Business Formation Attorney

The entity structure you choose on day one shapes everything that comes after.

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Start Your Business on Solid Legal Ground

Picking an entity structure feels like a paperwork decision. It isn't. The choice between an LLC, an S-Corp, and a C-Corp affects how you pay taxes, how you bring in investors, how you split ownership with partners, and whether your business is set up to franchise, sell, or scale down the road.

EntrePartner works with founders and entrepreneurs to get business formation right from the start, including entity selection, ownership agreements, and the foundational documents that govern how your business operates when things get complicated.

Entity Types We Work With

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Limited Liability Company (LLC)

The most common structure for small and mid-size businesses. An LLC provides personal liability protection, flexible management options, and pass-through taxation. We draft operating agreements that go well beyond the state default provisions, covering ownership percentages, voting rights, profit distributions, and important future decisions like what happens when a member wants out or has a change in life circumstance, such as marriage, divorce or disability.

C-Corporation

The preferred structure for businesses raising venture capital or planning to issue equity to a broad group of employees and investors. C-Corps are taxed at the entity level, but they offer the cleanest path to investment rounds, stock option plans, and eventual acquisition.

S-Corporation

An S-Corp gives owners the liability protection of a corporation with pass-through tax treatment. There are restrictions on the number and type of shareholders, so it isn't right for every business, but for many owner-operated businesses it's a smart structure.

Multi-Entity Structures

Franchisors, real estate developers, and businesses with multiple operating units often benefit from holding company structures that separate assets and limit liability across entities. We advise on when and how to build these structures the right way.

Beyond the Filing

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Business formation - legal documents and agreements

Filing formation documents with the state takes about 20 minutes. What takes longer, and what actually protects you, is everything that comes with it.

EntrePartner drafts the governing agreements that define how your business runs. Operating agreements. Shareholder agreements. Founder agreements. Buy-sell provisions. Vesting schedules. These documents answer the questions you don't want to be answering in court later: who owns what, who decides what, and what happens when a partner leaves or has a change in life circumstances.

We also handle IP assignment at formation, which ensures that intellectual property created by founders belongs to the company rather than to the individual. For businesses with franchise or licensing ambitions, this step isn't optional.

Business Formation Services

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➔ Entity selection and strategic advising
➔ LLC formation and operating agreements
➔ Corporation formation, bylaws, and shareholder agreements
➔ S-Corp and C-Corp structuring
➔ Founder and co-founder agreements
➔ Equity splits and vesting schedules
➔ IP assignment agreements
➔ Multi-entity and holding company structures
➔ Business licenses and regulatory guidance
➔ Initial contract templates and commercial agreements
➔ Capital raise preparation and structure

How We Work With New Businesses

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Step 01

Understand Your Goals

Before recommending a structure, we ask where you want to take the business. A sole operator running a service business has different needs than two co-founders planning a seed round. Structure follows strategy.

Step 02

Recommend the Right Entity

We explain the tradeoffs clearly and make a recommendation. You'll understand why we're suggesting what we're suggesting, not just receive a filing.

Step 03

Draft Your Governing Documents

Formation is just the starting point. We draft the operating agreements, shareholder agreements, and founder documents that determine how your business actually functions.

Step 04

Set You Up for What Comes Next

Whether that's raising capital, hiring employees, entering commercial contracts, or eventually franchising, we make sure your formation decisions support your long-term plans, not complicate them.

Frequently Asked Questions

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What does a business formation attorney do? +
A business formation attorney advises on entity selection, drafts the legal documents that govern the business, and handles the filings required to legally establish the company. Beyond the mechanics, a good formation attorney helps founders think through ownership structure, decision-making authority, and how the business is set up for future growth or exit.
LLC vs. S-Corp vs. C-Corp: which is right for me? +
It depends on your tax situation, ownership structure, and growth plans. LLCs are flexible and work well for many businesses. S-Corps have tax advantages for owner-operators in certain situations. C-Corps are the right call if you're raising institutional capital or planning to issue broad-based equity. We walk through the tradeoffs with every client before recommending a structure.
Do I really need an operating agreement? +
Yes. Every LLC should have one, even single-member LLCs. Without a custom operating agreement, your business is governed by default state rules that were written for the average company, not yours. An operating agreement covers ownership, management, distributions, and what happens if a member dies, becomes incapacitated, or wants to sell their interest.
What is an IP assignment agreement and why does it matter? +
An IP assignment agreement transfers intellectual property created by founders or early employees from the individual to the company. Without it, the company may not actually own the IP it was built on. This becomes a serious problem during investment due diligence, franchise registration, or any acquisition process.
When is the right time to hire a business formation attorney? +
Ideally, before you start operating, take on partners, sign major contracts, raise money, or create valuable intellectual property. Formation decisions are much harder and more expensive to fix after the fact. Entity conversions, equity restructuring, missing ownership records, and retroactive IP assignments can all create complications that a clean formation helps avoid.

Ready to Build the Right Foundation?

The decisions you make at formation follow your business for its entire life. Get them right the first time. Call us today to get started.

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