Banking

Our firm provides extensive advice to regional banks concerning commercial lending, asset-based and other structured finance, project finance; bond offerings; credit restructuring; lender liability; collection; bank regulatory matters; form drafting and general representation regarding all aspects of banking operations.

Bankruptcy and Creditors Rights

Page, Scrantom, Sprouse, Tucker & Ford offers its clients significant experience in the areas of creditor’s rights and bankruptcy. We recognize that our clients are facing an increasing need in these areas, and we are eager to meet that challenge. We represent clients of all types in matters relating to the debtor and creditor relationship, as well as in the defense and prosecution of causes of action arising under the Bankruptcy Code. We have a particularly strong tradition of representing local and regional banks in all areas relating to distressed borrower’s, creditor’s rights and work-outs. Our years of experience in these fields is unsurpassed by any other law firm in the area.

Corporate Law

Page, Scrantom, Sprouse, Tucker & Ford offers a wide array of business services to its diverse clientele.  Our clients range from small closely held businesses to international, publicly traded corporations.  We have extensive experience in assisting our clients in establishing and structuring new businesses, joint ventures and partnerships, focusing on the relationships between the contracting parties, the tax aspects of their ventures and contractual relationships with third parties.  We have significant expertise in business acquisitions, divestitures, mergers and reorganizations, as well as day-to-day and long-term corporate governance and planning matters.

In addition to for profit ventures, we have assisted in the formation of numerous public charities and foundations and continue to aid them in addressing the common and unique challenges facing such organizations.

In addition to the foregoing, we have extensive experience in negotiating a wide range of contractual relationships, including franchise agreements, license agreements, leases, licenses, financing documents, distributorship agreements, and manufacturing agreements for companies in all stages of the typical corporate “life cycle”.

With respect to start-ups, we understand the need for business owners to establish guidelines for addressing the future successes of their ventures as well as possible downturns due to factors ranging from negative market trends to disputes between the owners of the business.  Our goal is to enable our clients to proactively address the tax, management, compensation and related issues arising from the various business cycles experienced by new ventures.

Unfortunately, the owners of some businesses, whether such businesses are nascent or mature, find themselves embroiled in disputes over the management, ownership and financial affairs of the venture.  We have ushered many clients through such troubled waters through negotiation, mediation, arbitration and litigation.

Additionally, we have represented multiple small and large corporations in connection with their ERISA and employee benefits and employment compensation needs.

Estate Planning

Our tax and estate planning practice encompasses will preparation; estate administration, including probate, estate and inheritance taxation, sale of estate assets and contested proceedings; lifetime planning, including creation of trusts, life insurance arrangements, charitable giving, change of domicile and prenuptial agreements; planning for incapacity; representation of individuals and corporate executors, trustees, and beneficiaries in fiduciary-related litigation; and creation of charitable organizations.

Housing and Urban Development

We engage in extensive general representation of local Housing and Development Authorities, including bond financing, land acquisitions and condemnation proceedings in furtherance of their respective roles in housing and development programs. Our attorneys have well over 130 years of collective experience in bond financing transactions, serving in such roles as issuer counsel, bond counsel and bank counsel.

Labor and Employment

Page, Scrantom, Sprouse, Tucker & Ford, P.C. provides expert advice concerning general employment matters, union avoidance, and policy design and review; employer representation in employment litigation involving contracts, termination, discrimination and retaliation, wrongful discharge, noncompetition, trade secret and other employment cases; representation before the EEOC, NLRB, OSHRC and other federal and state agencies and courts; employment contracts and executive compensation.

Litigation

Our litigation practice capitalizes on experience and training handed down over 100 years. With more than a dozen trial attorneys, we aggressively and creatively approach each case so that successful resolution through settlement or, if appropriate, trial and appeal, is achieved expeditiously and efficiently. While the largest portion of our practice is in the Georgia and Alabama federal and state courts, we can and do handle matters across in the country. We go where our clients need us.

We are experienced in a wide spectrum of areas, including corporate, banking, municipal liability, products liability, employment, bankruptcy, fiduciary rights and obligations, probate, zoning, real estate, insurance coverage and defense and personal injury.

We represent both plaintiffs and defendants and believe we are strong and reasonable advocates for our clients.

Real Estate

Page, Scrantom, Sprouse Tucker & Ford, P.C. has an active real estate practice engaged in the acquisition and disposition of multifamily, commercial, hotel/motel, assisted and independent living, industrial, and residential real property; lending, financing and financial restructuring; leasing; land development; tax and public incentive programs; SBA lending; zoning and rezoning applications; bond financing (taxable and tax free); commercial backed mortgage financing, letter of credit financing.

Trademarks and Copyrights

Our attorneys offer broad services in connection with the preparation, filing and prosecution of trademark and copyright applications, licensing of trademarks and copyrights, and protecting and enforcing trademark rights and copyright.

We assist clients in determining the availability and viability of new and existing word marks and logos through the performance and review of limited and extensive trademark searches. Based upon the results of such searches and opinions issued in connection therewith, our clients are able to better structure their marketing and advertising efforts so as to avoid conflicts arising from potential and actual trademark infringement.

Once a mark is deemed to be viable, we offer trademark filing and prosecuting services, handling all aspects of the registration process, including responses to office actions, third party oppositions to registration and co-terminous use agreements.As a client’s mark courses its way through the registration process and thereafter, we maintain a calendaring system to remind clients of upcoming deadlines for filing such items as responses to office actions, statements of use, declarations of incontestability, statements of continued use and renewals.  We also offer “watch” services pursuant to which we perform periodic searches to ensure no third party has attempted to file a registration for a potentially confusing mark.

A rapidly growing area of expertise for our firm is trademark litigation.  We have successfully defended and protected clients’ marks in a variety of arenas, including mediation, federal court litigation and opposition proceedings before the Trademark Trial and Appeals Board of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

We also assist clients from a variety of fields in licensing the use of their marks and/or copyrighted materials to third parties and, conversely, the use of third party marks and copyrighted works.  Such licenses have involved marks and copyrighted works used in connection with a range of goods and services from outdoor grills and camouflage patterns to internet businesses and software.

Our trademark attorneys have membership with the American Intellectual Property Law Association and the Georgia Bar Association, Intellectual Property Section.