Contract Drafting
A weak contract is a dispute waiting to happen.
Business
Business Formation and Compliance
DiLibero & Associates advises Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Connecticut business owners on formation, ownership agreements, governance and ongoing compliance from our Providence office. We review the business, owners and existing documents before preparing the next steps.
What’s at Stake
When forming a business, the decisions you make about entity type, how ownership is structured, and what the operating agreement says follow you for the life of the company. They affect how you’re taxed, how liability is allocated, how decisions get made, and how the business transfers if you sell it or bring in investors.
We work with people who are starting something new, restructuring something that has grown, or cleaning up a formation that was done in a hurry. We ask the questions that the online filing services don’t and draft the agreements that reflect the answers.
Situations We Handle
LLC Formation
The LLC is the most common choice for small businesses in Rhode Island and Massachusetts because it’s flexible, tax-efficient, and relatively simple to operate. We form LLCs and draft the operating agreements that make them functional, including multi-member structures with custom ownership and management provisions.
Corporation Formation
S-corps and C-corps make sense for certain tax situations, investor structures, and industries. We handle incorporation, shareholder agreements, bylaws, and the initial organizational steps that establish how the corporation will be governed.
Entity Restructuring
Sometimes a business outgrows the structure it started with. We handle conversions between entity types, restructuring for a sale or investment, and reorganizations driven by changes in ownership or tax strategy.
Multi-State Registration
If you’re formed in one state but operating in another (common for Rhode Island businesses regularly doing work in Massachusetts), you may need to register as a foreign entity. We handle qualification filings and help you stay in good standing across jurisdictions.
Founder and Partner Agreements
The awkward conversations about what each person is contributing, what happens if someone leaves, and how decisions are made are far easier to have before there’s a dispute. We draft the agreements that answer those questions as part of the business formation.
Ongoing Compliance Counsel
We’ll take care of your annual reports, meeting minutes, and the steady stream of contracts and decisions that come with running a business. We work with clients at both formation and on an ongoing basis.
Our Approach
Whether you should set up an LLC, S-corp, or C-corp depends on your tax situation, your liability exposure, your partners, and your long-term plans. We work through those factors before anything is filed.
An operating agreement or shareholder agreement written for your business, not a generic template. We help define how decisions are made, what happens when an owner wants out, and who controls the company when things get complicated.
How ownership is divided, and on what terms, matters more than most founders realize at the start. We structure equity arrangements that reflect the contributions being made and hold up as the business grows.
We handle formation, compliance, registered agent requirements, and licensing, so the early-stage steps are coordinated in one place.
Annual reporting, meeting requirements, ownership changes, and the contracts and decisions that come up as a business grows
What Happens Next
From the first call to the work itself.
We Answer
When you contact us, you are not entering a queue.
What we do. Call 401-621-9700 or request a consultation online. We take your details and check for conflicts of interest before we discuss your matter.
What to prepare. Your contact details, and the names of anyone else involved, such as the business owners, counterparties, lenders, or other parties to the transaction.
We Listen
We will give you honest answers about where you stand and what your options are.
What we do. An attorney reviews what happened, the documents you have, and any deadlines that may apply, then talks you through your options.
What to prepare. Drafts, entity documents, and the deal terms you have so far.
Document and Close
We work through the documents, open issues, and next steps toward a clear agreement or closing.
We review the agreement and supporting records, resolve open legal issues, and explain the documents you will sign. We coordinate the required approvals and delivery steps, then confirm what remains to be filed or followed up after closing.
Every matter is different, so the steps and how long each one takes vary.
Client Reviews from Google
Our go to! We have utilized DiLibero & Assoc for a few years now and highly recommend. They are easy to reach, operate in a timely manner, and in each instance- they guided us and handled our situations surpassing our expectations. So grateful to always know exactly where to turn! And to actually get resolution. On top of that being treated with dignity and respect- definitely minimizes the stress when going through difficult predicaments.
Translated from the reviewer's original English on Google.
Aimee ZwolinskiTrustworthy, professional, and knowledgeable. DiLibero & Associates took the time to explain everything clearly and always made me feel informed throughout the process. Their honesty, responsiveness, and attention to detail gave me confidence every step of the way. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for legal representation they can trust.
Translated from the reviewer's original English on Google.
Tony LevadaOne of the best experiences i’ve ever had legally was with this firm! Lisa and Dylan are extremely professional and determined to get you a desirable outcome! They kept me well informed throughout the entire process and were nothing but professional, understanding, and helpful. I will always recommend this firm due to its staff’s dedication to getting you results that matter!
Translated from the reviewer's original English on Google.
Elaina MI had a great experience working with Dylan. He helped guide me through a situation I was dealing with involving a car dealership, and from the start he was professional, knowledgeable, and very easy to work with. Dylan took the time to explain everything clearly and made sure I understood my options every step of the way. Even though the situation didn’t require anything overly complicated, it was clear that Dylan really knows his stuff and genuinely cares about helping his clients. He was responsive, straightforward, and made the entire process much less stressful. I would absolutely recommend Dylan to anyone looking for a reliable and trustworthy attorney. Thanks again for your help!
Translated from the reviewer's original English on Google.
Stephensilva SilvaI couldn’t be more impressed with Delibero and Associates. From my very first consultation, they were attentive, professional, and genuinely cared about my case. Dylan took the time to explain every step of the process and kept me informed the entire way. Their expertise and attention to detail gave me complete confidence that I was in excellent hands. What stood out most was their compassion, they treated me like a person, not just a client. The entire team worked efficiently, communicated clearly, and delivered results that exceeded my expectations. If you’re looking for a law office that combines deep legal knowledge with true dedication to their clients, I highly recommend Delibero and Associates. They turned a stressful situation into a positive outcome.
Translated from the reviewer's original English on Google.
Michael MarzilliTestimonials reflect individual experiences. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Reviews describe individual clients’ experiences. Every matter is different.
Read all reviews on Google (opens Google Maps in a new tab)
Frequently Asked Questions
For most small businesses, an LLC is the right starting point. It limits your personal liability, and doesn’t require the same formalities as a corporation. A corporation (usually an S-corp or C-corp) makes more sense in specific situations: if you’re planning to raise outside investment, if your tax situation calls for it, or if you’re in an industry where corporate structure is expected. We talk through your specific situation before recommending anything.
The state filing is the easy part, and yes, you can do it yourself. What you can’t get from an online filing service is advice on how to structure ownership between partners and an operating agreement that accurately reflects how your business works. Most of the problems we see with business formations aren’t in the filing. They’re in the documents that came after it, or the lack thereof.
Potentially, especially if you have partners. Without an operating agreement, your business is governed by the default rules of Rhode Island or Massachusetts LLC law, which may not reflect what you actually agreed to or intended. It’s not too late to put one in place, and in most cases, it’s much easier to draft it now than to sort out a dispute later without one.
If you’re operating primarily in Rhode Island, form there. If you’re in Massachusetts, form there. Forming in a different state than where you operate (Delaware is a common example) usually means paying fees and filing in two places without a meaningful benefit for a small business. We can walk you through the specific trade-offs for your situation.
Annual reports with the state, registered agent maintenance, and keeping your ownership records and meeting minutes current. Beyond that, compliance requirements vary by industry and business type. We flag what applies to your business at formation and remain available as things change.
Legal fees for business formation depend on the complexity of the engagement. A single-member LLC is simpler than a multi-partner structure with custom equity provisions and a detailed operating agreement. The first conversation is free, and we’ll give you a clear sense of fees before any work begins.
Dylan C. DiLibero, Esq.
Dylan has built three small businesses from the ground up, bringing practical business experience to his legal work. Read more in his profile.
Dylan C. DiLibero, Esq. is admitted to the Connecticut and New Jersey state bars and the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
Ownership, Governance, and Ongoing Compliance
Formation starts the entity; an ownership agreement sets the working relationship. Discuss who contributes capital, who controls decisions, how profits are allocated, and what happens when an owner leaves, dies, or stops participating. The right structure depends on the business, its owners, and the transaction ahead.
- Bring existing formation documents, ownership percentages, management agreements, and any prior amendments.
- List who may sign contracts, approve borrowing, add an owner, and sell significant assets.
- Identify upcoming filings, registered-agent changes, and the person responsible for maintaining company records.
- Review transfer restrictions, buyout terms, deadlock procedures, and ownership of intellectual property.
For a change in ownership, explore buying or selling a business. If the relationship is already in dispute, see business litigation.
Prepare the Owner and Business Information Before Drafting
For a formation or ownership-planning consultation, list the proposed business activity, current or proposed owners, contributions, management roles and states where the business operates. Identify existing entity filings, agreements and commitments that counsel should review. Tell us which decisions have already been made and which are still open.
For an established company, bring the current governing documents and a list of the records, contracts and notices that need attention. Identify the accountant or other adviser involved so the legal work can be coordinated with separate accounting or tax advice. A disagreement between owners belongs in our partnership and shareholder dispute preparation; a planned purchase or sale belongs in business acquisition planning.
