In a professional services firm, the business is its people and its client relationships.
The agreements that matter most are the ones that decide who owns the firm, who owns the client relationships and what happens when a key person leaves. We draft those agreements, and the client contracts that keep engagements clear.
How We Help Professional Services Firms
Formation and Ownership
Entity choice, partner and shareholder agreements, and terms for admitting new owners.
Client Agreements
Engagement letters, master services agreements and statements of work that set scope, fees and liability.
Staffing Agreements
Client agreements for staffing agencies, including indemnification, conversion fees and non-solicitation terms.
Restrictive Covenants
Non-solicitation, confidentiality and non-compete terms for key employees and departing owners.
Succession and Buyouts
Owner retirements, partner buyouts and bringing the next generation into ownership.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Buying, selling or combining firms, with client transition and retention terms.
Who We Work With
Disputes
Our litigation team handles disputes with clients over fees and scope, disputes among owners, and claims involving departing employees and client solicitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have a question that isn't answered here? Call us at (817) 631-8842 or send a message.
Ask a QuestionHow can a firm protect its client relationships when someone leaves?
Through agreements signed before anyone leaves: confidentiality terms, non-solicitation of clients and employees, and, where appropriate, a non-compete that meets Texas requirements. Ownership agreements should also address what a departing owner receives and what they can't take with them.
What should a client engagement agreement include?
The scope of services, fees and billing, ownership of the work product, confidentiality, limits on liability, and how either side can end the engagement. Clear scope language is the most common way to prevent fee disputes.
How do buyouts work when an owner retires?
Many firms set the terms in advance in a shareholder or company agreement, including how the price is set and paid over time. When the agreement is silent, the owners negotiate a buyout, often paid in installments from the firm's earnings. See our page on partner buyouts.
Our Practice Areas
- Business AcquisitionsWe represent buyers and sellers of Texas businesses, from the first letter of intent through closing and the handoff that follows.Learn More
- Startups, Entity Formation, and Venture CapitalWe help founders and owners form the right entity, set clear ownership terms, raise capital and keep their companies in good order as they grow.Learn More
- Business Counsel and ContractsWe act as outside counsel for established companies and handle the contracts a business signs every week, from vendor and customer agreements to franchise documents.Learn More
- Commercial Litigation and Dispute ResolutionWe resolve business disputes through negotiation, mediation, arbitration and trial, with a plan built around what the client needs from the outcome.Learn More
Request a Consultation
Initial consultations are held by Zoom and typically last 20 to 30 minutes.