contracts – protecting rights, minimizing risk, and negotiating fair terms in the U.S. and globally.
Your company is your foundation. Great ideas stall when ownership is unclear, co-founders fall out, or an investor finds gaps in your paperwork. A Miami business formation attorney at ChaseLawyers® helps founders, creative entrepreneurs, and entertainment companies choose the right structure, issue equity cleanly, and reward their teams in a way that supports long-term growth.
From production companies, record labels, and talent-driven brands to tech startups and media ventures, our Miami and New York startup lawyers set up LLCs, corporations, and partnerships; draft the agreements that govern them; and plan ahead for fundraising, new hires, and future exits. We work alongside your accountant so the legal and tax pieces fit together.
contracts — protecting artists, producers, and their rights across the U.S. and globally.
What Do We Offer You?
Business Formation, Equity & Compensation Services
Entity Formation – Build on a Strong Foundation
The right structure protects you and shapes how profit, taxes, and control work. We help you:
- Compare LLC, corporation, and partnership options, including S corporation tax elections, with your tax advisor
- Prepare and file formation documents in Florida, New York, Delaware, or another state that fits your plans.
- Draft operating agreements, bylaws, and partnership agreements that reflect how you actually run the business.
- Put governance basics in place that help preserve your limited liability protection.
Equity Issuance – Structure Ownership Clearly
Clear ownership today prevents costly disputes tomorrow. We help you:
- Document founder stock purchases and LLC membership interest grants.
- Build vesting schedules, cliffs, and repurchase rights that protect the company.
- Draft shareholder and buy-sell agreements with sensible transfer restrictions.
- Structure issuances to fit available securities law exemptions and prepare for investor due diligence.
Team Compensation – Motivate & Retain Talent
The right incentives keep your people invested in your success. We help you:
- Draft employment, executive, and independent contractor agreements.
- Design stock option plans, restricted stock, profits interests, and phantom equity.
- Put bonuses, commissions, and profit-sharing terms clearly in writing.
- Include confidentiality, IP assignment, and appropriate restrictive covenants.
How It Works
How We Work: Our Business Formation Process
Share your business goals, co-founders, and team plans. We identify key risks and explain your structuring options in plain English.
We recommend an entity type and state, map out founder ownership and vesting, and plan for future investors and hires.
We file formation documents and prepare operating agreements or bylaws, founder equity documents, and board or member approvals.
We draft employment, contractor, and equity compensation agreements and help you keep securities, tax, and corporate records in order.
As you raise capital, add partners, or restructure, we update your equity and compensation plans and help resolve disputes early.
Startups & Founders
We guide first-time and repeat founders through entity selection, founder agreements, and equity planning so your vision is protected from the start.
Entertainment, Media & Creative Companies
Production companies, record labels, agencies, and creator brands rely on us to structure ownership among creative partners, investors, and collaborators.
Growing Companies, Executives & Investors
We help established businesses restructure, bring in new partners, and negotiate executive packages – and help investors understand their rights.
Our Reviews
FAQ
Business Formation & Startup Equity FAQs
Answers to common questions founders and business owners ask about entity choice, founder equity, and team compensation.
It depends on your goals. LLCs offer flexible management and pass-through taxation, which suits many creative businesses, production companies, and family-owned ventures. Corporations, particularly C corporations, are often preferred by venture capital investors because they can issue preferred stock and standard stock option plans. We review your funding plans, ownership, and exit goals with your tax advisor before recommending a structure.
Many local businesses form in the state where they operate, which keeps filings simple. Startups planning to raise venture capital often incorporate in Delaware because investors know its corporate law and business courts. A company formed in another state generally must also register to do business where it operates, such as Florida or New York, adding extra filings and fees.
A strong agreement covers ownership percentages, capital contributions, voting and management rights, how profits are distributed, and what happens when an owner leaves, dies, or wants to sell. It should also address transfer restrictions, rights of first refusal, deadlock resolution, and dispute procedures. Clear terms written at formation are far easier to agree on than terms negotiated during a conflict.
Equity should be issued through board or member approval and written agreements, not handshake promises. Founders typically buy shares at a low price early, often with vesting. Employees and advisors may receive stock options, restricted stock, or LLC profits interests under a written plan. Every issuance should fit a securities law exemption and be recorded accurately on your cap table.
A vesting schedule releases equity over time as someone stays involved, so a person who leaves early does not walk away with a full share. A common approach is four years of vesting with a one-year cliff, meaning nothing vests until the first anniversary. Terms vary, and acceleration on a sale or termination can be negotiated.
When you receive stock that is subject to vesting, a Section 83(b) election lets you choose to be taxed on its value at the time of transfer instead of as it vests. For founders buying shares at a low value, this can reduce future tax exposure. The election must be filed with the IRS within 30 days of the transfer, and late filings generally are not accepted.
Stock options give the right to buy shares later at a set strike price; incentive stock options (ISOs) and non-qualified options (NSOs) are taxed differently. Restricted stock units (RSUs) are a promise to deliver shares or cash when conditions are met. Profits interests are an LLC tool that shares in future growth. Each has different tax consequences, so plan with your CPA
Classification depends on the real working relationship, including how much control you have over the work, how the person is paid, and whether they operate an independent business. A contract label alone does not decide it. Misclassification can lead to back taxes, penalties, and wage claims, so we help you structure agreements and practices that match the relationship.
Your governing documents are the first place to look: buy-sell provisions, deadlock procedures, and vesting terms often determine the outcome. We help co-founders negotiate buyouts, restructure roles, or mediate disagreements before they damage the business. If a resolution cannot be reached, we can advise on arbitration or litigation options available under your agreements and state law.
Costs depend on the entity type, the state, and how complex your ownership and agreements are. State filing fees are separate from legal fees and vary by jurisdiction. ChaseLawyers® offers a free consultation, flat-fee packages for common services, and hourly or retainer options for ongoing work, and we explain the fee structure clearly before starting