Business law · Estate planning
Most owners keep their business lawyer and their estate lawyer in separate rooms. We put them at one table, so your operating agreement, your will and your succession plan say the same thing.
Business decisions change estate plans, and estate plans shape what happens to a business. We handle both, so nothing falls in the gap between two firms.
For owners from the first filing to the final sale: entity choice, partner agreements, contracts, financing and exits.
For families who want decisions made in advance: who inherits, who decides, who raises the children, and how to avoid a long probate.
A sample of recent work. Client names are withheld at their request.
| Year | Practice | Matter |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Business sale | Represented the owners of a third-generation HVAC distributor in its sale to a regional buyer, including an earnout and a two-year consulting agreement. |
| 2025 | Succession | Built a buy-sell agreement and matching trusts for three co-owners of a Charlotte engineering firm, funded with life insurance. |
| 2024 | Estate | Moved a family's real estate in two states into a revocable trust, so their children avoid probate in both. |
| 2024 | Contracts | Rewrote supplier and customer terms for a growing food manufacturer before its first national retail contract. |
| 2023 | Administration | Settled an estate with a closely held business before the Clerk of Superior Court in 11 months, without litigation. |
Representative matters only. Results depend on the facts of each matter, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Miriam rewrote our operating agreement and our wills in the same month. For the first time, the two documents agreed with each other.
Four attorneys in two practice groups. Every client meets a partner at the first meeting.
Short, plain-English notes for owners and families.
Business
If your agreement is silent on death, disability or a partner leaving, North Carolina default rules fill the gaps. Few owners like the result.
Estate
It avoids probate for assets you move into it. It does not cut your taxes or shield assets from your own creditors.
Contracts
Personal guarantees, operating cost pass-throughs and the assignment clause decide what a lease will cost you.
A 30-minute planning call with a partner. You leave with a list of what to fix first and a flat-fee quote where one applies.
