Business Tax and Corporate
Whether you are a small business or a large company, a long-established business or a start-up, or an Ontario business or an international company, the Sutherland Law team will help you manage all your legal needs.
Starting and managing a business is an exciting, but challenging time. Here at Sutherland Law, we are committed to helping you build a successful business by guiding you through the legal challenges your company is likely to face.
In addition, our lawyers are equipped to critically assess your tax law matters and represent you in a manner that will forward your interests and work to achieve the best outcome for you. Our lawyers are familiar with the Income Tax Act, along with having expertise in areas including taxation of importing, exporting, sale of goods and services, and property.
Our firm focuses on providing practical and creative solutions, catered to each client’s particular needs. Through years of experience representing businesses in court, Sutherland Law has developed a critical eye that allows us to be initiative-taking in our advice and ask the tough questions that minimize the risk of litigation disputes down the road.
Our expertise in commercial law includes:
Intellectual Property
In addition to general business law, our experience in trademark, patent, and intellectual property law equips us to:
- Negotiate and draft various intellectual property licensing agreements.
- Prepare and file trademark applications.
- Conduct availability and registrability searches of trademarks to minimize the costs of opposition.
- Represent clients in trademark opposition proceedings.
- Advise on infringement matters and allegations.
- Register domain names.
Purchase and Sale of a Business
When businesses change hands, many different issues must be considered. There are tax implications, employee issues, regulatory concerns, and much more.
When a business is purchased or sold, we closely review and negotiate terms to protect our clients’ rights.
Incorporation and Business Organization
Most business owners are usually unsure about whether they need to incorporate, or whether they should instead form a partnership, or remain sole proprietors. The Sutherland Law legal team is here to help guide you when making these initial crucial business decisions.
We can also assist businesses through the incorporation and organizational process by assisting with governmental approvals, name searches, by-law assessments, and organizational overviews.
Professional Corporations
Ontario legislation now permits many professionals to incorporate, including physicians, veterinarians, dentists, physiotherapists, and a number of others.
While operating through a corporation will not protect you against most liabilities, there can be significant tax and operating benefits.
At Sutherland Law, our lawyers will:
- Advise on business formation and incorporation, including drafting partnership and shareholder agreements.
- Oversee all aspects of incorporation, including setting up a corporate structure to minimize liability and annual maintenance of corporate minute books.
- Draft and negotiate commercial leases for an office, plaza, or industrial space.
- Draft enforceable employment agreements.
- Negotiate and draft contracts for each client’s needs, including supplier, contractor, and loan agreements.
- Negotiate and manage all stages of mergers and sales of businesses.
- Assist with governmental approvals and by-law assessments.
- Winding-up and restructuring proceedings.
- Incorporation and organization of new corporations.
- Annual maintenance of corporate minute books.
- Corporate reorganizations, including estate freezes.
- Asset and share purchases and sales.
- Commercial equipment and asset financing.
- Leasing.
- Drafting, negotiating, and reviewing a variety of agreements.
- Joint venture agreements.
- Co-ownership agreements.
- Shareholder agreements.
- Partnership agreements.
- Employment/independent contractor agreements.
- Construction agreements.
- Distribution agreements and franchise agreements.
