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Corporate Law

The Corporate Practice Sections of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP assist clients in implementing plans for all aspects of their business operations and commercial transactions.

Our clients range from large publicly-held corporations to small closely-held companies. We represent both general and limited partnerships, joint ventures, limited liability companies, and businesses operating as sole proprietorships. These businesses include manufacturers and distributors of industrial chemicals, automotive components, mobile communications equipment, school buses, wire and cable, machine tools, paper and paper products, instrumentation, carpets, home improvement and hardware products, records and tapes, mobile homes, steel products and swimming pool water treatment products, as well as national, international and commuter airlines, aircraft lessors and lessees, trucking companies, automobile dealers, furniture manufacturers and retailers, travel agencies, banks, investment banking and underwriting firms, telecommunication companies, health care providers, computer software development and sales companies and nonprofit, religious and community organizations.

The diverse nature of the businesses we represent provides us with a broad range of experience. We use that experience to evaluate business opportunities and complex problems and to implement innovative, practical solutions that help our clients achieve their business objectives.

Many of our clients are well established in their respective business endeavors, and our corporate attorneys are active in helping management implement long-term plans and achieve short-term objectives. We have extensive experience in preparing and negotiating all forms of commercial agreements, including supply arrangements, leases, financing documents, sales and purchase agreements, distributorship and franchise agreements, software development agreements and software and technology licensing agreements.

Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP is prepared to suggest and document creative compensation arrangements for directors, officers and employees, to provide appropriate incentives while containing costs within desirable levels. We also assist clients in complying with the increasingly complex regulatory environment in which they operate.

Our corporate attorneys are trained to help establish new businesses by: defining and structuring the form in which a business should be operated; preparing and filing appropriate documents organizing the business entity; preparing agreements between the owners of businesses, setting forth the terms and conditions for the ownership and operation of the business and the disposition of the owners’ respective interests in the business; and assisting clients in obtaining operating capital and securing the permits, licenses and other forms of governmental approval necessary for ongoing operations.

Advising clients on general business law issues as they seek to achieve their objectives frequently raises numerous legal issues in more specialized legal disciplines. Our corporate attorneys are attuned to the need to involve tax, environmental, antitrust and litigation specialists in appropriate circumstances, particularly where complex business transactions are involved. This inter-disciplinary approach allows us to maximize our extensive expertise in many areas in a cost-effective manner for our clients.