Hill, Glowacki, Jaeger & Hughes, LLP is able to provide a variety of services to businesses and their owners.  Because of our size we are able to provide individual attention to the needs of our clients and to respond to their changing needs.  In specialized areas, such as intellectual property and environmental law, we are in contact with a network of specialists to whom we can refer these specialized problems.  However, even where we make such referrals, we maintain contact to ensure that you receive the highest quality legal service available.

BUSINESS FORMATION
     We work with businesses in their formative state.  We counsel prospective business owners concerning the best structure for their business and important pre-opening consideration.  We provide legal services in connection with the formation of corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies.  We counsel on the liability, business and tax aspects of business formation. 

     We can also represent parties who are acquiring an existing business and review contracts in connection with franchise and similar arrangements.  We work with other professional advisors such as accountants, business consultants, insurance and real estate professionals in connection with business creation or acquisition.

BUSINESS COUNSELING
     Timely legal advice in connection with ongoing business operations can often save time and money.  It is usually cheaper to avoid a legal problem than to solve it.  Very often a short telephone consultation before a problem happens can avoid a major problem later.  We provide ongoing consultation with business owners and managers on a variety of problems.  Well drafted contracts can also help avoid conflict.  We can either draft contracts for you or review and comment on contracts drafted by others.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION
     Unfortunately, some disputes simply cannot be avoided.  When this happens, we can represent your business in legal actions before courts and administrative agencies.  We are also familiar with "alternate dispute resolution" techniques that may be able to resolve disputes more quickly and inexpensively than traditional litigation.

TAX COUNSELING AND REPRESENTATION
     Federal and State taxes are a critical factor for businesses of all sizes.  We can counsel you in ways to structure business transactions and operations so as to legally minimize the taxes you owe and to take steps to avoid disputes with the taxing authorities.  If you become involved in a dispute with the Internal Revenue Service or the Wisconsin Department of Revenue,  we can provide representation to attempt to bring the dispute to a satisfactory resolution.

BUSINESS REAL ESTATE
      Many legal problems can arise from the ownership or leasing of business real estate.  We can counsel and represent you in matters relating to real estate including purchase and sale, leasing, real estate disputes and matters involving real estate taxation.  We can help you determine the best way to structure real estate ownership and provide the legal services necessary to create entities to own real estate.

EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
     Retaining key employees is an important factor in the success of any business. We can work with you to design compensation systems and benefit programs that will allow you to attract and retain a competent and dedicated workforce.  We can advise you on the tax and other implications of these programs and assist you in working with other professionals in the employee benefits area.

BUSINESS SUCCESSION PLANNING
     For mature businesses, a key issue is transfer of business ownership and operation as the older generation of owners wishes to become less active.  We can work with you, your accountant and insurance professionals to devise techniques for preserving, transferring and realizing on business values.  We can help develop buy-sell agreements and business insurance programs that can facilitate this process.

ESTATE PLANNING FOR BUSINESS OWNERS
     For many small business owners, the value of the business represents the largest asset in their estate.  We can work with these owners to plan their estates so as preserve these values, minimize estate and gift taxes and provide for an orderly transfer of the estate, including the business, to the next generation.  We can also assist in planning for estate tax liquidity needs in appropriate cases.  We can work with many of the latest planning techniques including retained interest trusts and family partnerships and limited liability companies.  At the time of death of a business owner, we can assist family members in the administration of the estate through probate or the termination of a living trust.

SALE OF BUSINESSES
     Oftentimes, it is possible to realize on the value of a business through its sale to employees of the business or third parties.  We can provide representation in this process and work with your other professional advisors to help you obtain a fair return for your years of effort in building the business.

TEAMWORK
     All business owners know the importance of teamwork and so do we.  We understand that the various professionals, including accountants, lawyers, business consultants, insurance professionals, real estate professionals and many others can be critical to the success or failure of a business.  We believe it is important that these professionals, including ourselves, work together as a team for your benefit.