Denver business formation and governance attorney
Set the company up once, and keep it ready for any bank, buyer or investor
Most company problems start as small shortcuts at formation: a template operating agreement, an unsigned vesting schedule, a board that never writes anything down. We help Colorado owners choose the right entity, draft documents that match how the business really runs, and keep the records current year after year.
- Flat-fee formation packages
- Documents written for your ownership split
- A standing calendar for filings and owner meetings
LLC, S corporation or C corporation?
The right entity depends on who will own the company, how profits will come out, and whether outside investors are likely in the next few years. We make the choice with your accountant, and we write down the reasons so you know when to revisit it.
| Question | LLC | S corporation | C corporation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good fit when | Plans are still forming | Owner profits are steady | Venture money is likely |
| How profits are taxed | Passed through to owners | Passed through, with owner salary | At the company, then on dividends |
| Investor appeal | Limited | Limited | Strong |
| Admin load | Light | Moderate, runs payroll | Heavier |
The documents that decide the hard questions
Each one answers a question your company will face sooner or later. Writing the answer down early is far cheaper than arguing about it later.
Operating agreement or bylaws
Who decides what, how profits move, and what happens when an owner wants out.
Founder vesting
Shares earned over time, so an early departure does not take half the company.
Buy-sell terms
A valuation method and payment plan agreed before anyone needs one.
Cap table
One accurate record of who owns what, rebuilt from source documents if needed.
IP assignments
Written proof the company, not a founder or contractor, owns the work.
Consents and minutes
Signed records of the big decisions, ready when a bank or buyer asks.
The yearly upkeep, on one calendar
Governance is not a one-time job. We keep each client company on a standing schedule so nothing lapses quietly.
- Quarter 1
- Annual owner meeting and minutes
- Review officer and manager roles
- Quarter 2
- Colorado periodic report filed
- Registered agent details confirmed
- Quarter 3
- Cap table and grants reconciled
- Check contracts against the entity name
- Quarter 4
- Year-end consents signed
- Entity choice reviewed with your CPA
An illustrative schedule. Your filing month depends on when the company was formed.
Signs your records need attention
If any of these sound familiar, the fix is usually a few signed documents, not a restructuring. It is far easier before a bank, buyer or investor finds it.
Ask for a records review- The operating agreement came from a template and nobody has read it since
- Equity was promised in an email or a conversation, never in a grant
- An owner left and their shares were never formally bought back
- Contracts are still signed in a founder’s personal name
- Nobody can find the minutes for the last big decision
- The company converted from an LLC and the contracts never caught up
Why it matters
Why shortcuts at formation cost more later
A company formed in an afternoon can run for years before anyone notices what is missing. The gap usually shows up at the worst moment: a partner wants out, a bank asks for proof of authority, or a buyer’s lawyer requests the minute book during diligence.
At that point every missing signature becomes a negotiation, and every unclear ownership promise becomes leverage for someone else. Fixing it under deadline pressure is slower and more expensive than writing it down at the start.
That is why our formation work spends as much time on the conversations as on the filings. We ask how decisions will really be made, what happens if a founder stops working, and how you expect to exit, then we put those answers into documents the company can live with.
Founder buyout restructuring
Three co-founders renegotiated ownership so one could exit on a five-year payout without disrupting the business.
Read more
Series A financing close
A software company cleaned up its capitalization table and closed its first institutional round on schedule.
Read moreIllustrative examples, past results do not predict future outcomes.
What does formation cost?
New companies usually start with a flat-fee package that covers the filing, the governing documents and founder vesting. Clean-up work on an existing company is quoted after a records review, once we know what is missing. State filing fees are passed through at cost.
See flat-fee packagesIllustrative demo prices, not a quote for any real matter.
Common questions
Short answers to what owners ask before a first meeting.
The state filing is usually quick. Drafting and agreeing the operating agreement and vesting terms typically takes one to three weeks, depending on how many owners are involved.
For most owner-operated companies an LLC is the flexible starting point. A C corporation usually fits companies planning to raise venture capital or grant broad stock options.
You can file the paperwork that way. The risk is the operating agreement: a template rarely matches your ownership split, vesting or exit plans.
Corporations are required to hold them, and LLCs benefit from the same habit. Clean minutes are what a lender or buyer asks for first.
That is common and fixable. A records review lists what is missing, and most gaps close with ratifying consents and signed assignments.
Yes. Entity and election choices are made with your CPA so the tax picture and the legal documents match.
Often part of the same matter
Business questions rarely stay inside one area of law. These are the practice areas that most often come up alongside this one.
Tax planning for owners
Entity elections, owner compensation and transaction structure reviewed with your CPA so fewer surprises reach the return.
ExploreBuying & selling companies
Letters of intent, due diligence, purchase agreements and closing checklists for owners buying or selling a business.
ExploreEmployment & contractors
Offer letters, handbooks, contractor agreements and restrictive covenants drafted to fit Colorado law and the way your team works.
Explore