Business Law

The Business Law Group of CWM offers a full range of legal services for corporations, general and limited partnerships, limited liability companies, joint ventures, other business, commercial and banking entities and their owners. Our services include entity selection and formation; mergers and acquisitions; preparation of partnership agreements and operating agreements; business and tax planning; debt and equity financing; asset sales; commercial and secured transactions; joint ventures; labor and management relations; and business reorganizations. We prepare and review key business contracts with customers, vendors, employees and distributors, including franchise agreements, leasing agreements, license agreements and employment agreements.

Our attorneys understand that tax considerations drive many business decisions and transactions. We advise our clients on tax considerations relevant to their businesses and transactions and help develop plans to address and mitigate negative tax consequences.

We also assist clients in avoiding litigation by early consideration of problem areas and careful planning with the client before business decisions are finalized. The likelihood of lawsuits is diminished by close attention to detail in drafting and reviewing contracts and other documents, effective counseling and negotiation, and a comprehensive knowledge of the substantive law upon which clients base their decisions.

The business and corporate services that we offer our clients include advice on the following:

  • Asset and stock sales and acquisitions
  • Mergers
  • Business formation and entity selection
  • Restructurings
  • Partnership agreements
  • Operating agreements
  • Tax-exempt entities
  • Joint ventures
  • Franchise agreements
  • Leasing agreements
  • Licensing agreements
  • Shareholder Agreements
  • Buy-Sell Agreements
  • Debt and equity financings
  • Employment agreements

Start-Up Companies and Entrepreneurs

Our Business Law Group is also equipped to provide critical assistance to start-up companies and entrepreneurs.  We offer start-ups assistance with selecting the appropriate business entity, business formation, capitalization and contract preparation, along with guidance on securities and employment law issues. We also help new and existing business with corporate governance advice and assistance in raising capital from lenders and from other investors, including private equity funds.

We know that each new business is unique and we tailor our services appropriately.  We understand the financial constraints of start-up businesses and can develop a plan with our start-up clients that they can afford.

For start-up inquiries, contact Steve Brinker at sbrinker@cwm-law.com or 757-623-3000.

Representative Clients

Banks, Lenders, Financial Institutions

Corporation/S Corporations

General/Limited Partnerships

Limited Liability Companies

Limited Partnerships

Members of LLCs, Shareholders, General/Limited Partners

Start-Up Companies and Entrepreneurs

Tax-Exempt Entities

News and Updates
Securities and Exchange Commission Final Rule on Cybersecurity
Posted on October 18, 2023
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently published a final rule, effective September 5, 2023, applicable to publicly traded companies on Cybersecurity Risk Management, Strategy, Governance, and Incident Disclosure.[1]  The…...
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Virginia Business Announces 23rd Edition “Legal Elite”
Posted on December 1, 2022
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on February 17, 2022
NFL Drone Show Lights Up L.A. Sky for Super Bowl LVI A drone show put on by the NFL lit up the Los Angeles sky ahead of Super Bowl 56 at…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on February 9, 2022
Meet the AI-Controlled Drone That Flies Faster Than Human Pilots Scientists have created an algorithm to help drones find the fastest path for navigating an indoor racetrack; outstripping the times of…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on January 26, 2022
See How Drone Lured This Rescue Dog to Safety With Sausages Video: Millie the dog broke away from her collar and became stranded in dangerous mud.  Rescuers came up with an…...
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Virginia Business Announces 22nd Anniversary “Legal Elite”
Posted on December 7, 2021
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on November 11, 2021
Autonomous Drones Can Now Zip Through The Woods At Insane Speeds Thanks to artificial intelligence, drones can now fly autonomously at remarkably high speeds, while navigating unpredictable, complex obstacles using only…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on November 4, 2021
Jetson Unveils Its Single-Seat ONE eVTOL Vehicle Swedish startup, Jetson, unveiled its Jetson ONE personal electric aerial vehicle for release to customers in 2022.  This eVTOL vehicle has flight times of…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on October 28, 2021
Self-driving Waymo Cars Gather In A San Francisco Neighborhood, Confusing Residents In a tiny neighborhood in San Francisco, self-driving Waymo cars have been converging at all hours of the day and…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on October 6, 2021
The Race Is On The fastest driverless speeds yet achieved will occur during the Indy Autonomous Challenge on October 23, 2021. Insurers Increase Investments in Drones, Robots Insurance companies are increasing their investments…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on September 29, 2021
How robotics Will Transform The Workplace As We Know It As companies scramble to increase their reliance on robotics and automation, the workplace as we know it will undergo a series…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on September 10, 2021
Watch a Driverless Truck Operate 100 Percent Autonomously in Highway Traffic It’s not every day that you get to see a self-driving semi-truck going down the highway.  The autonomous vehicle craze…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on September 2, 2021
Autonomous Drones Could Speed Up Search And Rescue After Flash Floods, Hurricanes, And Other Disasters During disasters, it can be extremely dangerous to send in first responders, even though people may…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on August 23, 2021
”Ten Years Ago This Was Science Fiction”: The Rise Of Weedkilling Robots Carbon Robotics’ robot weeders—which are nearly three meters long, weigh 9,500 lbs, and resemble a car—clamber slowly across…...
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Eight Crenshaw, Ware & Martin, P.L.C. Attorneys Named to 2022 Best Lawyers® in America List
Posted on August 19, 2021
Norfolk, VA, — Crenshaw, Ware & Martin P.L.C. is pleased to announce that Best Lawyers has recognized four of the Firm’s attorneys as “Best Lawyers in America”, two as “Lawyer of…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on August 12, 2021
Nation's Largest Self-Driving Electric Shuttle Network Launches On August 10, 2021, the country’s biggest fleet of low-speed, self-driving electric shuttles were unveiled on Colorado’s School of Mines campus  in a major…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on August 4, 2021
Autonomous Quadrotor Beats Two Human Pilots In A Drone Race Researchers from the University of Zurich have created a new, faster algorithm that allowed an AI-powered drone to consistently beat human…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on July 26, 2021
Self-Driving Store Hits the Road in California Santa Monica-based company, Robomart, has debuted its store-hailing platform.  This platform, the first of its kind, allows customers to hail an automated store on…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on July 8, 2021
Walmart Drone Delivery Soars Ahead The retail company announced that has invested in the drone service provider, DroneUp, to bring drone delivery to Walmart stores.  Walmart plans to open its first…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on June 16, 2021
A Robot Is Killing Weeds By Zapping Them With Electricity Tom, Dick and Harry— the name of three autonomous robots developed by the Small Robot Company—were developed to rid farmland of…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on June 10, 2021
Self-Driving Boats Could Be the Future Engineers are working towards creating autonomous water vehicles capable of transporting goods and people, which they call “roboats.” Aaaah! Why Are Researchers Teaching Drones to Listen…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on June 4, 2021
Slicing Up Pizza Robots Picnic, a pizza robot-maker, and other restaurant robotics companies are developing robots that incorporate artificial intelligence into the food-making process.  Such robots enable restaurants to make food…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on May 26, 2021
The VW ID. Buzz with Level 4 Autonomy is Scheduled to Begin Real-World Testing This Year Volkswagen has made a significant investment in Argo.AI, a US-based company created to build autonomous…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on May 12, 2021
Kroger and Drone Express Begin Testing a New Drone Grocery Delivery Program The two companies have begun testing drone grocery delivery in a pilot program as a part of Kroger’s goal…...
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CWM Attorneys Recognized by Virginia Super Lawyers®
Posted on May 11, 2021
Crenshaw, Ware & Martin, P.L.C. is pleased to announce that eight of its lawyers have been selected for inclusion in the 2021 list of Virginia Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars. …...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on April 28, 2021
Fitness Drones Are Coming, If Inventors Can Get All The Kinks Out of Them The Traverse fitness drone, which is still in its conceptual phase, is intended to serve as…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on April 15, 2021
Self-Driving Cars to Start Delivering Domino's Pizza in Houston Nuro, self-driving delivery company, is collaborating with Domino’s to introduce an entirely new delivery experience. Pentagon Consolidates Counter-UAS Programs as Menace Grows The military…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on April 8, 2021
Genesis Sends Up 3,281 Drones In Record-Breaking Drone Show The company put on the record-breaking drone light show to celebrate its entry into China markets. Valkyrie Drone Launches Even Smaller Drone From…...
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Week in Review: Autonomous Roundup
Posted on April 1, 2021
Drone In Your Home? The Telehealth Industry Is Getting a Makeover A group of inventors at the University of Cincinnati are developing a drone that can be used to conduct virtual…...
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Darius Davenport Discusses Avoiding Mistakes in Small Business | Monday, March 29th
Posted on March 25, 2021
CWM partner Darius Davenport joins the Black BRAND, Hampton Roads Black Chamber's Coffee Connect to discuss avoiding business mistakes for small businesses. Register here to tune in on Monday, March…...
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