What do Texas transactional lawyers do for their clients?

Most people, going off what they have seen in TV shows and movies, immediately envision a lawyer as someone that makes impassioned speeches in courtrooms and that has dramatic twists and turns during a regular workday. While some high-profile litigators might have careers somewhat resembling this portrayal, many lawyers rarely the inside of a courtroom.

Instead, more lawyers are actually transactional lawyers who help business owners and other clients with the legal aspects of complex transactions. Transactional law spans various practice areas including:

• Mergers and acquisitions
• Buying and selling a business
• Corporate
• Intellectual property
• Estate planning
• Employment
• General business
• Real estate acquisitions and sales

Basically, transactional attorneys will specialize in one or more of these areas and work with their clients to help them achieve their business goals, such as drafting documents to complete transactions, negotiation deals, conducting due diligence, and obtaining regulatory approval or licenses.

Our transactional lawyers here at Jackson, Landrith and Kulesz have decades of experience helping our clients with all of their transactional needs. If you have any questions about how we can help you, contact us today for a consultation.

When would I need a transactional lawyer in Texas (M+A) (PPM)?

While there are several things a transactional lawyer does that an ordinary person can do on their own, some matters are too complex to handle by yourself especially considering the time demands that would be required of someone who does not have a background in researching and solving legal issues.

Here are several instances when hiring a transactional attorney is a smart investment that will make your life easier:

Forming a business, such as a Corporation or LLC

The members of your entity might not think of certain issues that a lawyer would, and it could be difficult to negotiate certain contentious provisions amongst yourselves. Having a transactional lawyer as a thoughtful intermediary will help you work through disputes and set up the business for long-term success. Also, a transactional attorney will file all the necessary documents with the state, execute the entity’s management agreement, and draft template documents for future use, like unanimous member consents for LLCs.

Contract Review and Negotiation

While there are people who are competent enough to negotiate their own contracts, negotiating by yourself against someone with decades of experience usually results in the experienced attorney taking advantage of someone. Remember that in contract negotiations both sides are trying to secure the best deal possible.

Real Estate Purchases and Sales

Real estate transactions can be severely complicated deals involving several different documents. These transactions also involve working with several third parties such as appraisers, contractors for repairs, title companies, and the buyer/seller. There are also many key dates, usually called removing contingencies, that must be strictly adhered to for the transaction to be completed. At the very least, you will need a lawyer or title company to conduct a title search to make sure you own the property clear of any liens or unknown ownership interests.

How can a transactional lawyer help you?

A transactional lawyer usually provides the most value in working closely with a business to accomplish the following things:

Drafting Contracts 

Transactional attorneys’ daily lives usually primarily consist of drafting various contractual agreements for their clients. For instance, a Service Contract is used when a company provides certain services instead of selling goods. A transactional lawyer will draft a standard form contract that will minimize undue liability, give the entity flexibility in completing the services, and clearly define the businesses’ responsibilities under the contract.

Other examples of agreements transactional attorneys typically draft include:

• Stock Purchase Agreements: These are agreements used by start-up companies to raise capital to fund their business, which often end up around 50 pages long, an endeavor that is almost impossible without the help of experienced counsel. These agreements are federally required to detail several things, including: the type of the stock sold, the price and number of shares, the representations and warranties of the investors, the representations and warranties of the company, the conditions to closing, the rights of the investors, and potentially much more.
• Commercial Leases: These are contracts where an aggressive landlord can take advantage of an inadequately represented tenant. The negotiations for these leases usually start with the landlords ‘standard’ lease, which tends to be incredibly one-sided in the landlord’s favor. A transactional attorney will ensure that the final contract reflects the tenant’s desires as well.
• Independent Contractor Agreements: Agreements any business will need in order to hire independent contractors and ensure any work created by the independent contractor is under the ownership of the company.
• Employment Agreements: In order to hire any employee, companies must have strong employment agreements in place.
• Data Privacy Agreements: With the passage of data privacy laws, all companies that have websites or access to any kind of data must have data privacy policies.
• General Services Agreements: Any company that provides services should have a services agreement in place to protect themselves.
• Purchase and Sale Agreement: If you are selling any goods or purchasing any goods, you’ll need a strong Purchase and Sale Agreement in place to dictate the terms of the sale.
• Nondisclosure Agreements: Many clients use this to protect their confidential information, when dealing with a potential supplier or evaluating a possible transaction.