Business Formation & Incorporation
- Award-Winning Law Firm
- State & Federal Court Experience
- Experienced MN Litigators
- Serving Minnesota Since 2003
Minnesota Business Formation Attorneys
The decisions made when a business is formed can affect ownership, control, liability, taxes, and future transactions for years to come. Most ownership disputes begin with expectations that were never clearly documented.
Burns & Hansen helps entrepreneurs, business owners, investors, and established companies choose and create business structures that fit how they intend to operate. We also assist existing businesses with reorganizations, ownership agreements, intellectual property preservation, and other legal issues that arise as a company grows or changes.
Our Business Formation Services
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Business Organization
The right entity depends on ownership, management, liability, tax treatment, financing, and how the company is expected to operate. Burns & Hansen helps clients choose between LLCs, corporations, partnerships, and other structures, form new entities, and reorganize existing businesses when their current structure no longer fits.
Partnership Agreements
A partnership agreement should clearly define how owners will share control, responsibilities, profits, and risk. Burns & Hansen drafts and reviews agreements covering decision-making, financial contributions, distributions, ownership transfers, departures, and dispute resolution so partners have a workable framework before problems arise.
Shareholder Agreements
Shareholder agreements can address voting rights, management authority, capital contributions, stock transfers, valuation methods, buyout terms, and procedures for resolving disputes. Burns & Hansen helps shareholders create agreements that reflect how the company is intended to operate and what should happen when ownership circumstances change.
Trademark & Copyright Law
A company's name, branding, content, software, and other intellectual property may be among its most valuable assets. Burns & Hansen assists with trademark and copyright protection, licensing, confidentiality, trade secrets, and related agreements, as well as disputes involving infringement or misuse.
Why Choose Burns & Hansen for Your Business Formation Needs
When you work with Burns & Hansen, you benefit from:
- Agreements designed to address foreseeable changes before they become ownership disputes.
- Attorneys who look beyond filing formation documents to how the business will actually operate.
- Guidance shaped by ownership, management, liability, financing, and transaction considerations.
- Experience advising both new ventures and established companies undergoing restructuring or bringing in new owners.
- Direct attorney involvement throughout the formation and organizational process.
- Ongoing legal support involving contracts, transactions, employment, real estate, construction, litigation, appeals, and other issues that may affect the business over time.
- Trial-ready attorneys who can step in when a formation or ownership issue later develops into a dispute.
Common Situations We Can Help With
You may benefit from business formation counsel if you are trying to:
- Choose between an LLC, corporation, partnership, or another business structure.
- Form a new business in Minnesota.
- Reorganize an existing company or ownership structure.
- Define how owners will share control, profits, responsibilities, and risk.
- Bring a new partner, shareholder, or investor into the business.
- Prepare for an owner's departure, death, disability, divorce, or retirement.
- Guard business names, branding, creative work, technology, or trade secrets.
- Reduce the likelihood of future ownership and management disputes.
- Address another business formation or organizational matter, or aren't sure whether your situation fits one of these categories. Contact Burns & Hansen to discuss your situation with an attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What types of business formation matters does Burns & Hansen handle?
We help clients form LLCs, corporations, partnerships, and other business entities; prepare governing and ownership agreements; reorganize existing businesses; bring in new owners; and address intellectual property and other legal issues associated with forming and operating a business.
Which business entity should I choose in Minnesota?
The right structure depends on factors such as ownership, management, liability, tax treatment, financing, and the company's expected operations. An attorney can help you compare how an LLC, corporation, partnership, or another entity may affect the business.
Do I need an operating, partnership, or shareholder agreement?
These agreements can be especially important whenever a business has more than one owner. They establish how decisions are made, how profits and responsibilities are shared, and what happens when an owner leaves, dies, becomes disabled, or wants to transfer an interest.
What should a partnership or shareholder agreement address?
Depending on the business, an ownership agreement may address financial contributions, ownership percentages, voting and management rights, distributions, transfers, valuation methods, buyouts, and procedures for resolving disputes.
Can Burns & Hansen help reorganize an existing business?
Yes. We help businesses revise ownership structures, update governing documents, bring in new owners, separate business divisions, and address other organizational changes when the current structure no longer reflects how the company operates.
Can Burns & Hansen help protect our business name and intellectual property?
Yes. We assist businesses with trademark, copyright, licensing, confidentiality, nondisclosure, and trade secret matters. We also represent clients in intellectual property disputes and enforcement actions.
Can you continue advising the company after it is formed?
Yes. Burns & Hansen serves as ongoing legal counsel for businesses on contracts, transactions, ownership matters, employment issues, real estate, construction, disputes, and other legal needs that arise during operations.
Speak With a Minnesota Business Formation Attorney
A business entity should support the way the company is intended to operate—not simply satisfy a filing requirement. Contact Burns & Hansen to discuss your ownership structure, organizational documents, and the legal foundation of your business.
