Mergers and Acquisitions
9 June 2021
Mergers and Acquisitions
Selling your company can be complex. We are here to help navigate the diligence and closing processes so that you can achieve the goals you set for pursuing your next opportunity.
When you are ready to move on to your next great idea, or you have a potential buyer knocking on your door, you may decide it is time to sell your company. As you receive due diligence requests, you will realize just how valuable our services have been. By providing legal counsel along the way as your business grows, we help put your company in the best position to emerge from diligence with a solid deal, and help you achieve your goals for exiting your business.
We specialize in seller-side transactions because we recognize that clients that are selling their businesses are just as important – if not more so – than the buyers. Having West Hill on your side when selling your business, from responding to diligence requests, negotiating the term sheet and definitive agreements, and through the closing, will give you confidence that you are getting the value for your business that you deserve.
Business Issues Solved:
- Respond to due diligence requests
- Negotiate term sheets and purchase and sale agreements
- Engage in pre-diligence to assess your readiness to sell your business
Team Members
Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution
9 June 2021
Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution
Though you hope it won’t happen, there may come a time when your company is sued or needs to file a lawsuit, or becomes involved in commercial arbitration. When this happens, you need a passionate and creative litigation team behind you, a team that understands your business.
Collectively, our litigators have decades of experience in intellectual property and general business disputes. Not only will we put our expertise to work for you in the courtroom (or before the mediator or arbitrator), but we will also use our experience and creativity to help you obtain results that will truly benefit your business.
Business Issues Solved:
- Respond to cease and desist or demand letters
- Address non-compliance with contracts
- Enforce your IP rights
Team Members
Intellectual Property
9 June 2021
Intellectual Property
One of your most valuable business assets is your intellectual property. While the importance of a company’s IP cannot be overstated, protection of it is often overlooked. The IP needs of your business are unique and evolve over time. We work with you to create an overall strategy for protecting each piece of your valuable IP. Our clients use these strategic plans to help them prioritize and budget for IP protection based on business goals.
Here at West Hill we have experience in the protection of copyright, trademarks, patents, and trade secrets. Our clients depend on us to guide them through the process of obtaining intellectual property protection, and then, more importantly, to advise them on how to leverage that IP. Let us help you protect the valuable IP you have worked so hard to create.
Business Issues Solved:
- Launch an inventive new product
- Deal with infringers of your IP
- License third party software and content to include in your products or services
- Develop a legal strategy for your brand
- Protect your written content
Team Members
Employment
9 June 2021
Employment
Your team builds your company’s value. Growing businesses have employment-related needs long before they need a human resources department. We offer cost-effective solutions to help you on-board employees and engage independent contractors while protecting business assets.
Your team should be your biggest asset. But as a business owner, it can often feel like a battle to assemble and retain top-quality team members who promote your company’s culture. When it comes to hiring and firing employees and engaging independent contractors, we can help you navigate the legal landscape. With an eye toward protecting your intellectual property and minimizing risk, our team can streamline processes that allow you to focus on your core business.
The web makes nearly every business a global business. No matter where you recruit talent, West Hill can help you address the issues unique to your business. Drive your local and global growth with employment law assistance from West Hill.
Business Issues Solved:
- Address employee vs. independent contractor issues
- Address cross-border hiring challenges
- Protect intellectual property created by employees and independent contractors
Team Members
Data Privacy and Security
9 June 2021
Data Privacy and Security
Every business—regardless of industry—should be aware of the ever-evolving data privacy landscape. It’s hard to keep up with all of the changes and obligations that affect your business. Whether imposed by law or by contract, modern businesses need a plan to comply with data privacy and security requirements.
At West Hill, we can help you evaluate and manage risks and develop policies that address these challenges. Then we take it a step further and help you minimize liability through attention to data privacy provisions in contracts with vendors, customers and strategic partners. We take a practical approach, working with your in-house or outside IT staff and other key stakeholders, to plan and implement privacy and security data safeguards to address U.S. (Federal and State) and international data protection laws, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We can help you adopt the data transfer mechanisms to safeguard legal data transfers across the globe.
Business Issues Solved:
- Document data privacy policies and procedures
- Draft and review data privacy agreements
- Respond to requests from customers about privacy practices
- Implement international data transfer mechanisms
Team Members
Corporate Finance
9 June 2021
Corporate Finance
Growing your business takes money. Having a stable corporate finance structure and asset protection plan opens the door to a number of financing options to help your business grow.
Our corporate finance attorneys provide a range of options for your business to acquire financing when your business is ready for an influx of cash. Financing is not one-size-fits-all, and we walk our clients through what will be the best fit for them, whether it be equity financing, banking loans, open lines of credit,or other sources.
As you seek outside investment opportunities, it may come as a surprise that the finance documents attached to such investment opportunities are negotiable. We can help negotiate terms and payment conditions that will work best for your business and protect its future growth.
Business Issues Solved:
- Assess corporate finance options
- Draft and negotiate investment documents
Team Members
Corporate
9 June 2021
Corporate
By working with you to evaluate your current challenges and future goals, West Hill can help you understand the differences between various corporate structures and, with input from your accountants, help you to determine which one makes the most sense for you. The corporate law documentation you put in place sets the stage for everything from product or service launch, to financing, to the sale of your business. Let us help you build a strong foundation.
Business Issues Solved:
- Customized startup packages that address your most important early stage needs
- Get a handle on corporate housekeeping
- Avoid disputes among business partners
- Be ready for a successful exit
Team Members
Contracts and Negotiations
9 June 2021
Contracts and Negotiations
In an era of template contracts, on-line legal resources and “click to accept,” many business owners see agreements with customers, suppliers, contractors and strategic partners as just another administrative task. Many business owners believe they have no leverage to request changes to contracts and negotiations. However, nearly all business agreements can and should be negotiated to minimize business risk.
Your eyes glaze over as you read what you can only assume is boilerplate legal language that appears in all contracts. In our experience, it takes only one contract dispute for business owners to learn that this is simply not the case.
Where and how have you agreed to resolve disputes? The courthouse down the street or arbitration in some far-flung city or country? How, if at all, is your liability limited? Have you inadvertently transferred rights in your valuable intellectual property to the other party? Will the terms raise red flags during due diligence? If you sell your business, is the agreement you signed assignable to the buyer?
These are just a few of the issues that West Hill will take into consideration when we review an agreement for you – enabling you to make the best decisions for your business.
Business Issues Solved:
- Minimize risk associated with signing agreements with customers, suppliers, contractors and strategic partners
- Strengthen your template agreements
- Avoid and reduce disruption caused by disputes
- Protect your intellectual property rights
- Prepare for due diligence
