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Family Business & Succession Planning

Hodgson Russ assists numerous closely held and family businesses at all stages of growth and development. We have guided hundreds of family owned business entities through successful business transitions. Family businesses present unique legal needs and Hodgson Russ provides comprehensive legal services responsive to those unique needs. Legal services often include advice about regulatory compliance, compensation and equity incentives for family owners and non-family employees, disability and retirement planning, and dispute resolution.

We focus our efforts on maintaining stability and unity among family members because our goal is to assure the ongoing vitality of the family as well as the continued viability of the enterprise. Our attorneys achieve favorable conclusions by developing appropriate succession strategies, managing execution of the plan, and devising methods to address challenges effectively.

Comprehensive Family Business and Succession Legal Services

Our approach to family businesses and succession planning includes identifying the most efficient means to transfer ownership, ascertaining appropriate successors, and determining the optimal timing of the transition. Tax and estate planning strategies are reviewed and assessed in order to minimize the income and estate tax consequences of the transfer.

Hodgson Russ offers advice and guidance on several issues which may arise in the context of family owned businesses and succession planning:

  • Business tax planning
  • Business counseling
  • Company structures
  • Compensation and benefits for non-family employees
  • Compensation and equity incentives for family owners
  • Disability and retirement planning
  • Dispute resolution
  • Interfamily/owner relations and governance
  • Leadership transition and succession
  • Minority shareholders
  • Non-active family owners
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Sale of business interests to family members
  • Sale of business interests to non-family members
  • Sale of business to employees
  • Shareholder agreements
  • Shareholder liquidity

Contact Hodgson Russ for a Family Business & Succession Planning Consultation

Your business and succession planning deserve the experience, and custom services, that Hodgson Russ will provide. Our attorneys are ready to partner with you on all of your legal needs, and we are able to adapt to any unique issues and questions that may arise throughout your business transitions.

To learn more about our Family Business and Succession Planning Practice, contact us today. We look forward to partnering with you on this important part of your business’s current, and future, success.

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