Services
Business Services
Evans, Jones & Reynolds offers its business clients dependable legal counsel and transactional support. Whether a sole proprietorship or a multinational corporation, businesses have continuing legal needs. The firm’s depth and breadth of experience allow us to advise business owners, irrespective of firm size or industry, on the complex laws and regulations that affect the formation and operation of businesses entities. This allows the firm’s clients to focus on their business rather than the law. The firm assists clients in the following business-related matters:
General Corporate and Business Services
• Organization of corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, and joint ventures
• Advice regarding choice of business entity
• Ownership, partnership, shareholder and operating agreements among shareholders of corporations, partners of general and limited partnerships, and members of limited liability companies
• Buy-sell agreements
• Operational matters for ongoing business entities
• Employment contracts, consulting agreements, and non-competition agreements
• Advice to officers and directors regarding corporate governance and fiduciary matters
• Sales, distribution, service, and other contracts
Mergers and Acquisitions
• Asset purchases and sales, stock transfers, and mergers of private companies
• Sales of businesses and franchises
• Counsel to special committees
• Partner buy-out agreements, retirement buy-out, and succession planning
Business Litigation
• Our business lawyers deliver time and again for our clients both here in Nashville and around the country.
Civil Litigation
The litigation lawyers of Nashville's Evans, Jones & Reynolds practice before state and federal trial courts and appellate courts. They also represent clients in administrative proceedings. Whether the dispute is commercial or personal, Evans, Jones & Reynolds aims to resolve disputes with proficiency and to achieve a favorable outcome for its clients. The firm strives to achieve those results efficiently without overstaffing cases with multiple lawyers. In doing so, the firm has established a reputation for quality legal work as well as a commitment to professionalism and ethics. Evans, Jones & Reynolds prosecutes and defends a variety of claims on business-related contract disputes for small to mid-sized companies and individuals. Whether the claims are based on breach of a contract, or based on a statute, regulation or common law, the firm has successfully litigated such claims in state and federal courts. The firm’s civil litigation attorneys have substantial experience in the following areas:
• Business/financial/contract disputes
• Legal malpractice defense
• Aviation related claims and disputes
• Employment law
• Construction claims
• Real estate disputes
• Personal injury (both plaintiffs and defendants)
• Appellate practice
Estate Planning
Evans, Jones & Reynolds offer clients comprehensive estate planning services designed to minimize estate and other taxes and to effect an orderly disposition of assets to successive generations. The Nashville firm has a broad base of clients that span across the country. Clients enjoy absolute privacy and discretion with prompt access to our will and estate lawyers and staff. The firm’s estate planning practice may be categorized in five areas: (1) income, estate, and gift tax planning, (2) philanthropic and family legacy planning, (3) asset protection planning, (4) pre-marital planning, and (5) special counsel on issues unique to family-held businesses. For a typical client the estate planning process will consist of the following:
The Estate Plan
The firm’s estate planning attorneys tailor an estate plan to accomplish each client’s goals; minimize probate administration cost; preserve family harmony; and minimize transfer tax consequences. In creating an appropriate plan, it is important to understand each client’s personal values, family dynamics, planning objectives, and financial affairs. The firm’s attorneys take a comprehensive view of estate planning to meet each client’s dispositive goals upon incapacity or death in an orderly and efficient manner.
Consultation with Allied Professionals
Often a well-designed plan may fail due to poor communication among a client’s advisors. The firm’s attorneys work closely with each client’s personal advisors, including financial planners and accountants, to ensure the client’s estate plan comports with the appropriate wealth planning strategy and to coordinate beneficiary designations to assets such as retirement benefits and life insurance with the overall estate plan.
Creditor Protection
An important aspect of wealth preservation strategy is planning for third party creditor claims and divorce. Our attorneys advise clients on asset protection planning and wealth preservation strategies that may include the use of various business entities and trusts in order to protect the client and family.
Wills and Trusts
Once the estate planning strategy is developed, the firm’s attorneys prepare wills and revocable living trusts and other document to implement that plan. Other documents may include irrevocable trusts, durable powers of attorney, health care powers of attorney, living wills, family limited partnerships and family limited liability companies, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, grantor retained annuity trusts, and irrevocable life insurance trusts.
Estate Administration
Evans, Jones & Reynolds represents fiduciaries including executors, administrators, and trustees. The firm represents fiduciaries throughout all aspects of the estate administration process. Where trust and estate disputes arise, the firm may represent fiduciaries beneficiaries. While the firm aggressively represents its clients’ interests in trust and estate disputes, the firm’s attorneys are sensitive to the complex relationships that play a role in these matters.
Tax Controversy
Evans, Jones & Reynolds represents clients in tax disputes with the Internal Revenue Service and the State of Tennessee at all stages of the administrative process and at every judicial level. The firm aims to resolve matters at the earliest levels to spare clients the cost and uncertainty associated with formal tax litigation. For disputes that may not be resolved consensually, the firm provides quality service by combining extensive tax knowledge with skilled advocacy. Each year the firm successfully represents clients in property tax valuation appeals for various commercial properties, and in particular, for large multi-tenant properties. The firm’s attorneys have extensive experience resolving federal income and estate and gift tax controversies. The firm represents clients throughout the administrative process, from audit through administrative appeal and post–appeal, at mediation, and at every judicial level.
Audit
The firm’s lawyers appreciate that the best resolution to tax controversies often results from skilled legal representation before a court is involved. The firm’s attorneys assist clients with audits; in answering information and document requests; in dealing with the government’s agents; and in formulating audit strategy.
Administrative Appeals
The firm has handled many cases in the IRS Appeals Office and has substantial experience negotiating with IRS Appeals officers and representing taxpayers in that venue.
Litigation
Although many of controversies settle prior to litigation, the firm’s philosophy is that the best settlements are achieved when the government appreciates that the taxpayer’s attorneys are prepared to litigate if need be.
Real Estate
Evans, Jones & Reynolds’ real estate practice focuses primarily on basic commercial real estate and related finance matters. Our attorneys are experienced with real estate finance, including mortgage loans and refinancing. The firm also advises clients on purchases and sales of real estate, including leasing matters.