Build it right from day one.
Choosing and forming the right entity, operating and partnership agreements, and protecting the brand and ideas your business depends on.
Business Planning with Curtis LeBlanc
Most business disputes trace back to something that was never written down. The right structure and clear agreements protect your personal assets, set expectations between owners, and make the business easier to sell or pass on.
Curtis works with new ventures, established family businesses and investors on formation, the agreements between owners, everyday contracts and planning for what happens when an owner leaves, retires or dies.
How Curtis can help.
Every matter is different. These are the situations clients most often bring to him.
Choosing an entity
LLC, corporation or partnership, weighed for liability protection, management and how you plan to grow.
Formation & registration
Articles, registration with the Florida Division of Corporations and the documents that make the company real.
Operating & shareholder agreements
Ownership, voting, distributions, deadlock and what happens when an owner wants out.
Buy-sell & succession planning
Funding and terms for buyouts on death, disability, retirement or a falling-out.
Contracts
Vendor, customer, employment and independent-contractor agreements reviewed or drafted.
Brand protection
Trademark clearance and registration for your business name and logo.
What to expect.
Clear steps, explained up front.
Goals
We talk about the business, the owners and where you want it to go.
Structure
Curtis recommends a structure and drafts the formation documents and owner agreements.
Ongoing counsel
You have an attorney to call as contracts, partners and opportunities come up.
Business Planning questions, answered.
Should I form an LLC or a corporation?
Both can limit personal liability. LLCs are often simpler and more flexible; corporations can fit outside investment or certain tax goals. The answer depends on your owners, your plans and your accountant's input on taxes.
Does a single-member LLC need an operating agreement?
Florida does not require one to be filed, but a written agreement helps show the company is separate from you, which matters for liability protection, and tells banks and buyers who has authority.
What is a buy-sell agreement?
An agreement among owners that sets when and how an owner's share can or must be bought, at what price, and how it will be paid for, often with insurance. It prevents a former owner's heirs or ex-spouse from becoming your new partner.
What do I have to file each year?
Florida companies file an annual report with the Division of Corporations, due between January 1 and May 1. Missing it can lead to penalties and eventually administrative dissolution.
These answers are general information about Florida law, not legal advice for your situation. Laws change; call to discuss your specific facts.
Talk to Curtis about business planning.
Start with a free 20-minute consultation.