BNI Preston CenterDallas, TX Visit us!

Business Law·Dallas, TXFor businessesFor homes

Steven Besly

Straight Talk Counsel

Business formation, governance and disputes, in plain terms

Business attorney and principal of Steven Besly, PC in Dallas. Forms and advises companies, nonprofits and associations, and litigates business and ownership disputes.

Licensed
Texas since 1998, N.D. and W.D. Texas
In business
Dallas business practice since 2003
Service area
DFW, Texas state and federal courts
Member
since 2012

What Steven does

  • Business entity formation
  • Company, shareholder and buy-sell agreements
  • Nonprofit and association counsel
  • Business and commercial litigation
  • Owner and partner disputes
  • Construction and lien disputes
All services →

Problems Steven solves

  • Starting a company with partners before anything is in writing
  • Not sure which entity to form
  • A dispute with a partner or minority shareholder
  • A nonprofit or association board unsure of its obligations
  • A construction dispute, lien or notice from a state agency

Who should call

  • Business owners forming a company with partners
  • Owners whose agreements no longer match how the company runs
  • Nonprofit, HOA and association boards
  • Businesses facing a lawsuit or construction dispute

The best introductionAn owner forming a company with partners who wants the ownership and buyout terms settled before there is money to fight over.

10 guides by Steven

Answers Steven gives clients every week

All business law guides
Business Law You started a company with a partner and never wrote down what happens if one leaves The company is doing well, which is exactly when the missing paperwork becomes dangerous. Here is what a company agreement and a buy-sell agreement actually decide, and how to get them done. 9 min read What should I ask a business attorney before I hire one in Dallas? Before you hire a business attorney: the questions that show who will serve you well 7 min read Can I form my own LLC in Texas online without a lawyer? Filing your own Texas LLC online: what you can do yourself and what usually goes wrong 7 min read Should my Texas business be an LLC or an S corporation? LLC or S corporation in Texas: separating the legal question from the tax question 7 min read How do I know if the majority owners are squeezing me out of my Texas company? No distributions, no information, no say: signs a minority owner is being squeezed out 7 min read Are non-compete agreements enforceable in Texas? Non-competes in Texas: when they hold up, when they fail, and what the FTC changed 7 min read How do I start a nonprofit in Texas and get 501(c)(3) status? Starting a nonprofit in Texas: the order of steps that protects your 501(c)(3) 7 min read What do I have to do every year to keep my Texas LLC or corporation in good standing? The yearly upkeep that keeps a Texas company in good standing and its owners protected 7 min read How much does it cost to have an attorney form an LLC in Texas, and what drives the price? What forming a Texas LLC with an attorney costs, and what moves the price 7 min read Does an LLC really protect my personal assets in Texas? Your LLC is not a force field: myths about personal liability protection in Texas 7 min read

Why clients choose Steven

Proof, not promises

  • Licensed to practice in the State of Texas since 1998
  • Admitted to practice in the Northern and Western Districts of Texas since 1998
  • Principal Shareholder, Steven Besly, PC; associated with Collins Law Group and Collins & Bassinger, PC in Dallas since 2003
  • Member, Business, Oil & Gas, Real Estate, Probate and Trust, and Construction Sections of the State Bar of Texas
  • Secretary, Texas Residential Construction Commission Arbitration Taskforce, which reported to the 79th and 80th Texas Legislature
  • 2013 Chair, Dallas Bar Association Speakers Committee
  • J.D., Texas Tech University School of Law (per Justia listing)
In business
licensed since 1998
Team
Steven Besly, PC, Principal Shareholder Steven Besly

In Steven's words

Situations Steven handles every week

Starting a company with partners before anything is in writing

Bylaws, company agreements, shareholder agreements and buy-sell agreements decide what happens when a partner leaves, dies or stops pulling weight. Steven drafts them to the owners' circumstances, because, as his site puts it, litigation years later can turn on what was or was not done at formation.

Not sure which entity to form

Steven works with the owner and their CPA to weigh tax treatment and liability protection across sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations with or without an S election, LLCs, series LLCs, limited partnerships and professional entities such as a PC, PLLC or PA.

A dispute with a partner or minority shareholder

Member buyouts, claims of minority shareholder oppression, enforcement of shareholder agreements and rights of first refusal, and business and commercial litigation are part of his practice, with the stated aim of client-controlled, cost-effective representation.

A nonprofit or association board unsure of its compliance obligations

Steven helps boards choose between incorporated and unincorporated structures, pick the right 501(c) exemption, and keep up the filings that protect the exemption. For associations, he advises on antitrust questions such as membership criteria, expulsion, standard setting and competitor collaboration.

A construction dispute or a lien

He handles construction disputes under the Residential Construction Liability Act, the Deceptive Trade Practices Act, trust fund and mechanic's lien litigation, and served as Secretary of the Texas Residential Construction Commission's Arbitration Taskforce.

A subpoena or notice from a state or federal agency

Administrative hearing defense covers matters before the Texas Workforce Commission, Railroad Commission, SEC, FINRA, Comptroller, IRS and Secretary of State. Steven's view is that money spent on compliance saves far more when a dispute arrives.

Services

Everything Steven offers

Business entity formationChoosing and forming the right entity for tax and liability protection, with the owner's CPA.
Company, shareholder and buy-sell agreementsGoverning documents drafted to the specific owners and their plans.
Governance counselAdvice on financing, cash calls and dilution, distributions, minority rights, stock buybacks and officer and director changes.
Nonprofit formation and exemptionStructuring a nonprofit and applying for the right 501(c) exemption, then keeping it.
Association counselFormation, governance, regulatory compliance and antitrust guidance for professional, homeowner and condo, alumni and business associations.
Business and commercial litigationTrials, arbitrations and appeals in business, contract, lease and business tort matters.
Owner and shareholder disputesMember buyouts, minority shareholder oppression claims and enforcement of covenants.
Non-compete and trade secret litigationEnforceability of covenants not to compete and confidentiality and nondisclosure disputes.
Construction disputesRCLA, DTPA, trust fund and mechanic's lien litigation.
Probate, trust and administrative hearing defenseProbate, guardianship and trust litigation, plus defense before state and federal agencies.

Service area: Dallas, Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas state courts, U.S. District Courts, Northern and Western Districts of Texas

About

Steven Besly

Steven Besly has been licensed in Texas and admitted to the Northern and Western Districts of Texas since 1998, and has practiced business law in Dallas since 2003 from his firm, Steven Besly, PC, at One Campbell Centre. He calls his approach Straight Talk Counsel: clients should understand their own documents well enough to govern their entity without creating personal liability.

He works alongside the owner's CPA to choose an entity that fits both tax and liability goals, then drafts the company, shareholder and buy-sell agreements to the actual owners. When a dispute arises he handles the litigation himself, so the attorney who drafted the agreement can also enforce it.

Why clients choose Steven

  • Licensed in Texas and the Northern and Western Districts since 1998, practicing business law in Dallas since 2003
  • Works alongside the owner's CPA so the entity fits both tax and liability goals, then drafts the governing documents to the actual owners
  • Handles formation, governance and litigation, so the attorney who drafted the agreement can also enforce it

Works alongside: Works alongside the owner's CPA on entity structure and with boards of nonprofits and associations on governance.

Member of BNI Preston Center since 2012.

FAQ

Questions people ask Steven

Which business entity should I choose?

Steven works with owners and their CPAs to weigh tax treatment and liability protection across sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations with or without an S election, LLCs, series LLCs, limited partnerships and professional entities such as a PC, PLLC or PA. The answer depends on the owners, the profession and the plan for the business.

We already formed the company. Do we still need an attorney?

Steven treats a certificate of formation as the beginning of the paperwork, not the end. Bylaws, company agreements, minutes, shareholder agreements and buy-sell agreements need to fit the specific owners.

Does he handle lawsuits as well as paperwork?

Yes. He handles trials, arbitrations and appeals in business and commercial disputes, owner buyouts and minority shareholder claims, non-compete and nondisclosure cases, construction disputes, HOA and condo matters, and probate and trust litigation.

Can he help a nonprofit or an association?

Yes. He helps boards choose between incorporated and unincorporated structures, select the right 501(c) exemption and stay compliant, and advises associations on governance and antitrust questions.

Where is the office?

One Campbell Centre, 8350 N Central Expressway, Suite 1900, Dallas, Texas 75206. Phone 214-273-6446.

Contact

Reach Steven

CompanyStraight Talk Counsel
Office8350 N Central Expwy, Ste 1900, Dallas, TX 75206

Email goes through the referral form so the chapter can record the introduction.

Other members who also work for homes and businesses