St. Johns Law GroupBusiness Purchases & Sales
Business Transactions
Business Formation • Contracts • Transactions • Commercial Disputes
St. Augustine Business & Commercial Law Attorneys
St. Johns Law Group’s St. Augustine business attorneys and commercial lawyers
advise entrepreneurs, family businesses, professional practices, investors and established companies on entity formation, governance, contracts, acquisitions and sales, commercial real estate, tax structuring, succession planning and business disputes throughout Northeast Florida.Formation → Growth
Buy • Sell • Succession
Contracts • Real Estate • Litigation
Business Counsel
How Can Our Business & Commercial Attorneys Help?
Business legal issues are rarely isolated. Ownership, contracts, taxes, real estate and dispute risk often intersect as a company grows or changes hands.
Business Formation & Corporate Law
LLCs, corporations, partnerships, governance, bylaws, operating agreements and ongoing corporate counsel.
Corporate Law →Contracts & General Counsel
Commercial agreements, vendor contracts, employment agreements, confidentiality terms and ongoing legal support.
Contracts & General Counsel →Business Purchases & Sales
Asset purchases, stock or membership-interest transfers, LOIs, due diligence, negotiations and closings.
Business Buy & Sell →Owner & Shareholder Agreements
Operating agreements, shareholder agreements, buy-sell rights, control, transfers, compensation and deadlock planning.
Ownership Agreements →Commercial Leasing
Office, retail, industrial and professional-space leases, renewals, assignments, guaranties and landlord matters.
Commercial Leasing →Commercial Real Estate
Acquisitions, sales, closings, title, development-related transactions and business real estate.
Commercial Real Estate →Business Succession
Buy-sell planning, owner transitions, family-business continuity, retirement and estate-plan integration.
Business Succession →Business & Commercial Disputes
Contract, ownership, partnership, vendor and commercial conflicts from pre-suit strategy through trial and appeal.
Disputes & Litigation →Explore Our Business Practice
Business & Commercial Legal Services & Resources
Go directly to the SJLG service or resource addressing your company’s ownership, transaction, contract, real estate, tax or litigation issue.Formation & Governance
Corporate Law, Formation & Governance Business Entities & Operating Agreements Shareholder & Member Agreements Outside General CounselTransactions & Succession
Business Purchases & Sales Asset & Equity Transactions Business Succession Planning Tax & Entity Planning Estate Planning IntegrationFormation & Governance
Build the Business Structure Before the Business Becomes Complicated
Entity formation is more than filing articles with the state. Ownership, voting, management authority, capital contributions, distributions, transfer restrictions and exit rights should be documented around how the company is actually expected to operate.LLCs & Corporations
Partnerships & Joint Ventures
Operating Agreements
Shareholder Agreements
Bylaws & Resolutions
Governance & Fiduciary Duties
Contracts & Outside General Counsel
Strong Contracts Help Businesses Make Decisions Before Problems Arise
Clear agreements can define expectations, allocate risk and provide a roadmap when a customer, vendor, employee, owner or business partner does not perform as expected.Customer & Service Agreements
Sales agreements, master service agreements, statements of work and recurring-service terms.
Vendor & Supplier Contracts
Performance obligations, payment terms, warranties, indemnification and termination rights.
Employment & Confidentiality
Employment agreements, executive terms, confidentiality, restrictive covenants and related protections.
Outside General Counsel
Ongoing business-minded legal support for contracts, governance, transactions and dispute prevention.
Business Acquisitions & Sales
Buying or Selling a Business Requires More Than a Purchase Price
Business acquisitions and sales can involve asset allocation, equity transfers, due diligence, representations and warranties, indemnification, financing, landlord consent, employee transition, licenses, restrictive covenants and post-closing obligations.Letters of Intent
Asset Purchase Agreements
Stock / Membership Interest Sales
Due Diligence
Seller Financing & UCC Documents
Closing & Transition Documents
Ownership & Partner Relationships
Plan for Control, Compensation and Exit Before Owners Disagree
Shareholder, member and partner agreements can address how important decisions are made, how owners are paid, whether interests can be transferred, and what happens if an owner retires, dies, becomes disabled or wants to leave.
Commercial Real Estate & Leasing
The Business Deal and the Real Estate Deal Should Work Together
A lease, building purchase, assignment or guaranty can materially affect a business acquisition, sale, expansion or owner transition. SJLG can coordinate business counsel with commercial real estate and closing services.
Commercial Leasing
Lease review and negotiation, assignments, renewals, guaranties, build-out terms and landlord-tenant issues.
Commercial Leasing →Commercial Purchases & Sales
Acquisitions, sales, title, due diligence, financing coordination and attorney-led closings.
Commercial Real Estate →Development & Zoning
Land-use due diligence, zoning, entitlements and approvals when the business plan depends on development rights.
Land Use & Zoning →
Industry-Focused Business Counsel
Healthcare Business & Corporate Law
Medical and professional practices often need the same core business-law services as other companies—formation, governance, contracts, employment agreements, ownership changes, leasing, acquisitions and dispute prevention—but in a professional-practice setting.
Corporate Law & Governance
Business formation, governance, contracts, ownership documents and ongoing corporate counsel.
Corporate Law →Medical Practice Formation
Business structure, ownership, governance and foundational agreements for physicians, dentists and healthcare practices.
Practice Formation →Medical Practice Acquisitions & Sales
Purchases, sales, buy-ins, ownership transitions, due diligence and related healthcare-business transactions.
Healthcare Transactions →Outside General Counsel for Medical Practices
Ongoing contract, governance, transaction and business-risk counsel for medical and professional practices.
Healthcare General Counsel →Tax & Entity Structuring
Business Structure Can Affect Taxes, Liability, Growth and Exit Strategy
James E. Hatfield brings an LL.M. in Taxation and advises businesses on entity formation, succession, tax matters and strategies designed to align legal structure with longer-term financial objectives.
Entity SelectionLLC, corporation and partnership considerations.
Transaction StructureAsset versus equity transactions and allocation issues.
Tax PlanningCoordination with CPAs and financial professionals.
SuccessionTax-aware ownership transition and estate integration.
Business Succession & Exit Planning
Every Successful Business Eventually Faces an Ownership Transition
Retirement, disability, death, family succession, management transition or a third-party sale can all create difficult questions if the ownership documents and estate plan do not address the transition in advance.
Business & Commercial Disputes
When a Business Problem Becomes a Lawsuit
Contract and ownership disputes can threaten cash flow, customer relationships, real estate, management control and enterprise value. SJLG’s litigation team handles business disputes from demand and pre-suit strategy through mediation, trial and appeal.
Business Litigation
Ownership, contract, partnership, vendor and operational disputes.
Business Litigation →Commercial Litigation
Complex disputes involving commercial agreements, financial interests and sophisticated business relationships.
Commercial Litigation →Mediation
Private negotiated resolution for business, ownership and commercial disputes.
Mediation →Appeals
Appellate advocacy when a business or commercial matter continues after trial.
Appeals →From Local Businesses to Complex Enterprises
Business Counsel Scaled to the Client and the Matter
Our attorneys have represented businesses ranging from closely held and family-owned companies with no employees to regional and national enterprises with thousands of employees, including franchise businesses and publicly traded companies. That breadth of experience helps our team address both day-to-day legal needs and sophisticated transactions, governance issues and commercial disputes. Our business work crosses industries and legal disciplines. SJLG attorneys advise manufacturers, developers, professional practices, real estate businesses and other operating companies, coordinating corporate, contract, tax, real estate and litigation counsel when a matter extends beyond a single practice area.Closely Held & Family Businesses
Regional & National Companies
Franchise Businesses
Public Company Matters
Manufacturers & Professional Practices
Developers & Real Estate Businesses
Representative General Counsel Experience
Practical General Counsel Experience for an Operating Manufacturer
Megan Burnett Drysdale serves as General Counsel to a Florida-based boat manufacturing company, bringing practical experience with contracts and the legal needs of an operating manufacturer. Her business counsel complements her work in real estate, commercial leasing and land use.
Integrated Business Counsel
Legal Needs Change as the Business Changes
The strongest business-law relationship often spans formation, contracts, growth, transactions, disputes and eventual succession.Form
Entity structure, ownership documents and governance.Operate
Contracts, employees, vendors and outside general counsel.Grow
Real estate, financing, acquisitions and new owners.Resolve
Negotiation, mediation, litigation and appeals.Transition
Sale, succession, retirement and estate integration.Meet the Business & Commercial Law Team
Transactional, Tax, Real Estate & Litigation Attorneys
SJLG can match a business matter with attorneys whose practices focus on the transaction, contract, tax, real estate or dispute issues involved.
Ann Miles
Business Transactions • Contracts • Entity Formation • General Counsel View Profile →
James E. Hatfield
Tax Law • Entity Structuring • Business Succession View Profile →
Douglas N. Burnett
Commercial Transactions • Real Estate • Complex Litigation View Profile →
Alex Nunchuck
Contract & Commercial Disputes • Litigation • Appeals View Profile →
Megan Burnett Drysdale
Contracts • Commercial Real Estate • Leasing • Transactions View Profile →
Shaun C. Saliba
Business Contracts • Commercial Disputes • Litigation View Profile →Florida Business Law FAQs
Common Business & Commercial Law Questions
General information only. The right structure or strategy depends on the company, ownership, transaction, contracts, taxes and dispute posture involved.What type of business entity should I form in Florida?
LLCs, corporations and partnerships can have different governance, tax, financing and liability implications. Entity selection should be coordinated with legal and tax advisors based on the business model and ownership goals.Do I need an operating agreement for a Florida LLC?
A written operating agreement can define ownership, management rights, voting, distributions, transfer restrictions and exit procedures. It is particularly important when an LLC has multiple owners.What should a shareholder or partner agreement address?
Common issues include voting, management authority, compensation, capital contributions, transfer restrictions, buy-sell rights, retirement, disability, death and deadlock procedures.Should I buy a business's assets or its ownership interests?
Asset and equity transactions can allocate liabilities, contracts, licenses and tax consequences differently. The structure should be evaluated before signing the definitive purchase agreement.What is due diligence in a business acquisition?
Due diligence can include review of contracts, corporate records, financial obligations, litigation, employees, intellectual property, leases, licenses, liens and other matters affecting value or risk.What does outside general counsel do?
Outside general counsel can provide recurring legal support for contracts, governance, employment issues, risk management and strategic business decisions without a full-time in-house legal department.Should a commercial lease be reviewed before I sign it?
Commercial leases can create substantial long-term obligations involving rent, operating expenses, guaranties, maintenance, assignment, renewal and default provisions. Review before signing can identify risks that are difficult to change later.How should business succession be planned?
Succession planning can involve buy-sell agreements, valuation, funding, ownership restrictions, estate planning, tax considerations and identifying who will control or own the company after a triggering event.Can a business dispute be resolved without trial?
Yes. Negotiation and mediation can resolve many disputes, but litigation may be necessary when rights, assets, control or urgent relief are at issue.When should a business involve a lawyer?
Legal review is often most valuable before a major commitment—formation, adding an owner, signing an important contract or lease, buying or selling a business, or escalating a dispute.Recent Legal Insights
Recent Business, Corporate & Commercial Law Articles
Recent SJLG resources addressing business formation, corporate governance, transactions, contracts, succession, commercial real estate, healthcare businesses and business disputes.St. Johns Law GroupCorporate Law
Corporate & Business Law
Formation, Governance & Outside General Counsel
Business formation, governance, contracts, compliance and ongoing legal support for growing companies. Read Resource →St. Johns Law GroupBusiness Succession
Succession Planning
Business Succession & Buy-Sell Planning
Prepare for retirement, ownership transitions, disability, death and family-business continuity. Read Resource →Talk With Our Business Team
Request a Business & Commercial Law Consultation
Whether you are forming a company, negotiating a contract, buying or selling a business, addressing a lease, planning an ownership transition or facing a commercial dispute, contact St. Johns Law Group to discuss the matter.St. Johns Law Group 104 Sea Grove Main Street St. Augustine, Florida 32080 (904) 495-0400 info@sjlawgroup.com