When one chooses to incorporate as a business, there are many moving parts that need to be considered, and failure to follow corporate formalities can often end up forfeiting the corporate form’s protections. To create a corporation, a person must file initial articles of incorporation with the secretary of state. A person may incorporate in any state he chooses; by choosing which state to file in, he gets to choose which state’s corporate code will govern any internal corporate disputes that may arise in the future. The archetypical corporation breaks down into a complex set of relationships between three main groups of people: Owners (shareholders), directors (major policy setters), and officers and employees (day-to-day operations). Sometimes one person will play all three roles; more often in larger contexts the shareholders elect the board of directors, who vote on most major policy decisions, which are implemented by the officers. State corporate law includes a set of default rules for corporations. These default rules may be affirmatively altered by two main governance documents: articles of incorporation and corporate bylaws. An experienced probate attorney can ensure that your corporation is hand-crafted to meet your specific needs as a business, changing the default rules as need be with respect to shareholder voting, amending the articles of incorporation, and electing or removing directors. The attorneys of Boles Holmes White LLC have years of experience in corporation law, and can help you form your corporation and draft the most effective governance documents to ensure your needs are met. If you live in Birmingham, Bessemer, Columbiana or anywhere in the surrounding area, contact us today at 205-502-2000 for a free consultation with our Birmingham legal team, and let us put our experience to work for you.