Business Law With a Tax Attorney’s Perspective

Most business attorneys help you form an entity and move on. At Brown and Brown, business and corporate law is inseparable from tax planning.  Every major business decision has tax consequences, and those consequences compound over time.

Michael R. Brown is both a licensed attorney and a Certified Public Accountant, recognized by the California State Bar as a Certified Tax Specialist. That combination is uncommon, and for business owners it is genuinely valuable. When we help you choose between a corporation, an LLC, or a partnership, we don’t just answer a legal question.  Instead, we evaluate the tax treatment of each structure against your specific situation. When we draft a buy-sell agreement or plan a business

Brown and Brown, A Law Corporation, has served business owners in South Orange County since 1987. If you are starting a business, restructuring an existing one, planning for a sale, or navigating a complicated transaction, we bring nearly four decades of experience to that conversation.

Business and Corporate Law Services

Entity Formation Choosing the right business entity C corporation, S corporation, limited liability company, limited partnership, or general partnership is one of the most consequential decisions a business owner makes. The wrong choice can cost years of unnecessary taxes. We evaluate your business model, ownership structure, income projections, and long-term goals to recommend the entity type that positions you best from both a legal and tax standpoint.
Business Structuring and Tax Planning Once the right entity is selected, how it is structured determines how much of your income you keep. We design the relationships between entities, the allocation of income and losses, and the compensation structures that minimize your combined state and federal tax burden, legally and defensibly.
Contracts and Business Agreements Operating agreements, shareholder agreements, partnership agreements, employment contracts, and independent contractor agreements all define what happens when things go well, and what happens when they do not. We draft agreements that are clear, enforceable, and reflect the business realities of your specific situation.
Buy-Sell Agreements and Business Succession What happens to your business if you become disabled, want to retire, or die? A well-drafted buy-sell agreement answers that question before the crisis happens. We structure these agreements to be financially realistic and tax-efficient, so the transition does not trigger unnecessary tax liability for the owners involved.
Sale and Purchase of a Business Whether you are buying a business or selling one, the structure of the transaction — asset sale versus stock sale, installment arrangements, earnout provisions has significant tax implications for both parties. We represent buyers and sellers in these transactions with a focus on minimizing tax exposure while achieving the deal terms that make sense commercially.
Corporate Maintenance and Record-Keeping Corporations and LLCs must maintain proper records, hold required meetings, and document major decisions to preserve liability protection. Failing to do so can expose business owners personally to the debts and liabilities of the business exactly the protection you formed the entity to avoid. We help businesses keep their corporate housekeeping current.
General Business Counsel Many South Orange County business owners benefit from having an attorney they can call when questions come up: contract review, vendor disputes, lease issues, regulatory questions. Brown and Brown provides that ongoing counsel relationship for clients who want a trusted advisor available when they need one.

Why South Orange County Business Owners Work With Brown and Brown

The most common reason clients come to us after working with another attorney is that the legal and tax sides of their business were never coordinated. They formed an entity one way, their accountant filed taxes another way, and the two strategies never quite lined up. We eliminate that problem because the legal strategy and the tax strategy come from the same place.

Michael Brown’s background spans corporate law he worked as corporate counsel and in the tax department of Arthur Andersen & Co. before founding his practice in Orange County and his CPA credential means the tax analysis is not an afterthought. It is built into the legal work from the beginning.

Frequently Asked Questions

About Business and Corporate Law

Since

Years-Experience-Bedge

1987

Schedule a Free Business Law Consultation

If you are a South Orange County business owner with questions about entity structure, business succession, contracts, or the tax consequences of a major transaction, we offer a free initial consultation. Call us at (949) 389-2209 or use the button below to schedule.

Brown and Brown, A Law Corporation
23041 Mill Creek Drive, Laguna Hills, CA 92653
(949) 389-2209
jesse@browntaxlaw.com
Schedule Your Free Consultation