Business & Tax Planning

Practical & Insightful Advice on Business & Tax Issues

We provide businesses and the individuals who own or manage them with sophisticated, practical advice on the business and legal challenges they face. We work with the business owners to help them plan and structure their business transactions and achieve their goals in a tax efficient manner.

This process begins prior to the company being formed. The choice of entity has serious business and tax consequences, including the business’ ability to raise capital and attract and maintain effective management. Our objective is to arrive at a structure that is both flexible and tax efficient.

During the life of a business, the business will likely encounter numerous opportunities and challenges that have legal implications. If the business needs additional funds, then it may need an infusion of capital or a loan. The business may grow through special contract arrangements or joint ventures with suppliers or customers. The business may also grow through the acquisition of other businesses. New owners may join the business and old owners may leave. We work with our clients to structure and negotiate business transactions of all types. We have the ability to quickly draw on the experience and know how of Fredrikson’s attorneys in other practice areas as needed.

At some point, the owners may want to exit the business. This may involve succession planning with family members or with management. It may also involve a sale of the business. We structure and negotiate transition transactions of all types, including asset sales, equity sales, mergers, redemptions, leveraged buyouts and spin offs. For closely held businesses, we work with business owners to realize the best possible outcome both from a personal perspective and a tax perspective.

Additional Tax Related Issues

Tax issues are usually a significant component of any business transaction. We actively advise clients on all aspects of federal and state income, sales and use, real estate and employment taxes. This includes tax issues of international operations, Minnesota taxation of every type, and the state and foreign tax challenges posed by multistate and multinational business operations. We also dedicate a significant amount of time to counseling cooperative clients on tax issues unique to agribusiness and rural electric cooperative industry groups. We aggressively represent a wide range of clients at all levels of tax controversies, including audits, administrative appeals, conferences and hearings, criminal tax investigations, and tax litigation in state and federal courts.

Business & Tax Planning Services

• General legal counsel to businesses and the individuals and entities who own and manage them
• Coordination of personal and estate tax planning matters with business planning matters
• Representation of businesses and individuals in tax audits, tax abatement procedures and tax litigation in both state and federal courts
• Acquisitions and sales of closely held and family owned businesses
• Spin offs
• Liquidations and dissolutions
• Shareholder Control Agreements and Voting Trusts
• Buy Sell Agreements
• Debt and equity financing of businesses
• Formation and capitalization of business entities, including C corporations, S corporations, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships, and limited liability companies (“LLCs”)
• Leveraged buyouts
• Multistate taxation issues and foreign taxation of international investment and business transactions
• Formation and operation of IC DISCs
• Advice in shareholder and partner disputes
• Succession planning for businesses
• Workouts and restructuring of troubled businesses
• Mergers and tax-free reorganizations
• Recapitalizations
• Partnership Agreements
• Member Control Agreements and Operating Agreements for limited liability companies

Main Contacts

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