Businesses and business owners are subject to numerous laws and tax rules from zoning to environmental to safety regulations. Carney, Kelehan, Bresler, Bennett & Scherr attorneys handle all aspects of business law and related tax matters, providing targeted legal counsel to address the unique challenges our clients face.

Our attorneys have extensive experience working for clients throughout Maryland—whether they are small entrepreneurs just launching an enterprise or established businesses facing a variety of legal hurdles. We provide a wide range of legal services for businesses and business owners including assistance with:

• Business formation counseling to limit liability through incorporation as well as the organization of limited liability companies, partnerships, limited liability partnerships or sole proprietorships
• Reviewing and negotiating retail, office or industrial leases
• Preparing loan documents, representation of lenders and borrowers and closing of financing transactions
• Reviewing, negotiating and creating contracts
• Preparing and negotiating agreements for purchase and sale of a business
• Drafting stock and asset purchase agreements
• Representing purchasers and sellers pre- and post-transfer in bulk transfers
• Mergers and acquisitions including business strategies to minimize taxes and limit personal liability for businesses
• Drafting business Buy-Sell or Buyout agreements
• Ongoing employment issues including reviewing and drafting employment contracts, employee non-compete agreements, confidentiality agreements and independent contractor agreements
• Resolution of retirement and deferred compensation plan issues
• Reviewing, negotiating and drafting contracts for purchase and sale of business properties
• Reviewing and counseling on franchise agreements
• Business licenses and federal, state and local regulatory requirements/dispute resolution
• Business succession planning

CarneyKelehan places great emphasis on tax planning to ensure their clients’ businesses maximize all potential tax advantages. Our Taxation and Business Law attorneys look at factors impacting tax liability, both current and in the future, when advising clients regarding business and investment interests. In fulfilling this commitment, we assist clients with:

• Preparation of business tax returns
• Mergers and acquisitions including tax strategies to minimize tax burdens
• Tax planning for businesses, personal business transactions, and estates and trusts
• Representation in tax controversies, audits and appeals, and drafting letters regarding appeals to federal, state and local authorities
• Counsel clients on personal and business liability for employment taxes and unemployment insurance
• Counsel employees and employers on the taxation of benefits, deferrals or accelerations under IRC Sections 83 and 409A, permitted contributions and required distributions and represent employers in plan qualification disputes with the IRS
• Counsel on state requirements and applicability of sales and use tax
• Approaches to minimize taxes on the state transfer and recording tax or encumbrance of real property
• Representation in the preparation of exemptions from and refund of the nonresident withholding tax on sales of real property before and after a sale
• Counsel clients in appealing state property tax assessments
• Counsel clients on taxability and regulatory requirements as well as draft and revise trust documents to comport with requirements

CarneyKelehan Attorneys Concentrating in Taxation and Business Law:

• Darren Burns
• Peter Fastow 
• Owen C. Jarvis
• Claude de Vastey Jones