Ayres, Shelton, Williams, Benson & Paine LLC

A Firm Built on a Solid Foundation

Formed in 2008 by attorneys, each of whom then had more than twenty years of experience and who had practiced together for almost all of that time, Ayres, Shelton, Williams, Benson & Paine, LLC owns the reputation of being comprised of members who are among Louisiana’s leading business law and litigation attorneys. We advise a variety of business clients, both large and sophisticated and small and focused, in a number of practice areas. We handle major transactions and litigation for public companies, but we understand and attend to the needs of new and emerging companies.

Our lawyers are known for their extensive experience and their commitment to excellence and professionalism. Our most experienced lawyers are actively involved in the matters we undertake. Our attorneys as a group today still average more than twenty years of experience. Our members have established reputations as preeminent attorneys in their fields, and the firm excels not only at problem solving but also at value innovation for our clients.

The firm has become a major presence in the north Louisiana and east Texas business community, with many of the area’s most prominent businesses having sought our help. We understand the importance of maintaining strong relationships and the highest standards of integrity.

Ayres, Shelton, Williams, Benson & Paine, LLC’s attorneys understand that clients are our most valuable asset because they supply the challenges from which we derive personal and professional satisfaction. We share a philosophy that each client must have ready access to his legal team and know that his legal matters are being attended to as a priority. It is our attorneys’ goal to return phone calls reasonably promptly. The firm diligently furthers its client’s objectives and success using efficient and effective legal strategies and solutions.

Ayres, Shelton, Williams, Benson & Paine, LLC seeks to develop a strong relationship between the client and all members of the law firm. We endeavor to listen more than we talk and to learn what the client needs and wants. Our attorneys understand the importance of giving practical advice in the context of knowing the client’s business.

We constantly look for ways to make legal services more valuable to clients. We do our best to keep promises about when work will be completed, but we also do what we say we will do and get it done when we say we will. Our lawyers arrive for meetings fully prepared, so that we are a real presence for our client. We seek and act on meaningful feedback from clients.

Substantial Legal Knowledge Applied to Substantial Legal Mat

Litigation and Dispute Resolution. We handle virtually all kinds of litigation in the federal, bankruptcy, state and city trial and appellate courts. The focus of the firm in handling litigation matters is to bring the case to trial or a favorable resolution.

Our trial attorneys have extensive experience handling significant commercial litigation, personal injury and products liability cases, malpractice and professional liability, business owners’ disputes, construction litigation, creditor’s rights, insurance coverage and insurance defense matters. Cases that we try include bankruptcy, civil rights, class actions, commercial collections, and contested family law matters, including property divisions of large and complicated marital estates. Our attorneys also handle complex matters involving drugs and medical devices, environmental and toxic torts. We have obtained multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements and brought resolution to many business disputes.

Our litigation attorneys are well versed in dispute resolution, both in court and through alternative dispute resolution. Our attorneys have successfully handled traditional trials and court settlements and appeals, along with arbitration proceedings  and mediation.

Business and Corporate Law. Our firm practices in all areas of business and corporate law, including formation, capitalization and operation of corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies. We draft stockholders’ and voting agreements, reviewing corporate and business governance policies and provide advice regarding structuring and re-structuring of companies. We maintain on-going relationships with both management and tax consultants and professionals to that end. We also provide legal counsel to distressed companies and stockholders on their rights on derivative actions, and the board of directors and other stockholders when presented with stockholder notices.

Commercial Transactions. The firm’s attorneys advise our business clients in all types of commercial and business transactions, including asset and equity purchases and sales, 1031 exchanges, leases, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, secured and unsecured bank financing, seller financed sales and transactions involving all manner of assets such as real estate, equipment, inventory and accounts. We provide opinions in securitized transactions and serve as Louisiana counsel in financing and complex business arrangements.

Construction Law. Our attorneys negotiate and prepare construction contracts, both simple and complex, to minimize or eliminate difficulties in the construction process. From residential home building, subdivision planning and development, to multi-million dollar contracts, the firm’s lawyers have dealt with all types of construction disputes. The firm also has attorneys who can deal with sureties, bond claims, mechanics and materialman's liens, and all types of disputes related to the construction process. Through careful project planning, contract formation, and detailed consulting throughout the construction process, the firm hopes to minimize its clients’ needs for dispute resolution services following completion of the project.

Contracts. We have decades of combined experience in dealing with contracts of all types, from simple sales agreements to complex commercial leases, complex bond-financing arrangements, contracts with government entities, cooperative endeavor agreements, and agreements in all of the areas of business law in which we practice. We are available to review the contract for you and tell you if it will adequately protect you. We also advise clients on provisions of existing contracts and their alternatives when seeking to extend, terminate, or give notice of breach.

Finance and Financial Institutions. Our attorneys have a long history of service to Louisiana financial institutions and business and financial institutions engaged in secured lending in Louisiana. Our practice includes negotiation of loan commitments and loan agreements, perfecting mortgages and security interests in Louisiana collateral, and primary representation in multi-state lending transactions.

Mergers and Acquisitions. The firm’s attorneys have represented both buyers and sellers in mergers, advising them on a variety of corporate, securities, tax, contract, regulatory, environmental and real estate matters. The firm’s attorneys have experience in identifying the legal issues that arise in connection with these complex business combinations.

Non-Compete and Non-Solicitation. We regularly negotiate and prepare enforceable contracts prohibiting competition with a business by shareholders in a corporation, by partners in a partnership, by members of limited liability companies, by employees of an employer, and by independent contractors.

Partnership Formation and Planning. We structure general partnerships, limited partnerships and limited liability companies, investment partnerships and joint ventures. We give advice both to existing partnerships on their tax position and to clients seeking to use partnership structures for specific tax-planning reasons. We assist with the complicated mix of income tax, corporation tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax. We can review the effects of the mix of individual and corporate partners and residence and domicile status of the partners. Our planning considerations include these matters, the use of hybrid partnerships (with both individual and corporate partners) and “family partnerships” as an alternative to a trust for estate planning reasons.

Real Estate. Our attorneys have negotiated and concluded numerous real estate transactions, including developments, sales, leases, exchanges and financed transactions. The firm also counsels clients on the negotiation and preparation of purchase and sale agreements for all types of properties, such as oil and gas properties, offices, shopping centers and other developments, with a focus on commercial transactions.

Stock and Asset Acquisitions. We can assist in the structuring, due diligence, financing and negotiation of a variety of stock and asset transactions. We assist you in understanding and negotiating your contracts and help you through the maze of due diligence, representations and disclosures. Finally, we see that the closing process and its attendant documentation are organized so that your transaction is concluded smoothly and successfully.

Family Business Succession. The right ownership structure and strategy can help your business pass smoothly from generation to generation. While the odds of successful family business succession goes down with each generation, we can help you beat those odds through succession planning. We help business owners understand and successfully resolve the issues that arise when a family firm enters into succession planning. Through family business succession planning, you give your family’s business the best chances for continued success under the next generation. You also provide for your retirement needs in a tax efficient manner. With foresight and planning, we help you to prepare the next generation to take over.

Federal and State Taxation. Our attorney John Williams is a Board Certified as a Tax Law Specialist by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization, have served as the Chairman of the Tax Section of the Louisiana State Bar Association, the Louisiana Tax Law Advisory Committee of the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization, and the Committee which administers the examination for Tax Law Specialization given to other practicing tax lawyers by the Louisiana State Bar Association. John is listed by SuperLawyers® as having attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement in the area of Taxation and Corporate Law. John Williams has practiced in the area of Tax and Corporate Law for over twenty years handling matters involving mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations, dissolutions, divestitures and a variety of transactions. Jacob White received a Master of Laws in the field of Taxation from New York University School of Law. The firm is equipped to handle complex federal and state tax matters in Louisiana and Texas as its tax lawyers are licensed to practice in both of these jurisdictions. Stephen Paine has an accounting degree and worked as a Certified Public Accountant before obtaining his law degree. Stephen is well qualified to handle all manner of business transactions.

Preservation of Family Wealth. We offer advice and representation on all estate planning, administration, charitable giving, and elderly planning matters. We offer estate planning taking into account current and future estate tax laws. We prepare wills and trusts, spendthrift trusts, premarital agreements, post-marriage agreements, plans for transfers of estates, plans to provide for exceptional children and disabled individuals, powers of attorney, durable powers of attorney and living wills. Our tax attorneys provide advice on charitable techniques to reduce estate taxes including charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts and establishment of a donor-advised fund, supporting organization or private foundation. The firm offers advice on annual gifting and use of lifetime gift tax exclusion to reduce overall estate taxes and establishment of family limited partnerships and limited liability companies to protect assets from creditor’s claims and leverage annual gift tax exclusion and lifetime exemption. We can help you with decisions about the benefits of irrevocable life insurance trusts, generation-skipping trusts and dynasty trusts for multi-generational planning. We represent parties to estate litigation and provide assistance to individual and corporate fiduciaries in estate and trust administration.