Business counsel for Montana companies

What the work includes

• Outside general counsel for companies without an in-house legal department
• Review and drafting of customer, vendor, services and supply contracts
• Operating agreements, shareholder agreements and buy-sell provisions
• Buying a business: letters of intent, diligence, purchase agreements and closing
• Selling a business: seller-side counsel from the first offer through closing
• Buying out a partner, admitting a new owner or restructuring ownership
• Commercial leases for offices, shops and practice locations
• Employment terms for key employees, including restrictive covenants under Montana law and compensation arrangements such as phantom equity
• Employer matters: handbooks, separation agreements and policies under Montana's wrongful discharge law
• Entity formation and reorganization, including holding companies for real estate and equipment

Fee

Each matter is quoted at a fixed fee in writing before engagement, with phases for larger work such as an acquisition. Owners who want a standing relationship can retain the firm for a monthly fee that covers ongoing questions and routine agreements. Hourly billing is reserved for matters whose scope cannot be defined in advance.

Who this is for

Privately held companies across Montana, from owner-operated businesses to established mid-sized companies, and the owners, executives and managers responsible for their legal matters. Companies without in-house counsel often retain the firm on a monthly basis as outside general counsel. Where the owners also need their estate plans coordinated with company agreements, the firm handles both.

The firm

Clearstone Law is a Montana corporate, commercial and private wealth firm based in Billings, serving clients across the state.