Who We Help With Formations and Entity Cleanup

We work with owner-operated and closely held businesses, often with one to five owners and up to 100 employees, including:

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    Sole proprietors and general partnerships who are ready to “grow” into an LLC or corporation

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    Businesses formed online or through a CPA, with little or no follow-up on governance

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    Owners who inherited an entity when they bought the business

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    Family-owned companies where ownership has shifted over time without clear documentation

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    Equine businesses and barns that need both equine and business structure support

Common Formation and Cleanup Issues We See

Note: An entity that’s set up incorrectly can put your personal assets at risk. We help you clean up ownership, governance documents, and filings so your business structure actually protects you and your family.

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    Unclear or outdated entity choice

    LLC vs corporation decision made years ago, or never really made at all.

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    Missing Operating Agreement or Bylaws

    Or documents that no one has read or updated since formation.

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    Ownership not properly documented

    Verbal understandings or emails, but no signed agreement explaining who owns what and what happens if someone leaves.

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    No minutes or resolutions

    Especially for multi-owner corporations or LLCs that are treated like partnerships.

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    Lapsed or inconsistent filings

    Statements of Information or registered agent information not kept current.

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    Due diligence anxiety

    Concern about what a lender, buyer, or regulator would say if they reviewed your books and records.

Forming a New California LLC or Corporation

A proper formation is about more than filing Articles with the Secretary of State. We focus on matching the entity type and documents to how your business actually works and where it’s going. This step is critical to ensure that you and your family are properly protected from actions that occur in your business.

What's Typically Included in a Turnkey Formation?

  • Initial strategy call to understand owners, contributions, decision-making, and exit scenarios
  • Coordination with your CPA on tax elections and overall plan
  • Name check and preparation, and filing of Articles of Organization or Incorporation
  • Drafting and finalizing an Operating Agreement (LLC) or Bylaws and initial minutes (corporation)
  • Initial resolutions and ownership ledger (membership interests or shares)
  • Statement of Information and related California filings
  • Basic “Owner’s Guide” in plain English, so you know what to do going forward

Of course, formation and filing fees vary by complexity. Currently, single-member LLC formations start at $3,500 plus filing fees, with higher flat fees for multi-owner entities and more complex structures. We will give you a clear, written quote before you commit, and your Triage Call fee will be applied to this amount.

Cleaning Up an Existing LLC or Corporation

If your business has been operating for years, you may not want to start over. An Entity Cleanup & Governance Reset is about documenting where your business is today, catching up on required records, and putting you in a stronger position for disputes, financing, or a future sale.

What an Entity Cleanup & Governance Reset Involves

  • Review of formation documents, minutes, resolutions, and key filings
  • Confirming current ownership and how decisions are actually being made
  • Identifying missing or outdated agreements and records
  • Drafting or updating Operating Agreements, Bylaws, and resolutions
  • Bringing State filings current and addressing obvious gaps and compliance concerns that put you at personal risk
  • Assembling a consolidated record book that can be provided to lenders, buyers, or advisors
  • Holding a call with you and your key people to explain how to keep the business compliant moving forward
  • Depending on complexity, cleanup work is typically quoted in flat-fee bands (for example, simple, moderate, and complex), so you know the range before we begin.

Why Cleanup Matters Before a Loan, Investment, or Sale

If you’re considering raising capital, refinancing, or selling the business in the next few years, your entity documents and records will likely be part of the due diligence process. Addressing gaps in advance is almost always cheaper and less stressful than trying to fix them under a deadline.

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    Ensuring that your company is compliant with current laws and filings protects you as the current owner of the company.

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    Buyers and lenders look for clear ownership, authority to sign, and clean records.

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    Loose or missing documents can slow or jeopardize deals—or reduce your leverage.

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    Cleanup now can make negotiations smoother and reduce surprises later.

How We Work With Business Owners

Three-step format:

1

Legal Health Check & Triage Call

You start with a short online Legal Health Check so we can see how your entity, contracts, and records are set up today. Once you submit your answers, you’ll be able to schedule a 20-minute triage call.

On that call, we:

  • Confirm that your matter is a good fit for the firm.
  • Clarify what you’re dealing with and what you want to accomplish.
  • Recommend whether a Business Legal Strategy Session or a specific flat-fee project is the right next step.

We do not review documents or give legal advice on this call. It’s focused on fit, expectations, and next steps. For litigation, employment, IP, tax, franchise, or real estate law concerns, we may refer you to other firms that have served our clients well.

Fee:Your initial investment for this triage call is $150. If we decide to work together on the next step, we will credit this amount toward your Business Legal Strategy Session or a flat-fee project.

Schedule & Pay for a Business Legal Triage Call
2

Business Legal Strategy Session

If your situation calls for a deeper review, the next step is a Business Legal Strategy Session.

This is a focused working meeting—not a generic free consult—where we:

  • Walk through your Legal Health Check in more detail.
  • Review up to three key documents (for example, your operating agreement, main client contract, LOI, or key correspondence).
  • Explain the risks and options in plain English, with a clear, prioritized action plan.

Where appropriate, we’ll also outline flat-fee or phased options to implement the plan, so you know the likely scope and cost up front.

Fee: The Business Legal Strategy Session is billed as a flat fee. Most sessions fall within the $1,500–$2,500 range, depending on the scope of the issues and preparation involved.

3

Flat-Fee Projects & Ongoing Support

Once you’re comfortable with the plan, we move into implementation on a flat-fee basis wherever possible.

Depending on your situation, that might include:

  • Forming or converting an LLC or corporation.
  • Cleaning up and documenting an existing entity and ownership structure.
  • Updating or building a tailored set of core contracts.
  • Guiding you through a small-business purchase, sale, or wind-down.

Each project is scoped in writing and approved by you before we begin, so you know what’s included and what it will cost.

For businesses that want continuing access to counsel, we also offer maintenance plans and outside general counsel options, so you have a consistent point of contact instead of starting from scratch every time a new issue comes up.

Formation & Cleanup FAQs

Can you help if my LLC or corporation was formed online or by my CPA?

Yes. Many clients come to us after a DIY or CPA-assisted formation. We review what’s in place, identify gaps, and fix what’s needed so your structure aligns with your business and goals.

Do I need to dissolve my existing entity and start over?

Not always. Often, we can work within your current entity, updating documents and catching up on records without starting from scratch. Whether that’s appropriate is something we’ll discuss after reviewing your situation.

How long does a typical cleanup take?

It depends on how many entities and years we’re dealing with, but many cleanups can be completed over a matter of weeks once we have all the information. We’ll give you a more specific timeline upon engagement.

Do you coordinate with my CPA?

Yes. We encourage coordination so that your legal documents, tax elections, and overall plan are aligned.

Ready to get your LLC or corporation in order?

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