Overview
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are non-subsidiary, independent firms which employ fewer than a given number of employees. This number varies across countries. The most frequent upper limit designating an SME is 250 employees, as in the European Union. However, some countries set the limit at 200 employees, while the United States considers SMEs to include firms with fewer than 500 employees.
Unsurprisingly, most SMEs reside in industries that don’t require large initial capital investments. The fastest-growing SMEs are:
- Legal offices
- Fitness and recreation centers
- General freight trucking, local
- Dentists offices
- All other specialty trade contractors
- Landscaping services
- Snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars
- Veterinary services
- Other personal care services
- Drinking places (alcoholic beverages)
- All other personal services
- Physicians offices
- Hotels (except casino hotels) and motels
- Engineering services
- Limited-service restaurants
- Beauty salons
- Child day-care services
- Beer, wine, and liquor stores
- Single-family housing construction
- Full-service restaurants
Areas of Focus
VAN LEEUWEN LAW FIRM can assist at all stages of buying or selling a company, from negotiating the letter of intent and auditing, to preparing contracts and drafting liability guarantee or earn-out clauses.
VAN LEEUWEN LAW FIRM can also take charge of legal formalities and escrow issues.
VAN LEEUWEN LAW FIRM is on hand to advise you on all transaction-related tax issues, both in terms of setting up your business and investing (or reinvesting, if applicable) the proceeds of the sale.
VAN LEEUWEN LAW FIRM can help you maintain the financial health of your company by:
- Detecting any difficulties in real time
- Auditing off-balance sheet commitments and understanding risk factors
- Renegotiating bank loans
- Placing a moratorium on certain debts
If the difficulties persist, VAN LEEUWEN LAW FIRM can help you put in place preventative procedures, and – if your company is not yet in a situation of insolvency – in seeking the assistance of the courts:
- Conciliation
- Ad-hoc mandate
- Safeguard procedure
The criminal liability of directors is a complex legal matter and can be an obstacle to a company’s development. It also poses a real risk for directors, since they can be fined or even imprisoned, thereby forfeiting their civil and family rights. VAN LEEUWEN LAW FIRM works in the area of criminal liability to help clients confront these risks.
Due to the incredible complexity of business legislation, VAN LEEUWEN LAW FIRM has set up multidisciplinary teams to respond in a concerted manner to both purely criminal matters and those related to the issue in question, whether it concern tax, social security, commerce, or town and county planning, for example.
Both at the advisory and litigation phase, VAN LEEUWEN LAW FIRM is on hand to offer their support and expertise. Lawsuits are especially complex, and the experience of VAN LEEUWEN LAW FIRM constitutes a real asset in criminal proceedings.
