Commercial Law Attorney in Dallas, TX

For most closely held Texas businesses an LLC offers the simplest combination of liability protection and flexible management, and its tax treatment can be elected. A corporation makes more sense where outside investment, stock incentives or a specific tax posture is planned, and licensed professionals may need a professional entity. The right answer depends on ownership, financing plans and tax goals, which is a conversation worth having with both an attorney and a CPA.

It is the single most common expensive mistake we see. Without a written agreement, Texas default rules govern decision-making, profit allocation and what happens when one owner wants out or stops contributing — and those defaults are rarely what the owners assumed. It can still be papered now, and doing it while everyone is on good terms costs a fraction of resolving it later.

They can be. Texas enforces a non-compete that is ancillary to an otherwise enforceable agreement and reasonable in time, geographic area and scope of activity. Overbroad clauses are frequently reformed by courts rather than enforced as written, which means an aggressive draft can end up protecting less than a careful one.

Start with a documented demand referencing the contract terms and any interest or fee provisions. If that does not work, the calculus is whether the customer can pay and whether your contract allows recovery of attorney's fees. Texas law allows fee recovery on many breach of contract claims, which changes the economics of pursuing a mid-sized receivable considerably.

For a multi-year lease, yes. Commercial leases are not consumer contracts and are heavily landlord-favorable by default. The provisions that hurt tenants later — personal guaranties, CAM charges, relocation clauses, assignment restrictions and holdover penalties — are negotiable before signing and essentially fixed afterward.

It protects them substantially, but not absolutely. Personal guaranties, your own negligent acts, unpaid trust fund taxes, and failure to observe entity formalities or keep finances separate can all expose an owner personally. Forming the entity is step one; operating it properly is what keeps the protection intact.