BUSINESS OWNERSHIP TRANSITIONS
BUSINESS DIVORCE & OWNER SEPARATION
Negotiate and document the exit, buyout, or separation of a founder, shareholder, LLC member, partner, or other business owner.
A practical legal process
Structure the next decision.
A business relationship can end even when the business continues. A co-founder may leave. One owner may buy out another. Members may disagree over management, compensation, valuation, customer relationships, intellectual property, or future strategy. A deadlock may make continued ownership impractical. A properly structured business separation should address more than the percentage being transferred. It may need to resolve:
Purchase price and valuation mechanics
Payment timing and security
Ownership and management control
Resignations and transition obligations
Intellectual property and confidential information
Customer, vendor, employee, and referral relationships
Digital accounts, websites, social media, and business data
Existing debt, guarantees, and indemnification
Restrictive covenants where appropriate
Mutual releases and dispute-resolution provisions
RAETZER represents one party to the separation. The firm does not represent both adverse owners and is not acting as a neutral mediator.
Priority review
ALREADY RECEIVED A BUYOUT DEMAND, DEADLOCK NOTICE, LAWSUIT, ARBITRATION DEMAND, OR TIME-SENSITIVE PROPOSAL?
A live deadline or contested proceeding may require prompt attorney review rather than the standard readiness process.
Defined scope / clear starting point
TRANSPARENT STARTING PRICES FOR DEFINED LEGAL WORK
RAETZER offers defined fixed-fee packages for qualifying private-capital, M&A, joint-venture, and corporate-infrastructure matters. The packages are designed to give prospective clients an informed starting point before an attorney reviews the specific transaction.
Final package eligibility, scope, and fee are confirmed only after completion of the applicable readiness assessment, conflicts review, jurisdictional review, attorney consultation, and execution of a written engagement agreement.
Transaction map
Company → Investors
BUSINESS DIVORCE & OWNER SEPARATION PACKAGES
Defined legal work for qualifying owner separations, negotiated buyouts, founder exits, member withdrawals, shareholder separations, and management transitions. The packages assume a non-litigation or pre-litigation process and do not guarantee a separation, buyout, closing, or negotiated outcome.
Indicative fixed-fee packages for qualifying matters. Final eligibility, scope, and fee are confirmed after the applicable readiness assessment, conflicts review, and an initial attorney consultation.
All engagements remain subject to conflicts review, attorney review, scope confirmation, and a written engagement agreement. Government fees, third-party costs, local counsel, tax advisers, accountants, filing fees, and specialty counsel are not included unless expressly stated.
Package 1
AGREED BUSINESS SEPARATION
$14,500
FLAT LEGAL FEE For qualifying standard-scope matters.
Best for
Best for two principal owner groups that have substantially agreed on the material terms of one owner’s exit and need the arrangement properly documented and closed.
Principal inclusions
Review of governing and ownership documents
Confirmation and documentation of agreed separation terms
One ownership transfer, redemption, or repurchase agreement
One separation and mutual-release agreement
Standard resignations, approvals, and closing documents
One closing and post-closing obligations checklist
VIEW SCOPE AND ASSUMPTIONS
RAETZER represents one owner/owner group/company; one principal business entity; two principal owner groups; material terms substantially agreed; no unresolved valuation/accounting dispute; no filed litigation/arbitration; no emergency/injunctive proceeding; no contested access to records/funds/assets; one ownership transfer/redemption; one closing; up to two consolidated revision rounds; ordinary commercially reasonable counterparty review.
May include standard confidentiality/proprietary information, transfer/return of ordinary company property and credentials, standard non-disparagement, simple payment schedule or unsecured installment obligation.
Excludes independent valuation, forensic accounting, tax advice, employment litigation, bankruptcy, court filings, discovery, mediation, arbitration, and litigation. If material terms are not agreed, Package 2 or custom scope may be required.
Package 2
most common
NEGOTIATED OWNER BUYOUT & SEPARATION
$29,500
FLAT LEGAL FEE For qualifying standard-scope matters.
Best for
Best for an owner, company, or ownership group that needs counsel to negotiate and document an unresolved buyout, founder exit, member withdrawal, shareholder separation, or management transition before litigation begins.
Principal inclusions
Governing-document and ownership-rights review
Separation strategy and material-issues analysis
Negotiation of one term sheet or separation proposal
Ownership purchase, redemption, or transfer agreement
Separation, release, resignation, and transition documents
One transaction closing
VIEW SCOPE AND ASSUMPTIONS
May include buyout formula/valuation, price/payment/closing, one installment agreement or promissory note, management/access transition, confidentiality/IP/customer/vendor/employee/digital assets, restrictive covenants where appropriate, mutual releases/indemnification/dispute resolution, approvals/records, up to three substantive negotiation conferences, and up to three consolidated principal-document revision rounds.
Assumptions and exclusions: one entity; two owner groups; no filed litigation/arbitration; no emergency injunction/TRO; no extensive forensic accounting; no fraud investigation; no bankruptcy/insolvency; ordinary access to records. Extended negotiations, formal mediation, multiple entities, contested control, substantial forensic accounting, fraud allegations, third-party lender issues, or material litigation threats may require Package 3 or supplemental scope.
Package 3
COMPLEX BUSINESS DIVORCE
$49,500
Final fee confirmed after attorney review.
Best for
Best for complex, high-value, multi-entity, or highly contested ownership separations involving unresolved control, valuation, accounting, financing, intellectual-property, customer, or transition issues.
Principal inclusions
Comprehensive ownership/governance/contractual review
Buyout, separation, dissolution, or restructuring strategy
Negotiated interim governance or standstill arrangements
Coordination with valuation, accounting, tax, or litigation advisers
Complex definitive and ancillary separation documents
Multi-stage closing, transition, and enforcement architecture
VIEW SCOPE AND ASSUMPTIONS
Custom-scope topics may include multiple entities/groups; contested control; deadlock/forced sale; buy-sell/call/put/redemption; disputed valuation/formulas; valuation/forensic coordination; seller-financed buyout; security/guarantee/escrow/holdback; IP/licensing/customer/employee/referral/digital allocation; interim operating/access/standstill; dissolution/wind-down/asset allocation/business sale; transition services/management; and negotiation or mediation preparation where expressly included.
Excludes filing/defending litigation or arbitration, discovery, depositions, emergency injunctions, court appearances, trial/appeal, bankruptcy/receivership, independent valuation, forensic accounting, tax opinions, and employment/IP litigation. Where contested proceedings are pending or expected, RAETZER may coordinate with appropriate litigation/local counsel under a separate engagement.
Next step
NOT SURE WHICH PACKAGE FITS?
Complete the applicable RAETZER readiness assessment. Your responses will help identify the likely scope, urgency, complexity, decision authority, and appropriate next step before you speak with an attorney.
Pricing and package descriptions are provided for general informational purposes and do not constitute an offer to provide legal services. No attorney-client relationship is created through the website or an assessment submission. Representation begins only after conflicts review and execution of a written engagement agreement.
Representation boundary
IMPORTANT REPRESENTATION NOTICE
RAETZER represents one party to the separation. The firm does not represent both adverse owners and is not acting as a neutral mediator.
Representation boundary
NON-LITIGATION SCOPE
Business-separation and negotiated-resolution pricing assumes a non-litigation or pre-litigation process. Active lawsuits, arbitration proceedings, emergency matters, discovery, court appearances, trials, appeals, bankruptcy proceedings, and other contested proceedings require a separate scope or appropriate litigation counsel.
Where contested proceedings are pending or expected, RAETZER may coordinate with appropriate litigation/local counsel under a separate engagement.
Defined scope / clear starting point
Questions before the next conversation.
What is a business divorce?
Business divorce is a common term for a negotiated or contested separation and may involve a buyout, redemption, transfer, division, dissolution, sale, or other negotiated exit.
Does RAETZER represent both owners or both sides?
RAETZER represents one client or aligned client group. Adverse owners or counterparties should obtain separate counsel.
Is RAETZER acting as a mediator?
No. RAETZER serves as counsel and advocate for its client, not as a neutral mediator.
Do the packages include litigation or arbitration?
No, unless a separate written engagement says otherwise. Active proceedings require a separate scope or appropriate litigation counsel.
Who decides whether to accept a settlement?
The client retains final authority to decide whether to accept a settlement, separation, buyout, or other resolution.
Are the legal fees contingent on reaching a settlement?
No. Fees compensate legal services and are not contingent on a settlement, separation, buyout, or closing.
What happens if the dispute becomes more complicated?
RAETZER identifies the change and proposes a supplemental fixed fee, approved hourly scope, or specialty counsel before material out-of-scope work.
Does RAETZER provide valuation or forensic-accounting services?
No. RAETZER may coordinate with qualified valuation, accounting, tax, or financial professionals.
A considered first step
START WITH THE RIGHT ASSESSMENT
Before legal work begins, identify the transaction, urgency, complexity, decision authority, and principal readiness issues.
RAETZER PLLC
Sophisticated counsel for the decisions that move a business forward — from first formation through its next chapter.
Offices
224 W 35th St, Suite 500 #2320
New York, NY 10001
1910 Pacific Ave, Suite 2000 #1625
Dallas, TX 75201
Contact
(726) 243-4308
[email protected]
https://www.raetzerlaw.com/
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