Typical Services Of A Manukau Commercial Lawyer
It isn’t just big companies that need a Manukau commercial lawyer. Any commercial operation from a sole trader upwards, will need to talk to and hire the services of a commercial lawyer at some stage.
The Ownership Structure
Perhaps the most obvious requirement from any commercial lawyers is the company structure. This determines who owns the business, and what format. Is it a Limited Liability Company (LLC), sole-trader or partnership.
There are pros and cons for each including the extent of liability for the owners, compared to the amount of reporting that is needed but a good Manukau commercial lawyer will be able to explain it to you.
In a partnership, all of the partners have equal liability but not just for the business. This also extends to obligations outside the business. Whereas with an LLC, the owners are only liable for the debts of the company itself. However, an LLC cost more to establish and has more extensive reporting requirements.
Start-ups
Without doubt, the most important time to consult a commercial lawyer in Manukau is before you even begin your enterprise. It is much easier to establish good and safe practices before the owners start working, than once the operation has begun.
Some of the legal issues may not be needed if the shareholders stay on friendly terms throughout their business life together. However, sometimes, one of the founders might have a disagreement with the others. Other times, a shareholder might want to leave.
If a document is created before any commercial activity, the lawyer will be able to advice on the best practice for the shareholders to adopt while they are all working well together. This document, known as a Shareholder Agreement, will, among other things, detail how and when a shareholder can sell their stake in the business. One situation when this becomes important is if one of the directors is going through a divorce, and their spouse has a 50 percent claim on that holding.
Documents Businesses Need To Operate
A key area of the business where a commercial lawyer can help is with writing the various documents that companies need so that they can operate properly.
This can include writing contracts for suppliers and customers, Employment Agreements, and many others. Without documents like these, the company will find it difficult to operate. In fact, without Employment Agreements, they are leaving themselves open to legal challenges which they will lose. Every employee must be given an Employment Agreement or the company can be subject to a fine of $1,000 per employee.
Without contracts for suppliers, the company is leaving itself open to variable quality service or products, with no delivery date, and questionable pricing. A contract is an essential document. Conversely, their supplier might have a contract so you will again want your lawyer involved so they can assess if the provisions of that contract will work for your company, and the products you are buying.
If you have a company in the south Auckland area, you can get good legal advice from a Manukau commercial lawyer like McVeagh Fleming. You can find out more at their website. https://www.mcveaghfleming.co.nz/