Whether you're a dentist acquiring your first practice, a veterinarian setting up a new clinic, or a family preparing to transition a business to the next generation, the legal work behind these milestones is where we can help. We handle the entity formation, purchase agreements, succession planning, and estate plan coordination that keeps everything organized and protected.
Practice Acquisitions & Setup
Buying or starting a professional practice — dental, veterinary, medical, accounting, or otherwise — involves more legal work than most new owners expect. We help professionals through the process from start to finish:
- Entity formation — setting up the right LLC or professional corporation through the Pennsylvania Department of State, including operating agreements or bylaws tailored to a professional practice
- Purchase agreement review — for practice acquisitions, we review and negotiate the asset purchase agreement, including allocation of purchase price, accounts receivable, equipment, patient/client goodwill, and transition terms
- Lease review — commercial lease negotiation or assignment of the existing lease, including tenant improvement provisions and personal guaranty terms
- Non-compete and transition provisions — reviewing restrictive covenants and structuring the seller's transition period so patients or clients transfer smoothly
- Lender coordination — working with your bank or SBA lender on the legal documents required for practice financing
We also handle the ongoing business law needs that follow — annual compliance filings, CROP reports, contract review, and updates to entity documents as the practice grows or adds partners.
Family Business Transitions
Transitioning a family business to the next generation — or preparing one for sale — is one of the most important decisions a business owner will make. It's also one of the most legally involved, because business law, estate planning, and tax planning all intersect.
We work with family business owners on:
- Succession planning — identifying who will take over, when, and under what terms, whether the transition happens gradually or all at once
- Buy-sell agreements — drafting agreements that establish how ownership interests transfer on death, disability, retirement, or disagreement among owners, often funded by life insurance
- Entity restructuring — updating LLC operating agreements or corporate documents to reflect the transition plan and protect both the exiting and incoming owners
- Estate plan coordination — making sure the business owner's will, trust, and powers of attorney account for the business interest and align with the buy-sell agreement and succession plan
- Gift and transfer strategies — for owners transferring interests to children or family members, we coordinate with the family's CPA on gift tax reporting and valuation considerations
The goal is a transition that works for the family, protects the business, and doesn't create surprises for anyone involved.
Estate Planning for Practice Owners
If you own a professional practice or a family business, your estate plan needs to account for it. At a minimum, this means:
- Your will or trust addresses what happens to the business interest — who inherits it, who has authority to manage it during administration, and how it's valued
- Your financial power of attorney includes authority for your agent to manage the practice if you become incapacitated — signing checks, making payroll, and keeping the doors open until you recover or a succession plan activates
- Your buy-sell agreement and your estate plan don't contradict each other — a surprisingly common problem when the documents are drafted by different attorneys at different times
Because we handle both business law and estate planning, we build these documents as a coordinated set rather than separate pieces that may not fit together.
For Advisors & Referral Partners
If you're a financial advisor, CPA, or insurance professional whose clients need help with practice acquisitions, business transitions, or estate planning, we're happy to collaborate. We handle the legal documents while you manage the financial strategy — and we coordinate directly with your team to make sure everything aligns.
Learn about our referral process, or call (724) 733-3500 to get in touch.