Shumaker has broad capabilities to assist clients ranging from small, closely held businesses to Fortune 500 companies. Clients know that we are a knowledgeable, pragmatic, results-oriented business partner and that the lawyers serving each client's needs – whether individually or as members of a cohesive, handpicked team – have a personal commitment to the achievement of the client's goals that is second only to that of the client itself.
What Makes Us Different
We embrace the truth about the provision of legal services – that it is a personal service business and clients want their legal needs addressed by the same individual lawyer or group of lawyers on a consistent basis. The team of Shumaker lawyers who together get to know your company and its goals will be the same team that responds to your questions and requests for assistance time and time again.
Rather than take a "one size fits all" approach, we believe there is an ideal working relationship between our law firm and each client. Your Shumaker lawyer will create a strong, steady working relationship with you. Consistent, responsive service is what you can expect from us, through appropriately sized and specially selected teams that have the skill and flexibility to step in as special counsel in any matter and the consistency to handle a client's ongoing legal concerns.
Our Clients
- We have commercial clients across the U.S. and in many foreign countires, with more than 25% of our work involving cross-border matters.
- We serve as outside general counsel to various publicly held and family owned companies and are a preferred provider of legal services to numerous members of the Fortune 500.
- The majority of our clients are middle market companies with revenues ranging from $30 million to $1 billion.
- Although we work with companies in virtually all industry sectors, we have significant experience and specialized industry knowledge in the fields of health care, finance (including financial institutions, financial advisors and real estate finance), manufacturing, insurance, communications and distribution.
Why You Benefit
Lawyers in our various offices work well with one another and are available to help as your needs dictate. We'll gain an in-depth understanding of your unique requirements that will deepen with the duration of our working relationship. Each company has a different story and different objectives, and the Shumaker lawyers who counsel you will take the time to learn about both your business and your goals.
Core Services
- Advice on choosing the appropriate form of business entity – corporation, general or limited partnership, limited liability company, joint venture or individual proprietorship – for maximum operational and tax efficiency.
- Guidance on structuring efficient sales, supply or licensing agreements, consulting or similar business arrangements, and other essential contracts and relationships, so that your business interests are protected.
- Counseling on the fiduciary duties of officers and directors, including the proper powers of board members, their interaction with management and their responsibilities to shareholders.
- Assistance with transfer of business control, whether through development of succession plans, responding to recapitalization offers or handling business sale or dissolution arrangements.
Additional Services
- Collaboration with privately owned and family owned businesses and their management to develop appropriate entity structures, financial strategies and succession plans.
- Recommendations to public company boards and senior executives on governance issues involving fiduciary duties, duty of care and the business judgment rule.
- Advice to board members regarding committee structure, indemnification rights and D&O insurance.
- Help for public and private companies to resolve shareholder disputes, conduct shareholder meetings and respond to shareholder derivative actions.
- Assistance with disclosure, compensation and compliance matters.
What you can expect from Shumaker
Shumaker's corporate lawyers have the appropriate blend of legal skills and experience, as well as the creativity and strategic vision, to provide insightful advice and guidance to our clients and their key decision makers. Our client-focused dynamic begins with our selective hiring process—engaging top graduates from law schools around the nation as well as high quality lateral hires from other major law firms. Whether we are hiring a new law school graduate or bringing on an experienced lawyer from another firm, we strive to make sure that all of our professionals embrace our philosophy of building a legal practice through the establishment of a select number of long-term client relationships.
Throughout our relationship with every client, Shumaker lawyers do their utmost to align themselves with the client's individual interests and growth plans and to learn and anticipate the problems, pitfalls and obstacles in the way of achieving those goals.
