General Practice
Business Law
Ceraul Law Offices advises and represents companies and entrepreneurs with a broad range of business-related services. We advise our clients on business law, start-up assistance relating to the formation of an entity, the protection of a trademark or license agreement, and assist with buying or selling a business.
Business Startup Services
Starting a business requires thorough planning. We assist business owners in the formation of legally sound business entities and help entrepreneurs devise business strategies that help them achieve their goals. We advise on the business startup and formation process including issues related to the selection of entity type and jurisdiction. We also consult with business owners and draft shareholder agreements or partnership agreements as part of the entity formation process.
- C-corporation formation
- S-corporation formation
- Limited liability company (LLC) formation
- Partnership formation (including LLP)
- Stock purchases
- Asset purchases
- Joint ventures
Buying and Selling Businesses
We can guide business owners in the multi-stage process of buying or selling a business including:
- Advising on the structure of the transaction
- Negotiation of terms and drafting of the deal memorandum
- Advising sellers on legal strategies to address issues raised during the due diligence process
- Advising buyers on conducting legal due diligence
- Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating the extensive documentation involved in a business transaction, such as asset purchase agreements, stock purchase agreements, and security agreements
- Preparation and Review of Business Contracts
We consult with business owners to draft, review and negotiate contracts related to various business activities, including:
- Buy-sell agreements
- Lease agreements
- Service contracts
- Releases and waivers
- Property agreements
- Shareholder agreements
- Operating agreements
Power of Attorney / Living Wills
We create powers of attorney and living wills that enable our clients to entrust important decisions to people they can trust. You may think that these documents are only useful in end-of-life situations or in times of incapacity. While that is their primary role, they can do much more. Call us to discuss the potential uses of these documents and how they can be integrated into your overall estate plan.
The Power of Attorney
We believe that the durable power of attorney is one of the most important estates planning documents. It can authorize another person to handle all financial matters for another. But, under Pennsylvania law, a power of attorney can also enable gifting for asset protection and other purposes. This can make it a very powerful tool, but the power of attorney must be drafted carefully.
The alternative to a power of attorney is guardianship. These court proceedings are expensive, inflexible, and require the guardian to go to court often. Properly drafted, a power of attorney can save money and allow additional estate planning options without the need to have a court guardianship proceeding.
Living Wills
We can draft a health care power of attorney, as well as a living will. These documents entrust decisions regarding your health care to another person in both terminal and non-terminal health situations, should you be unable to make those decisions for yourself.
Recent state law changes to living wills as well as the new federal privacy laws such as HIPAA may require the updating of an existing healthcare power of attorney and living will so that the options for use of this document are maximized. We can draft a new living will for you that complies with these laws. You and your family will have peace of mind in the knowledge that your wishes regarding medical treatment and end-of-life decisions will be carried out.