Business Succession

Ensuring business sustainability and unlocking the rewards of decades of hard work are two key goals of entrepreneurs thinking about retiring. But the succession process raises many complex legal, financial, tax and human issues for both family and third-party transfers. Experienced legal advisors can guide you through the successive steps of a smooth and successful transition.

Our Business Succession team has built an outstanding reputation with entrepreneurs and successors alike for its dedication, collaborative approach and multidisciplinary expertise. Having collaborated on a host of engagements across a wide range of industries, lawyers in our various practice areas leverage in-depth knowledge of the issues to develop one-of-a-kind solutions, tailored to your strategic, business and personal goals.

We provide succession planning services in the following areas:

• Drafting letters of intent
• Carrying out due diligence on the business, including its legal documents, assets, permits and all contracts (title deeds, leases, supplier and customer contracts, employment contracts, collective agreements, etc.)
• Appraising and valuing the business, including its intellectual property assets
• Analyzing regulatory compliance and risk management issues
• Drafting recommendations regarding the choice of optimal legal structure for carrying out the succession transaction depending on whether it is a family transfer, a sale, an amalgamation or a reorganization
• Drafting and negotiating the documents required to carry out the succession transaction, such as a sale or shareholder agreement, including financing and closing
• Handling tax and estate planning, including drafting wills and designating legal heirs to ensure business continuity, if necessary