Smith & Zuccarini, P.S. represents numerous closely-held businesses throughout the Pacific Northwest, ranging from family businesses to professional firms.
We helped form many of these Companies, counseling the founders on the most appropriate legal structure, initial capitalization, tax planning, and the agreements among the owners and key employees. Other Companies have been referred to us by their accountants or other professional advisors at a later stage in their development as the need for more specialized legal expertise was recognized. Some of our clients look to us as their primary counsel, while others hire us as special counsel to handle only matters within our areas of emphasis.
We work with entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals in the establishment, operation, and transition of closely-held business entities of all kinds at every stage in their evolution. We have substantial experience forming corporations, limited liability companies, and partnerships; designing and implementing buy-sell agreements among co-owners, and employee stock options, “phantom stock” plans, and other incentive arrangements for key employees; implementing deferred compensation arrangements for owners and key employees, and coordinating life and disability insurance benefits in the most advantageous manner; handling purchase and sale transactions; and implementing business reorganizations and structural changes.
Our focus is on the closely-held business, where the planning emphasis is often to maximize benefits, control, flexibility, and protection for the owners and key employees. Since estate planning is our related area of practice emphasis, we get deeply involved in designing and implementing business succession strategies.
Business Succession Planning
A substantial part of our business and personal planning practice consists of advising business owners concerning the most effective manner to pass business interests to succeeding generations, employees or outsiders in a manner that facilitates the owner’s retirement and minimizes income and estate taxes.