Contract Law

Contract Law Services We Offer

At the Law Office of E.C. Lewis, we offer a wide range of contract law services for small and medium sized businesses in Denver and throughout Colorado. These include:

• Contract drafting – Since contracts are legally binding and can have far-reaching impacts on your business, it’s important that they are drafted properly and provide the protections you need. Elizabeth understands the legal issues involved in a wide range of business contracts, and she can craft the language in a way that ensures these agreements reflect your best interests and state the terms in a manner that is clear and easy to interpret.
• Contract negotiations – In some instances, negotiating is required before both parties can agree on the terms of a contract. Elizabeth is a skilled negotiator who can advocate for your best interests, ensuring the final contract provides the protections your business needs.
• Contract interpretation – Not all contracts are drafted in a way that is clear and easy to understand. Elizabeth can help you interpret ambiguous contracts you’ve previously signed so that you understand exactly what is required of your business.
• Contract disputes – Even when both parties enter into a contract with the best of intentions, disputes may arise on occasion. If you’re involved in a contract dispute, Elizabeth will fight aggressively to protect your best interests and ensure the most favorable outcome possible for your business.
• Contract enforcement – If the other party fails to fulfill their responsibilities required by the contract, Elizabeth can help you take the steps necessary to enforce the provisions of the contract.

Startup Business Contracts

There are many facets of starting a business, from the realization of your initial idea to expanding to a larger space, and each step along the way brings new challenges. One of the first steps to starting a business is to understand which legal structure will be best for your business to operate under. As a trusted Denver business attorney, Elizabeth Lewis can help you determine which type of business structure will most benefit your business:

• Limited Liability Company (LLC)
• Corporation
• Partnership
• Sole Proprietorship

Once you know what kind of business structure is best for your specific situation, you will need specific documents created between you, your partners, and your business. Even if you are the only owner of your business, you may still need agreements between you and your business to help shield your personal assets from liability in the event that your business experiences financial or legal problems. In some cases, third parties, such as your bank, may require business agreements to open a banking account for your business. Elizabeth will make sure the contracts you enter into reflect the best interests of your business.

Ongoing Business Contracts

Contracts are an essential component of building both your business and your business relationships. Documents such as your employment and independent contractor agreements are an important part of staying legally compliant at both the Colorado and federal level. You will use these documents often, which means it is important to have them done right the first time and reviewed annually to make sure they still suit your business’ needs and meet current legal requirements.

In addition, the specific nature of your business will dictate many of the contracts you need as part of your day-to-day operations. For example, you may need to create nondisclosure agreements to protect proprietary information associated with your business. You will likely need to sign leases for buildings, and many businesses enter into contracts for the machinery and software they use. You may also enter into master service agreements, vendor agreements, and manufacturing agreements.

Regardless of the scope and context of these contracts, you should have a Colorado business attorney review them before you sign to make sure you are protecting your business’ interests and staying within the law. In many cases, a bad contract can be even worse than no contract. Elizabeth’s extensive contract law experience will make sure these contracts are drafted correctly and position your business for long-term success.

Specialty Agreements

There are some agreements which you may only come across on occasion, but they can cause trouble if you let them lapse. It is easy to lapse on your software licensing contracts, website privacy policies, and website terms of use without realizing it. As an experienced Colorado small business attorney, Elizabeth Lewis will ensure you have taken the necessary precautions and represent you in the event of a software licensing violation or dispute about your website.

Other specialized agreements you may encounter are intern agreements, which are used to protect your company and any interns you may hire, and professional engagement agreements, which define the legal relationship between a firm (such as an architectural, accounting, or engineering firm) and a client.

Elizabeth Lewis has extensive experience drafting these specialty agreements. She can ensure they are written correctly and protect your business from potential liability issues down the road.

Breach of Contract Services

Very few aspects of running a business are more frustrating than dealing with a breach of contract dispute. When other parties fail to uphold their responsibilities in a contractual agreement, it can potentially have a devastating impact on the success of your business. Fortunately, the legally binding nature of contracts provides you with important protections if another party is in breach of contract.

The state of Colorado adheres to the “economic loss” rule in breach of contract cases. This means you are only entitled to recover economic damages associated with the losses you experienced due to the breach of contract. In addition, you are only entitled to recover the types of damages agreed upon within the terms of the contract.

Elizabeth Lewis has helped small and medium sized businesses resolve a wide range of breach of contract disputes. She understands that the fastest and most effective way to resolve breach of contract cases is through negotiation or mediation, and she will always try to use this approach whenever possible. However, she is also prepared to pursue arbitration or litigation if your breach of contract dispute cannot be resolved in a more collaborative manner.

In addition, Elizabeth can assist you in situations where your business has been accused of breach of contract. There are many potential defense strategies to use in a breach of contract case, and she will evaluate the circumstances associated with the dispute to recommend the most effective approach to achieve a successful resolution for your business.

The stakes associated with a breach of contract claim are often very high, and it’s important to work with a business attorney who possesses extensive knowledge of Colorado contract law. Elizabeth Lewis has the background and experience to ensure the best interests of your business are protected in these important cases.

Real Estate Services for Business Owners

Elizabeth Lewis provides the following real estate law services to small and medium sized business owners in Denver and throughout Colorado:

• Commercial real estate purchases
• Legal review of commercial real estate leases
• Protecting your assets