“The seller swore the roasting machine was paid off. Mikel found the lien before we signed. We still bought the place, for less.”
Ruthanne V.Bought a coffee roastery
Business law for Boise owners
Shook on it? Good. Now let’s write it down.
I’m Mikel Garmendia, a business lawyer in downtown Boise. I work for owners at the three moments a handshake stops being enough: buying a business, parting ways with a partner, and handing the place to someone else.
- First call is free30 minutes, phone or in person
- Fee in writingBefore any work starts
- I come to youShop floor, kitchen or job site
- Downtown Boise607 W Grove Street
What I do
Three deals people try to close on a handshake
Each one moves real money and real relationships. Each one deserves more than a nod across the counter.
Buying a business
The seller says the equipment is paid off and the regulars will stay. We check both before you sign, then write the purchase so the price matches what you’re actually getting.
How a purchase worksPartners who disagree
No operating agreement, or one nobody has read since the launch party. We sort out who owns what, what a share is worth and how one of you leaves.
Partner disputes and buyoutsHanding it off
To a daughter, a longtime manager or a buyer you haven’t met yet. We plan the timing, the price and the paperwork while the choice is still yours.
Planning a succession
Who you’ll work with
I learned business law behind a hardware counter
My parents ran a small hardware store, and I spent my teenage summers restocking bolts and listening to them argue with suppliers about terms nobody had written down.
Now I do the writing down. This is a one-lawyer practice: the person who answers your first call drafts your papers, negotiates with the other side and sits beside you when you sign.
Mikel Garmendia
Attorney, Garmendia Law
Before you shake
Four things a handshake never covers
Who owns what
The truck, the recipes, the client list, the name on the sign. If it isn’t on paper, everyone remembers it differently.
What happens when someone leaves
A partner quits, gets sick or moves away. A buy-sell clause sets the price now, while you’re all still friends.
What the price includes
Inventory, the lease, old debts, even the phone number. A purchase agreement lists each one, so nothing goes missing at closing.
Who gets the final say
Who can sign a lease, hire, or borrow against the business. One paragraph now saves a long argument later.
Owners who got it in writing
“My partner and I built a landscaping company on a handshake. When he wanted out, we got to a buyout number we both signed, and we still talk.”
Desmond P.Bought out his partner
“I want my shop foreman to own the place someday. Now there’s a plan with dates and a price, not just a promise over a beer.”
Lorna K.Planning a sale to an employee
Sample stories. Every business and every deal is different, and one client’s result doesn’t predict yours.
What owners ask on the first call
What does it cost?
Most work is a fixed fee I quote in writing after our first call. It follows the work: how many owners, how big the purchase, how many documents. Disputes are billed by the hour, with an estimate up front.
Is the first call really free?
Yes. Thirty minutes, by phone or at my desk. You’ll leave knowing whether I’m the right lawyer and roughly what the work would cost. If I’m not, I’ll say so and suggest where to go.
We’re already arguing. Is it too late?
Usually not. Plenty of partner disputes end in a negotiated buyout rather than a lawsuit. I’ll tell you plainly where yours looks headed, and when you need a trial lawyer instead of me.
What do I bring to the first call?
Whatever exists: the lease, the loan papers, the last tax return, the napkin with the deal sketched on it. If there’s nothing in writing, that’s the point of the call.
Can you represent me and my partner?
Not both sides of the same deal or dispute. If you want one agreement for the company, I’ll put in writing who I represent before we start, so nobody is surprised later.
Bring the napkin you wrote it on.
Thirty minutes, no charge. Tell me what you shook on, and I’ll tell you what’s missing.