Contract Negotiation & Drafting: Secure Agreements that Protect Your Interests

Running a business means entering into agreements every day. Whether you’re signing with a vendor, bringing on a new contractor, launching a partnership, or outlining terms with a client—you’re engaging in contracts. But a handshake and a generic template won’t cut it. If your contracts aren’t clear, enforceable, and tailored to your needs, you’re taking on risks you don’t need. Unclear language or missing clauses can lead to late payments, broken partnerships, or loss of valuable rights like intellectual property.

At MacGregor Lyon, we help Atlanta’s small business owners and startups negotiate, draft, and review contracts that actually protect what you’re building. Our legal services are designed for founders, entrepreneurs, and business owners who need practical, plain-English agreements without the legal jargon and without the billable-hour runaround.

We know how business works—and we know how to protect it.

Contract Services for Atlanta Small Businesses & Startups

Every business deal starts with a contract. But not every contract protects your interests. That’s where we come in.

At MacGregor Lyon, we work with business owners at every stage—from early planning to scaling growth—to ensure the contracts you rely on are working for you, not against you. Our approach is simple: we make your contracts easy to understand, enforceable in court, and aligned with your long-term goals.

Here’s how we help:

1. Contract drafting from the ground up

Need a new agreement? We don’t start with templates. We start with questions—about your business model, your risks, your relationships, and your industry. Then we create custom contracts that reflect your business values and keep you protected.

We regularly draft:

• Independent contractor and consulting agreements
• Employment and confidentiality agreements
• Vendor and supplier contracts
• Terms of service and privacy policies
• Lease, license, and IP agreements
• Operating, partnership, and shareholder agreements

These aren’t just one-size-fits-all forms. Each contract we write is built to reflect your actual business practices, reduce ambiguity, and help avoid disputes later on.

2. Contract review

Signing someone else’s contract? We’ll review it with a sharp eye and plain language explanations. We walk you through the key terms, help you understand what you’re agreeing to, and flag anything that needs to be changed—or negotiated. We look for sneaky auto-renewal terms, restrictive non-competes, or one-sided indemnification clauses buried in the fine print. These terms can quietly cost your business thousands, or worse, limit your future growth.

Expect us to answer questions like:

• What happens if one party doesn’t hold up their end?
• Are there hidden fees, vague deadlines, or unclear responsibilities?
• Are the liability and indemnity terms balanced?
• Could this contract hurt your business down the road?

We won’t just redline the document—we’ll explain why the language matters and what to do about it. You’ll walk away with clarity and confidence before you sign.

3. Negotiating the terms that matter most

Negotiating a deal doesn’t have to mean conflict. But it does mean standing up for your interests. We help you negotiate contract terms with vendors, clients, partners, and investors—whether we’re directly involved or just advising behind the scenes.

You don’t have to navigate legalese or pressure tactics alone. We’re here to help you:

• Push for fair payment terms
• Define clear scopes of work and deliverables
• Limit your liability
• Protect your intellectual property
• Include realistic exit and termination clauses

We’re not here to kill your deals—we’re here to help you close the right ones, with the right protection in place.

Custom Contracts Are a Business Investment

Too many business owners rely on templates they found online, old versions of past contracts, or agreements provided by the other party. That’s a mistake that can cost you—sometimes in money, sometimes in control, and sometimes in the long-term success of your company.

At MacGregor Lyon, we see contracts differently. To us, contracts are:

• Communication tools. They set expectations and prevent misunderstandings.
• Risk management tools. They allocate responsibility before something goes wrong.
• Business growth tools. They lay the groundwork for strong, repeatable business relationships.

We also know that clear contracts are more likely to be followed, and less likely to result in disputes. You don’t want to find out during a disagreement that your contract doesn’t say what you thought it did. That’s why we write contracts in plain English, explain what every section means, and align the agreement with how your business actually works.

It’s not just about what the contract says now—it’s about what it will protect you from later. We help you build in:

• Contingency plans
• Termination options
• Dispute resolution procedures
• Clear responsibilities for both sides
• Strong payment and delivery terms

We also take the time to make sure your contracts are enforceable in Georgia courts and compliant with applicable laws. A contract isn’t enforceable just because it’s signed. It needs valid consideration, mutual consent, and terms that align with Georgia law. Whether you’re just starting out or managing a growing team, we help you plan ahead—not just for success, but for what happens when things don’t go as planned.

Let’s Protect What You’re Building

If you’re running a business, you’re making deals every day. Don’t leave them to chance. At MacGregor Lyon, we help small business owners secure agreements that protect your time, your money, and your reputation.

You don’t need a massive legal department. You just need the right legal partner.

Contact us now to schedule a consultation and build a legal strategy that supports your startup’s growth.