Business Transactions

Practice Chair: June R. McIvor

Business Formation, Acquisition, and Counseling

Our business practice focuses on structuring, forming, and counseling business entities such as corporations, general and limited partnerships, joint ventures, and limited liability companies.  We also provide advice and representation concerning strategic alliances, commercial financing transactions, asset and stock acquisitions, mergers, divestitures, exchanges, private placements and corporate reorganizations.  We represent clients engaged in a variety of businesses and enterprises, including high technology companies, and a broad range of manufacturing and service firms.

Finance and Banking

We have experience in the areas of private placements and other California and federal securities transactions, secured and unsecured lending, net lease financing, and asset-based financing.  We have negotiated and documented a wide variety of financing transactions, including real estate net leases, facility leases, equipment financings, project financings, bond financings, manufacturer/vendor/distributor programs, loan participations, loan portfolio purchases, sale-leasebacks, asset securitizations and commercial credit transactions, including term and revolving loans and covering all types of collateral.  Our clients include both borrowers and financial institutions.  We have also litigated matters involving all of these types of transactions in state and federal courts.

Tax

Our tax lawyers are routinely called upon to give advice on sophisticated corporate tax strategies, the tax aspects of partnerships, limited liability companies, and tax planning for individuals, trusts, and estates.  The firm represents clients in dealing with the IRS in negotiation, litigation, and collection matters.  Our attorneys have experience in the United States Tax Court.  In addition, we develop and implement strategies for avoiding or minimizing liabilities for property tax, sales and use tax, excise tax, business license tax, and other state and local taxes.  We represent California real property owners and we have litigated assessment issues.  We have negotiated favorable settlements with assessors and successfully advanced applications for reduced assessment before appeal boards.  One of our partners was a member of the San Luis Obispo County Assessment Appeals Board from 1988-1998.  We also handle reassessment petitions and tax refund claims before the California State Board of Equalization and at the state, county and municipal government levels.  As a matter of course, lawyers in all of our practice groups consult with our tax specialists as to the tax ramifications of transactions they are handling.

Sports

Our attorneys have experience representing major international sporting events as well as leagues and teams in a variety of sports. We also represent sports marketing companies, event production companies and recreational sports entities.

Wineries and Vineyards

Sinsheimer Juhnke Lebens & McIvor has extensive experience representing Central Coast wineries and grape growers on a wide range of matters, including business formation, land use issues, and the negotiation of grape contracts and contracts for the purchase and sale of winery and vineyard properties.  We have also represented wineries in bonding, compliance, and permit matters with the California Alcoholic Beverage Control Department and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF), as well as in labor matters before the California Labor Commissioner and the Agricultural Labor Relations Board.  Our attorneys have experience dealing with the BATF in issues relating to the establishment and modification of Appellations of Origin.  We also provide comprehensive advice to nonprofit trade associations promoting wineries and vineyards.