Everything you need to know about Corporate and Business Law so your business runs smoothly

Business Types

Creating a Limited Liability Company

What is a Limited Liability Company?
A Limited Liability Company (“LLC”) is an entity which is taxed like a partnership but affords its owners, known as “members,” limited liability in the same manner as a corporation.  Members can be individuals, corporations, or other LLCs and there is generally no minimum or maximum number of members.  Like a corporation, LLCs are distinct legal entities which can sue, be sued, commit crimes, be victimized by crimes, hire, fire, give gifts, make decisions, and hold property in their own name.  LLCs are created and governed by state law.

Although not as flexible as partnerships, LLCs …

Creating a Limited Liability Partnership

What is a Limited Liability Partnership?
A Limited Liability Partnership (“LLP”) is a partnership in which the partners are not personally liable for the debts of the partnership or other partners.  Unlike a limited partnership, all partners in a LLP can receive limited liability.   With the exception of limited liability, the rules governing limited partnerships are extremely similar to the rules governing general partnerships.  Most notably, LLPs are taxed in the same manner as general partnerships.  For more information on general partnerships, see the article on general partnerships in this series.

Although all states allow some form of a limited liability partnership, …

Partnership

What is a Partnership?
A partnership is a business entity formed by two or more people who operate a business for profit as co-owners.  For the purposes of creating a partnership, a “person” is any entity with its own legal status, including not only a human being but a corporation, trust, government entity, or another partnership.  There are a variety of possible Partnerships are governed by the law of the state in which they are associated.  Partnerships can take several forms including:  general partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, and occasionally single member partnerships.  Each of these is subject to its …

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act

What is the Sarbanes-Oxley Act?
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, also known as “SOA” or “SOX” is a congressional act with established a series of laws aimed at improving corporate governance, reducing corporate fraud, and eliminating deceptive accounting practice.  The main provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley can be divided into three categories:

Accounting Oversight:  One of the primary reforms of Sarbanes-Oxley was the creation of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.
Corporate Governance Reforms:  Sarbanes-Oxley includes a series of reforms …

Shareholder Voting Arrangements

Shareholder Voting Arrangements

In certain situations, shareholders may find it advantageous to enter into agreements with other shareholders regarding how the company should be run or who will run the company.  These agreements, known as “shareholder agreements” or sometimes “vote pooling agreements” or “block voting arrangements” are generally permissible and can pertain to a variety of topics.  The specific rules governing shareholder agreements varies from state to state, however most states follow some version of the Revised Model Business Corporation Act (“RMBCA”).  Section 7 of the RMBCA states the rules regarding shareholder agreements.

The most common types of shareholder agreements are:

Voting …