CORPORATE SERVICES Business & Commercial Law & Litigation Business Formation Business & Commercial Law Mergers & Acquisitions Collections Business Disputes & Litigation The firm represents new and established businesses and is adept at handling sales, purchases, and start-ups, whether the business form is a corporation, partnership or limited liability company. The firm addresses all types of legal issues that businesses encounter daily. The lawyers help new entrepreneurs set up their companies, advising them about choice of entity (partnership, limited liability company, S or C corporation) and about relations with investors, lenders, partners, suppliers, and customers. The firm uses a multi-disciplinary approach so that important business decisions are informed by advice not only from a lawyer but also, where necessary, from bankers, accountants, insurance professionals, landlords and others.x The firm has a high level of experience working with business clients on commercial real estate purchases, and is a title insurance agent for First American Title Insurance Company. Back to top Business & Commercial Law For growing and mature businesses, the firm handles employment issues, succession planning, corporate litigation, and mergers & acquisitions. The firm's lawyers know that their business clients continually face an ever-changing regulatory environment that impacts the success or failure of their business and financial affairs. Many years of practicing business and commercial law permit the lawyers to assist clients in answering difficult questions presented to them in this complex environment. "The firm is proud to claim that we represent our numerous business clients, in the good times at inception and formation, merger and acquisition, and in more difficult time, through litigation, liquidation or reorganization", explained Sid Sundbery. Back to top Mergers & Acquisitions The firm's merger and acquisition practice includes tender offers, mergers, strategic and minority investments, recapitalizations, and leveraged buyouts. The firm has extensive experience advising boards of directors in M&A transactions and representing special committees in transactions involving affiliates. "We have handled merger and acquisition transactions totaling hundreds of millions of dollars", J. M. Funderburk. Back to top Collections It is important for businesses to keep their eyes on the bottom line to stay competitive. One of the best ways to stay competitive is to minimize losses through bad accounts. At Duval, Funderburk, Sundbery, Lovell & Watkins, the attorneys have the experience and legal tools to collect accounts that are due and owing. Back to top Business Disputes & Litigation The firm has an established history of representing businesses and commercial clients in business disputes. Virtually any business transaction can give rise to litigation. Although the goal is always to find resolution through mediation, negotiation or dispute resolution, litigation is sometimes necessary to protect a health of the business. Business litigation encompasses a wide range of issues. The types of litigation include director, stockholder or partner disputes, simple and complex contract disputes, derivative suits, claims involving breach of fiduciary duties, usurpation of business opportunities, exercise of the business judgment rule, Title VII discrimination, sexual harassment cases, personal injury actions, employment contracts, unfair business practices, covenants against competition, injunction actions, zoning disputes, and real estate litigation. The firm's lawyers are highly adept in handling contentious matters for their clients and they have substantial experience in jury and non-jury trials and in mediation. The firm carefully manages and handles your matter from the initial pleadings through discovery, settlement negotiations, and trial in a manner that is both cost-effective and reflective of your goals. The firm strives to find reasonable solutions to problems to maximize favorable outcomes for its business clients. "Our firm has successfully handled the small family owned business disputes, as well as, multi-million dollar commercial contract litigation, by matching our resources to each individual client", explained C. Berwick Duval. Back to top Call (985) 876-6410 or Toll free at (800) 372-1912 to learn more about the firm and the services that it provides or to arrange for an appointment.