorneys have dedicated their careers to assisting businesses to navigate a wide range of legal issues from creating their business to resolving commercial disputes.
Our firm is committed to building long-lasting relationships as trusted advisors to businesses in Fort Walton Beach and across Florida. We give clients the confidence to do what they do best – run their businesses – knowing that they have a seasoned legal team in their corner.
Business Formation
Entity formation is a key initial step in launching a business. If not handled properly, it can have long-term and damaging consequences for everyone involved.
Business formation starts with selecting the type of legal entity through which the business will operate. Some of the most common business entities in Florida are:
- Sole proprietor
- Partnership
- Corporation
- Limited liability company (LLC)
Each type of business entity comes with benefits and drawbacks, which vary based on the situation. It is vital to consider the options with the assistance of an experienced business attorney who can help you weigh the pros and cons of each.
Our Fort Walton Beach business lawyers can also help you through the steps necessary to officially create the business entity. This includes drafting the articles of incorporation, corporate agreements, and other documents, as well as filing tax registration paperwork.
Contracts and Disputes
Contracts are the lifeblood of successful businesses. These binding legal agreements are used for a wide variety of purposes, including ordering supplies, selling goods and services, hiring employees, leasing office space, and landing investors.
Our Fort Walton Beach business lawyers routinely negotiate draft and review a full range of contracts. Some of the most common include:
- Shareholder buy-sell agreements
- Distribution deals
- Non-compete agreements
- Employment and consulting agreements
It is vital to have an experienced business attorney advising on these and other contracts to ensure that everyone involved understands their rights and responsibilities. A lawyer can help ward off potential disputes and other complications by proactively addressing potential issues during the negotiation and drafting of the contract.
Still, contract disputes can and do happen. Breach of contract is a common legal claim in which one party to an agreement alleges that another party failed to live up to its responsibilities under the agreement. These disputes can derail a business if not resolved swiftly and efficiently. Our attorneys have decades of combined experience resolving breach of contract matters in and out of court.
Commercial Litigation
Commercial disputes are a part of doing business in Florida. When these matters are not effectively resolved, they can create unnecessary stress, uncertainty, and disruption.
Our Fort Walton business lawyers have a proven track record of effectively resolving disputes on optimal terms for our clients. We handle a full spectrum of commercial litigation, including:
- Breach of contract claims
- Shareholder and partner disputes
- Employment actions
- Breach of fiduciary duty claims
- Intellectual property protection
Our lawyers also routinely counsel and advise businesses in order to reduce their liability risk and avoid litigation on the front end. We are pleased to be trusted legal advisors to businesses large and small.
Contact Our Fort Walton Beach Business Lawyers
If you are looking to form a business or already grappling with legal issues related to your company, Southern Legal can help.
Our offices are conveniently located in Fort Walton Beach. We are proud to serve clients throughout the region, including in Okaloosa County, Walton County, Escambia County, Santa Rosa County, and Bay County. Call us at 850-244-0400 or contact us online to speak with an attorney.