Texas Business Law
From formation to exit. And everything your business encounters between.
Whether you're structuring a new venture, negotiating a contract that will define your next five years, or planning the transaction that lets you walk away on your terms — I bring 25 years of corporate experience and the resources of an 80-attorney national firm to every engagement.
Your business has outgrown its first attorney
You started with an attorney who helped you form your LLC and filed your initial paperwork. That was the right attorney for that stage of your business. But now you're signing larger contracts, hiring people, managing risk, considering a partner or investor, and thinking about what happens in five or ten years. The questions you're asking today require a different depth.
I've spent 25 years working with businesses at every stage of the lifecycle — from the formation conversation to the exit negotiation. I think about your legal questions the way you think about your business: strategically, practically, and with an eye on what comes next.
Business law capabilities
Entity Formation & Structuring
LLCs, corporations, partnerships, and joint ventures — structured correctly from the beginning. I don't just file paperwork. I ask the questions that determine whether you need a single-member LLC or a multi-class equity structure, and I build it to support where your business is headed, not just where it is today.
Contracts & Commercial Agreements
Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating the agreements that move your business forward. Vendor contracts, customer agreements, service agreements, licensing deals, NDAs, and the commercial terms that protect your position without killing the deal.
M&A — Buying or Selling a Business
Whether you're acquiring a competitor, merging with a partner, or selling the business you've built, I handle the transaction from letter of intent through closing. Due diligence, deal structure, purchase agreements, representations and warranties, and post-closing integration.
Capital Raises & Investor Relations
Equity and debt financing, term sheets, subscription agreements, investor rights, and the securities compliance that comes with bringing in outside capital. I've raised money on both sides of the border and I know what investors expect — and what founders should protect.
Shareholder & Partnership Agreements
Buy-sell agreements, operating agreements, shareholder rights, drag-along and tag-along provisions, and the governance terms that prevent partner disputes from becoming litigation. These agreements are the foundation of every multi-owner business. Getting them right at the beginning costs a fraction of fixing them later.
Exit Planning
If you're building toward a sale, a transition, or a succession, the planning should start years before the transaction. I help business owners understand their options, structure the business for maximum value, and execute the exit on terms that reflect what they've built.
Business Risk Audits
A structured review of your contracts, insurance, compliance obligations, and operational exposure. Most business owners don't know where their risk concentrations are until something goes wrong. I find them first.
The Scale bridge: When your business needs IP protection, a real estate transaction, employment counsel, or litigation support, I bring in a Scale LLP colleague. One relationship. National depth.
Granbury office. National reach.
My office is at 205 E Bridge Street on the Granbury town square — across from the Hood County Courthouse. I serve businesses in Granbury, Hood County, and across the DFW metropolitan area, as well as clients throughout Texas, the United States, and Canada.
For local business owners, I'm the attorney you can meet for coffee on the square and still bring 25 years of corporate experience and an 80-attorney national firm to the conversation. For clients outside of Granbury, I work by phone, video, and email the same way I have for my entire career.
Client Testimonial
It's amazing that we sold an office building in Grapevine, Texas — Chuck Kraus quickly understood what I wanted and the corresponding paperwork that would be required. A significant transaction was done all on the phone, and I finally met Chuck when he came by to introduce himself.David Johnson Google Review · ★★★★★
Frequently asked questions
If you're signing contracts, managing employees, dealing with investors, or planning a significant transaction, you need an attorney who works in business law every day. Estate planning attorneys, family lawyers, and general practitioners are excellent at what they do — but corporate transactions, governance, and commercial agreements require specific expertise and current knowledge.
Three to five years before you want to sell. The highest-value exits are built, not stumbled into. Entity structure, tax planning, contract cleanup, key-person risk, and buyer positioning all take time. If you're starting to think about it, that's the right time to call.
I focus on transactional and advisory work. If your matter involves litigation, I bring in a colleague from Scale LLP's litigation practice — experienced trial attorneys who can handle the dispute while I continue advising on the business side. You don't lose your business attorney when a lawsuit arrives.
I've spent 25 years in corporate law, including three tours as General Counsel of public companies, a decade in the C-suite, and dual-country licensing. Most business attorneys in smaller markets — and they're excellent people — haven't had the opportunity to work at that level. I have, and I chose to bring that experience to this market. When your business needs sophisticated counsel, you shouldn't have to drive to Dallas to get it.
My practice isn't limited to a single industry. I've worked with companies in technology, energy, financial services, construction, manufacturing, professional services, and real estate. The common thread is complexity — businesses making decisions that have significant legal and financial implications.
Your business deserves the same counsel
Dallas companies take for granted.
Has your lawyer actually done this before? Let's have that conversation.