Our Business Law attorneys provide seasoned, practical legal advice and transactional representation to business enterprises of every description. Our clients include FORTUNE 100 corporations and family-owned businesses, multinational firms and single location enterprises, entrepreneurial start-ups and some of the oldest continuously operating companies in our communities. As a result, the group's attorneys have a wealth of experience addressing the legal challenges facing companies operating in a variety of industries and at every stage of their development.

We serve as general outside counsel for many of our clients, often working with Parker Poe attorneys from other practice areas to provide legal assistance on matters ranging from complex business transactions and contracts, to litigation, employment counseling and environmental compliance. This coordinated offering of integrated legal services has proven to be particularly useful for clients with limited or no internal legal resources. Our Business Law attorneys also work closely with the legal departments or other outside counsel of clients to provide experience in specific areas such as securities and mergers and acquisitions, or to handle discrete projects such as a corporate compliance audit. Through our membership in TerraLex, we have developed relationships with other highly qualified law firms that enable us to offer our clients seamless assistance in these areas across the United States and around the world.

In order to serve our clients effectively, we strive to develop a thorough understanding of each client's business, and the challenges and opportunities it faces. Through longstanding client relationships our attorneys have developed particular experience in the following industries: automotive, banking and capital markets, chemicals, equipment sales and rentals, franchising and distribution, home furnishings, health care, information technology, insurance brokerage, life sciences and biotechnology, motorsports, pharmaceuticals, resort, hospitality & planned development, retail, textiles and apparel and steel.

Experience Highlights

The services we offer our business clients range from counseling on a variety of day-to-day legal matters to closing milestone transactions, and include the following:

• Forming new corporations, limited liability companies and partnerships, and developing and documenting both simple and complex ownership and control structures and buy-sell arrangements
• Drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, including procurement, franchise, distribution, services and other similar agreements
• Developing, protecting and licensing intellectual property, including patents, trademarks and trade secrets
• Advising officers and directors regarding their legal responsibilities and liabilities and other corporate governance issues
• Developing effective corporate compliance programs, including complying with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
• Identifying and securing available tax and other economic development incentives for corporate relocations and expansions
• Advising on international trade and investment matters
• Mergers and acquisitions, including leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations and going private transactions
• Venture capital and private equity transactions
• Securities and corporate finance, including initial and secondary public offerings of equity and debt, unregistered private placements and syndicated credit facilities
• Reporting and other compliance obligations under federal and state securities laws and applicable securities exchange regulations

News

• Public Company Forum: Winter 2013
  Updates on Trends, Tips and Best Practices for Public Companies
  March 7, 2013
• Doug's Note: Crisis Management
  Public Company Forum: Winter 2013
  March 7, 2013
• Potential Pitfalls of Employer-Owned Life Insurance
  Public Company Forum: Winter 2013
  March 7, 2013
• The Burden of Independence
  Public Company Forum: Winter 2013
  March 7, 2013
• Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The Remix
  Public Company Forum: Winter 2013
  March 7, 2013
• Your Questions, Our Answers: SEC Comment Letters
  Public Company Forum: Winter 2013
  March 7, 2013
• Forty-Four Parker Poe Attorneys Named 2013 NC Super Lawyers
  January 18, 2013
• Parker Poe Attorneys Recognized Among 2013 Legal Elite
  January 15, 2013
• Public Company Forum: Fall 2012
  Updates on Trends, Tips and Best Practices for Public Companies
  November 1, 2012
• Doug's Note: In this Issue...
  Public Company Forum: Fall 2012
  November 1, 2012
• The National Labor Relations Board Weighs in on Social Media Policies and Facebook Firings
  Public Company Forum: Fall 2012
  November 1, 2012
• Is It Proxy Season Already?
  Public Company Forum: Fall 2012
  November 1, 2012
• Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Conflict Minerals Compliance
  Public Company Forum: Fall 2012
  November 1, 2012
• Your Questions, Our Answers: Whistleblower Update
  Public Company Forum: Fall 2012
  November 1, 2012
• Mark Bernstein Receives Ayscue Professionalism Award
  October 31, 2012
• Andrea Chomakos Appointed to the American College of Trust And Estate Counsel
  October 26, 2012
• Parker Poe Grows Again with Addition of Four Associates
  September 15, 2012
• Public Company Forum: Summer 2012
  Updates on Trends, Tips and Best Practices for Public Companies
  July 26, 2012
• Doug’s Note: A Moment of Sanity?
  Public Company Forum: Summer 2012
  July 26, 2012
• Class Action Liability for High 401(k) Fees: Tussey v. ABB, Inc.
  Public Company Forum: Summer 2012
  July 26, 2012
• Shedding Light on Blackout Periods
  Public Company Forum: Summer 2012
  July 26, 2012
• My Name is Bond, James Bond (...Actually, it's Jim Bonde and I work down in Accounting...): Lessons from a Resume Scandal
  Public Company Forum: Summer 2012
  July 26, 2012
• Dodd-Frank Act Progress Report: Summer 2012 (with a JOBS Act Update for Good Measure)
  Public Company Forum: Summer 2012
  July 26, 2012
• George Pretty Featured in CBJ Article on International Law
  Charlotte firms' expertise grows in international law
  May 18, 2012
• Dodd-Frank Act Progress Report: Spring 2012
  Public Company Forum: Spring 2012
  April 25, 2012
• What’s Market? Are Non-Binding Auditor Ratification Votes “Required?”
  Public Company Forum: Spring 2012
  April 25, 2012
• Say on Pay: We Got an “A+.” Should We Still Worry?
  Public Company Forum: Spring 2012
  April 25, 2012
• What’s New With Stock Buybacks?
  Public Company Forum: Spring 2012
  April 25, 2012
• Don't Pay Me, or Else! Extorted or Culturally Compelled Payments to Foreign Officials
  Public Company Forum: Spring 2012
  April 25, 2012
• Doug's Note: The JOBS Act
  Public Company Forum: Spring 2012
  April 25, 2012
• Public Company Forum: Spring 2012
  Updates on Trends, Tips and Best Practices for Public Companies
  April 25, 2012
• Al Guarnieri Interviewed on International Investment by Charlotte Regional Partnership
  April 16, 2012
• Playing the Government Incentives Game
  Public Company Forum Newsletter: Winter 2012
  January 26, 2012
• Public Company Forum Newsletter: Winter 2012
  A Quarterly Update on Trends, Tips and Best Practices for Public Companies
  January 26, 2012
• Shedding Light on Political Spending
  Public Company Forum Newsletter: Winter 2012
  January 26, 2012
• Angry Birds and Board Books: The Case for Electronic Board Portals
  Public Company Forum Newsletter: Winter 2012
  January 26, 2012
• Attorney-Client Privilege – A Public Company Gotcha
  Public Company Forum Newsletter: Winter 2012
  January 26, 2012
• Dodd-Frank Act Progress Report: Winter 2012
  Public Company Forum Newsletter: Winter 2012
  January 26, 2012
• Business North Carolina Names 16 Attorneys to 2012 Legal Elite
  January 9, 2012
• Parker Poe Names Six New Partners
  January 3, 2012
• Mark Bernstein Receives Charlotte Symphony's Sally Ann Hall Award
  November 10, 2011
• Kevin Chapman Named Vice-Chair of Arts & Science Council Committee
  November 8, 2011
• A Proxy Advisor’s Negative Recommendation on Say-on-Pay: How Much Should You Care?
  Public Company Forum Newsletter: Fall 2011
  October 25, 2011
• Public Company Forum Newsletter: Fall 2011
  October 25, 2011
• Director Diversity = Dollars
  Public Company Forum Newsletter: Fall 2011
  October 25, 2011
• Dodd-Frank Act Progress Report: Fall 2011
  Public Company Forum Newsletter: Fall 2011
  October 25, 2011
• What’s Market? Are Press Releases Passé?
  Public Company Forum Newsletter: Fall 2011
  October 25, 2011
• Is it Bigger than a Breadbox? Navigating Materiality
  Public Company Forum Newsletter: Fall 2011
  October 25, 2011
• Public Company Forum Newsletter: Summer 2011
  July 14, 2011
• Dodd-Frank Act Progress Report: Summer 2011
  Public Company Forum Newsletter: Summer 2011
  July 14, 2011
• The SEC’s New Whistleblower Rules: Now What?
  Public Company Forum Newsletter: Summer 2011
  July 14, 2011
• Risky Business: Effective Compliance Programs
  Public Company Forum Newsletter: Summer 2011
  July 14, 2011
• SC Economic Developer's Association Names Ray Jones to Board
  May 20, 2011
• German American Chamber Elects Sam Moses to Board
  May 11, 2011
• Client’s Transaction Named Private Equity Deal of the Year
  Carolina Beer & Beverage Deal Recognized at Capital Connection Conference in Durham
  May 10, 2011
• Roy L. “Skip” Smart III Named BTI Client Service All-Star for 2011
  April 7, 2011
• Challenges for 2011: Recovery and Compliance
  Public Company Alert
  February 21, 2011
• Thirty-Seven Parker Poe Attorneys Named NC Super Lawyers for 2011
  January 25, 2011
• Business North Carolina Names 13 Attorneys to 2011 Legal Elite
  Firm Partner Catharine Biggs Arrowood “Top Vote-Getter” for Antitrust
  January 21, 2011
• U.S.News & World Report Names Parker Poe as a Top-Tier Law Firm
  Firm Ranked #1 in 22 Legal Areas for 2010
  September 15, 2010
• 61 Parker Poe Attorneys Recognized as Best Lawyers® for 2011
  August 18, 2010
• Parker Poe Commended for Getting MTU Deal Done
  Law Firm Advised International Manufacturer on Relocation to State
  March 10, 2010
• Uncertain Tax Positions? Get Ready to Tell the IRS Everything
  Business Law Alert
  January 27, 2010
• Twelve Parker Poe Attorneys Among "Legal Elite" for 2010
  January 4, 2010
• SEC Adopts Final Rules on Enhanced Compensation and Corporate Governance Disclosure for 2010 Proxy Season
  Business Law Alert
  December 23, 2009
• NYSE Rule Changes Affect 2010 Corporate Governance Practices and Proxy Season
  Business Law Alert
  December 17, 2009
• Exploring for State and Local Business Incentives: Finding the Highest Ground for Growth
  Business Law Alert
  November 11, 2009
• Shareholder Bill of Rights Act of 2009
  Business Law Alert
  November 2, 2009
• Deadline to Implement Identity Theft Prevention Program: November 1, 2009
  September 25, 2009
• Data Security Breaches in North Carolina: Governor Perdue Signs Law Enacting Stricter Rules
  Business Law Alert
  July 29, 2009
• Amended Broker Voting Rules to Impact Director Elections in 2010
  Business Law Alert
  July 7, 2009
• Chrysler and General Motors Bankruptcy Cases: Time to Revisit Credit Risk Strategies
  Business Law Alert
  June 17, 2009
• Separate Return Filing in North Carolina? Think Again Under Recent Wal-Mart Case
  Business Law Alert
  June 11, 2009
• Delaware Supreme Court Reverses Lyondell Decision
  Business Law Alert
  April 21, 2009
• The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
  February 20, 2009
• Public Companies Required to Use Interactive Data in Financial Reporting
  Business Law Alert
  February 3, 2009
• Director Independence Developments Warrent Review of Policies and Procedures
  Business Law Alert
  October 20, 2008
• SEC Moves Toward International Accounting Standards
  Business Law Alert
  September 29, 2008
• Directors Face Potential Personal Liability for Failing to Take A More Active Role in the Sale of Business Process
  Business Law Alert
  September 15, 2008
• Parker Poe Adds Former Sara Lee IP Chief
  May 5, 2008
• Q&A with William G. Pappas
  May 5, 2008
• Terror Threat Compels Compliance
  April 1, 2008
• Parker Poe Strengthens Its Economic Development Team with the Addition of Sam Moses in Columbia
  August 29, 2007
• Corporate Board Member Magazine Names Parker Poe as One of Top Corporate Law Firms in Charlotte
  June 14, 2007
• Evins Receives Top Chamber Award
  February 20, 2007
• Rewards of Clinical Trials Tempered by Legal Risks
  January 5, 2007
• Kevin W. Chapman and C. Mark Stevenson Join Parker Poe
  November 1, 2006
• J. Derham Cole, Jr. Joins Parker Poe
  October 26, 2006
• M&A Price Adjustment Clauses: Buyer Beware?
  Business Law Alert
  September 11, 2006
• An International Law Firm with Southeast Roots
  April 1, 2006
• Discovery in the Electronic Information Age Part II
  March 13, 2006
• Discovery in the Electronic Information Age
  March 2, 2006
• Seventeen Parker Poe Attorneys Among "Legal Elite"
  January 20, 2006
• Thompson Named to TerraLex Board of Directors
  December 13, 2005
• Almond Joins Parker Poe as Counsel
  October 12, 2005
• Parker Poe Attorneys Among The Best Lawyers in America
  September 13, 2005
• Dissecting the Purchase Agreement Seminar Features Parker Poe Attorneys
  September 12, 2005
• Parker Poe Named as One of Top Corporate Law Firms in Charlotte
  June 29, 2005
• Waiving Attorney-Client Privilege with a Click of the Mouse
  Liability Alert
  April 26, 2005
• Parker Poe Attorney to Present at May 24th Seminar, "Selected Strategies on Mergers and Acquisitions in North Carolina"
  April 4, 2005
• Parker Poe Attorneys Honored as The Best Lawyers in America and the "Legal Elite" in North Carolina
  February 28, 2005
• Announcing Parker Poe's 2004 Fall Associates and Special Counsel
  November 4, 2004
• Directors With Specialized Expertise May Be Held to a Higher Standard
  Business Law Alert
  October 28, 2004
• John Anderson, Chip Holmes, Ray Jones and Scott Leo Have Become Partners in the Firm
  January 12, 2004
• Deadline Approaching to Secure Tax Credits at Current Level for Investment in Machinery and Equipment
  December 21, 2002
• Deadline of December 31, 2001 for Refund of Harbor Maintenance Taxes
  December 11, 2001

Case Studies

• Emergence of a Leading Research Institute