Business

Our business law practice group provides innovative, insightful and practical solutions to the challenges faced by our business clients. Our clients range from small, start-up companies, to emerging/high-growth companies, to large, publicly-traded companies. We use our deal-making and problem-solving abilities to assist our business clients in achieving their goals and to add value at any stage of their business venture. With over 80 years of experience representing clients in numerous industries, you can count on Ireland Stapleton to give you the sophisticated, insightful, and responsive legal counsel you need to successfully protect, grow and manage your business in all areas of general corporate and commercial law, including:

Anti-Trust

Anti-trust laws extend to virtually all aspects of your company's commercial and professional activities. Whether you are completing a transaction or planning a new competitive strategy, you can rely on us for advice concerning antitrust, fair trade practices and interacting with regulatory agencies. We have successfully represented both plaintiffs and defendants in numerous monopolization and restraint of trade cases, including our successful representation of Aspen Highlands Skiing Corp. from trial through arguments before the United States Supreme Court.

Banking and Commercial Finance

Ireland Stapleton has considerable experience representing banks, leasing companies, insurance companies and investment banking firms in all areas of commercial finance. We regularly provide specialized counseling and representation to lenders and borrowers in a wide variety of transactions involving multiple parties and multiple jurisdictions.

Corporate and Securities

Our seasoned corporate attorneys diligently represent public and privately-held companies engaged in a wide variety of industries. These clients rely on us, often on a day-to-day basis, for insightful and sophisticated counsel on their business issues and strategies. In addition, our corporate attorneys regularly handle private and public securities offerings and compliance matters.

Emerging Business

The needs of the emerging/high growth company are very different from those of larger, more established companies. The entrepreneurial energy behind aggressive growth plans often makes for a frenetic pace that requires legal counsel to respond and adapt quickly. Our experienced team has the agility to support our clients at their pace, while continuing to offer practical, clear-headed approaches and solutions.

Entity Formation and Governance

Our team has significant experience in the efficient formation and structuring of business entities, including "C" corporations, "S" corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships and limited partnerships. We advise clients on practical, cost-effective methods of addressing management and control issues, buy-sell issues, capital structure issues and numerous other issues that must be addressed during entity formation.

Franchise Law

Our clients include both franchisors and franchisees that rely on our knowledge to help them navigate the laws and regulations surrounding this type of business. We assist our franchise clients in establishing, negotiating, growing and defending their franchised operations. From corporate structures and real estate to acquisitions and litigation, our experienced team of professionals is a valuable resource to its franchise clients.

Intellectual Property and Licensing

Developing, protecting, licensing and promoting our clients' technology are valuable keys to ultimate business success. While technology is constantly changing, our focus has remained the same -- to work closely with our clients in planning and implementing strategies to protect and commercially exploit their technology.

International Law

While many of our clients are in the Rocky Mountain region, we have experience counseling our international clients about laws, regulations and policies governing international business. We also represent foreign-based companies, entrepreneurs and investors in the establishment, operation, acquisition or sale of businesses, technology and real property interests in the United States. Using this extensive experience and knowledge, we can provide your business with the guidance and legal support it needs concerning its international matters.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Our clients rely on our mergers and acquisitions team's extensive experience to assist them in strategic tax and business planning and representation throughout their transactions. Our attorneys have handled numerous high-profile, complex transactions, as well as countless smaller recapitalizations and reorganizations. Whether large or small, buying or selling, our seasoned group of mergers and acquisitions attorneys can assist you in a practical and cost-effective manner.

Natural Resources and Environmental Law

Ireland Stapleton has a substantial natural resources practice, with significant knowledge in water, land use, and environmental law. Members of our firm also have wide-ranging experience in a variety of oil, gas and mining transactions and operations.

Outside General Counsel

We work closely with most of our business clients and enjoy being one of their core advisors, often serving in the role of outside general counsel. We spend a typical day counseling our business clients on matters ranging from financing issues to executive compensation, to negotiating software licenses and joint development ventures, to strategizing the client's next acquisition target.

When a client has significant, frequent legal needs, but is not yet large enough to hire full-time, in-house counsel, attorneys at Ireland Stapleton fill that need with cost-effective, high-quality legal services.

Tax Planning

Attorneys at Ireland Stapleton have extensive experience in structuring business transactions to maximize tax efficiencies at all levels of government, whether the tax issue involves international, federal, state, or local taxing authorities. In fact, our lawyers have had the successful and challenging experience of working in the Office of the Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service and use that experience in successfully advising clients on compliance and defense of federal, state and local tax audit matters.

Venture Capital/Private Equity Transactions

Our venture capital/private equity transactions practice group has one of the most experienced practices in the Rocky Mountain region. We represent a large number of venture capital funds, private investors, entrepreneurs and high-growth companies in financings, general corporate matters, mergers and acquisitions, and public offerings.

In addition to structuring, negotiating and documenting transactions, we can provide you with advice on regulatory matters, including compliance with applicable securities laws. We also have been very successful in assisting our clients with raising money through private equity financing with angel investors, venture capitalists and institutional investors and through public offerings.

Contact us today to learn more about how our Business Law team can help you grow, manage and protect your business.