From entity formation and securing capital to navigating day-to-day operations and tackling complex mergers, acquisitions and ownership transitions, Lathrop GPM provides comprehensive solutions tailored to meet the evolving challenges of closely held and family businesses. Our holistic approach ensures that your business is equipped to grow, adapt and succeed—today and for generations to come.
At Lathrop GPM, we recognize that closely held and family businesses are the backbone of the economy, built on ambition, resilience and personal dedication. Our team is committed to providing comprehensive legal counsel tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities these businesses face. We have a longstanding history of serving multiple generations of owners within companies and take the time to understand your business operations and long-term goals for growth, succession and legacy. Our approach is grounded in building strong, trusted partnerships, ensuring you have the guidance needed to navigate complex legal landscapes.
Whether you are forming a new business, growing and transforming, managing daily operations, planning for ownership transitions, or resolving disputes, we are here to support you at every stage of your journey. From addressing routine corporate and tax matters to closing sophisticated transactions, our goal is simple: to help you achieve your vision for your business and family.
Why Choose Us?
Personalized Attention and Multi-Disciplinary Approach
We prioritize building relationships and taking the time to understand your business, family and goals. Our attorneys offer guidance across a broad spectrum of legal issues, ensuring cohesive strategies that address your current and future needs. Our seamless, multi-disciplinary approach and personalized advice is practical, timely and aligned with your unique circumstances.
Legacy of Trusted Service
With decades of experience advising closely held and family businesses, we have developed a deep understanding of the challenges your enterprises face, offering pragmatic solutions to help you to thrive and adapt.
Substantive Areas
Our Closely Held & Family Business practice addresses the full spectrum of legal and business needs, including:
Compliance
We understand that compliance is critical to protecting your business and maintaining a competitive edge. Our team provides comprehensive support to help you navigate complex legal and regulatory requirements that impact your operations. Whether ensuring compliance with federal and state employment laws, addressing safety issues or managing immigration matters to attract top talent, we deliver practical solutions tailored to your business. We also guide clients through data privacy and security frameworks, including GDPR and CCPA, and advise on corporate governance and internal controls.
Dispute Resolution & Litigation
When disputes arise, we assess business strategy, evaluate opportunities for resolution, and use an array of negotiation styles, including lawyer-to-lawyer, arbitration, mediation and family counseling to define the root of business conflict and craft optimum solutions. We assist clients with a myriad of disputes, including:
- Breaches of fiduciary duty
- Breaches of shareholder/partnership agreements
- Corporate governance
- Disagreements over asset sales mergers and similar corporate transactions
- Dissolutions
- Dividends, distributions and shareholder loans
- Embezzlement
- Executive compensation claims
- Misappropriation of confidential information
- Self-dealing
- Valuation disputes
Employment & Labor
We collaborate with clients to address a range of employment and labor challenges, helping you build and maintain a strong, compliant and engaged workforce. We help develop strategies and policies that attract and retain top talent, including drafting employment agreements, designing stock option and executive compensation packages, and establishing retirement and benefits plans. When disputes arise, we act swiftly and decisively, whether defending against discrimination or wage claims or enforcing trade secret protections and noncompetition agreements.
Formation, Financing, Growth & Tax Planning
We provide strategic counsel to help businesses build strong foundations and achieve sustainable growth. Our services include advising on the organization, structure and administration of a wide range of entities, from corporations and limited liability companies to partnerships and joint ventures, and on organizing boards and committees. We help clients identify the most effective financing methods, whether through private placements, IPOs, leveraged buyouts or leveraged recapitalizations, and guide them through raising capital via equity or loan arrangements. Our team excels at structuring ownership agreements, distribution and licensing arrangements, and joint ventures and strategic partnerships, ensuring alignment with business objectives. We also deliver tailored advice on tax considerations at the federal, state and local levels, empowering businesses to seize opportunities and minimize risk.
Intellectual Property
We recognize that intellectual property is a cornerstone of innovation and business success. Our team helps clients safeguard their ideas and creations through comprehensive trademark, copyright and patent strategies. Beyond protection, we provide counsel on leveraging IP assets, whether through licensing, mergers and acquisitions or strategic partnerships, to unlock their full potential. Should disputes arise, we prioritize efficient and effective solutions to protect your business interests and maintain your competitive edge.
Mergers & Acquisitions
We guide clients through the complexities of transactions of all kinds, helping you to seize opportunities for growth and transition. Our team manages a wide range of transactions, including mergers, stock and asset purchases, exchange offers, tender offers, restructurings, cross-border deals, and private equity investments. We assist with divestitures, spin-offs, hostile bids and bankruptcy-related transactions. For family- and management-owned businesses, we provide tailored support when it is time to transition ownership, preparing for the sale, collaborating with investment bankers and accountants, and meticulously documenting every aspect of the transaction.
Private Client Services (Including Succession & Estate Planning)
We understand that planning for the future of your business is deeply personal and essential for long-term success. We collaborate closely with you to develop tailored business succession plans that align with your unique circumstances and vision for the future. Our team implements strategies to transition ownership of closely held and family businesses in a way that is both seamless and tax-efficient, preserving the value you have worked hard to build. We advise on valuation issues and financing strategy and coordinate business succession plans with personal estate plans to ensure a unified approach that protects your legacy.
Additional Services
Our practice also includes:
- Employee benefits and executive compensation plans.
- Franchise registration and compliance.
- Immigration counseling and workforce development strategies.
- Real estate and real property transactions, including site selection, acquisitions, leasing, sales, zoning, state and local incentive packaging, and all related tax matters.
