Business Formation & SBA 504 Attorney in Northern Virginia
Build the Business Right, and Finance It to Grow
The way you set up your company shapes your taxes, your liability, and whether a lender will say yes. We form Northern Virginia businesses the right way and handle the legal side of SBA 504 financing, so you can own your building instead of renting it.
How You Form the Company Decides What It Can Become
The entity you choose at the start follows you for years. It sets how you are taxed, whether your personal assets are shielded, how owners split control, and how a bank sizes you up when you ask to borrow. Picking the wrong structure, or papering it carelessly, is a problem you usually discover at the worst possible moment.
Many growing businesses reach a point where renting no longer makes sense, and owning does. The SBA 504 program was built for exactly that: long-term, fixed-rate financing for owner-occupied real estate and major equipment, with a lower down payment than most conventional loans. We handle the legal work that makes both the formation and the financing hold together.
Schedule a ConsultationWhere We Step In
- ✓ You are starting a new business
- ✓ You are unsure whether to be an LLC or a corporation
- ✓ You want to buy the building your business uses
- ✓ A lender or CDC asked for an SBA 504 structure
- ✓ You are adding partners or investors
- ✓ You need real estate and entity work to line up
How We Help
From the Foundation to the Financing
We cover the legal groundwork that sets a company up and the documents required for an SBA 504 deal.
Entity Selection & Setup
LLC, S corporation, C corporation, or partnership. We help you choose the structure that fits your taxes, liability, and growth plans, then file it correctly.
LLCS corpC corp
Operating & Organizational Documents
Operating agreements, bylaws, and shareholder agreements that set the rules now, before a disagreement makes you wish you had them.
Operating agreementBylawsOwnership
SBA 504 Eligibility & Structure
We help you structure ownership and the operating company so the deal fits the program’s owner-occupancy and eligibility rules from the start.
EligibilityOwner-occupiedStructure
Real Estate Holding Entities
504 deals often use a separate entity to hold the property and lease it to the operating business. We set up that holding company and the lease the right way.
Holding entityLeaseReal estate
Loan Document Review & Closing
We review the bank and CDC loan documents, explain the obligations and the guaranties, and represent you through to a clean closing.
Loan reviewGuarantiesClosing
Licenses, EIN & Startup Compliance
We round out the launch with the registrations, EIN, and local licensing your business needs to operate and to satisfy a lender’s checklist.
EINLicensingRegistration
Why Owners Bring Us In Early
The cheapest time to fix a structure is before it is built on.
We Set It Up for Where You Are Going
We form the company with your growth and your financing in mind, not just the paperwork in front of us today.
We Make the Entity and the Loan Fit
A 504 deal has rules about ownership and occupancy. We line your structure up with them so the financing does not stall.
We Read the Documents You Will Sign
Loan packages are dense and full of personal guaranties. We translate them so you know what you are committing to.
We Coordinate the Moving Parts
Lender, CDC, title, and your entity all have to align by closing. We keep the legal pieces moving together.
What to Expect
From Idea to Closing
1
Consultation
Tell us about the business and your goals, including whether owning property is on the horizon. We map the structure.
2
Form & Document
We file the entity, draft the operating or organizational documents, and set up any holding company the deal needs.
3
Align the Financing
We work with your lender and CDC, review the loan documents, and make sure the structure satisfies the 504 requirements.
4
Close & Launch
We get you through closing and hand you a clean, organized foundation you can build the business on.
Attorney Insight
“The owners who do best are the ones who set the company up with the next move already in mind. I have seen a business spend years paying rent, then scramble to restructure when a 504 deal finally lets them buy the building. Do the structure once, do it right, and the financing falls into place instead of fighting you. My job is to build that foundation and read every document before you sign it, so growth is a decision you get to make, not a problem you have to fix.”
Anthony I. Shin, Esq.
Founder, Shin Law Office
Free Tool
SBA 504 Loan Calculator
Estimate how a 504 deal breaks down across the bank loan, the CDC and SBA portion, and your down payment, with an approximate monthly payment. Adjust the numbers to fit your project, then schedule a consultation to put the legal structure in place.
Your Project
Estimated Breakdown
Total Project Cost—
Your Down Payment—
Bank Loan (1st lien)—
Bank Payment—
CDC / SBA Loan (2nd lien)—
CDC / SBA Payment—
Total Monthly Payment—
These figures are estimates for general information only and are not a loan offer, a commitment to lend, or financial or legal advice. The bank loan, CDC and SBA portions, rates, terms, and down payment all depend on your lender, the Certified Development Company, and current SBA program rules. A 504 structure is commonly around a 50 percent bank loan, 40 percent CDC and SBA loan, and 10 percent down, but your deal may differ.
Common Questions
Answers Before You Call
What is an SBA 504 loan?
It is an SBA financing program for long-term, fixed-rate funding of owner-occupied commercial real estate and major equipment. A deal typically combines a bank loan, a loan through a Certified Development Company backed by the SBA, and a contribution from the borrower, which often means a lower down payment than a conventional loan.
Does Shin Law Office make the loan?
No. The lending is done by your bank and a Certified Development Company. We handle the legal side: forming and structuring your entities, setting up any real estate holding company, reviewing the loan documents, and representing you through closing.
Which business structure is best for me?
It depends on your taxes, your liability concerns, how many owners you have, and your plans for the business. An LLC suits many small businesses, while an S or C corporation fits others. We walk you through the tradeoffs and file the one that fits.
Why do 504 deals use a separate real estate entity?
It is common to put the property in its own holding entity that leases the space to your operating business. Done correctly, this can help with liability and organization while still meeting the program's occupancy rules. We set up the entity and the lease so the structure works.
What does owner-occupied mean for a 504 loan?
The program is meant for property your business actually uses, so your company generally must occupy a required share of the space rather than leasing it all out as an investment. We structure the deal so it meets that occupancy expectation.
Will I have to sign a personal guaranty?
SBA financing commonly requires personal guaranties from the owners. We make sure you understand exactly what you are guaranteeing before you sign, and we review the loan documents for terms that deserve attention.
Can you help if I already have an entity?
Yes. We review your existing structure and documents, fix gaps, and adjust the setup if needed so it supports your financing and your growth. You do not have to be starting from scratch to benefit.
When should I involve a lawyer in financing?
As early as possible, ideally before the entity is locked in and well before closing. Early legal work keeps the structure clean and prevents last-minute scrambles when the lender's requirements meet your paperwork.
Visit Us
Two Offices Serving Northern Virginia
Leesburg Office
Fairfax Office
Phone 571-445-6565 • Fax 703-442-8938 • Cell 571-215-8823
Start on a Solid Foundation
Whether you are forming your first company or financing the building you have rented for years, the legal groundwork decides how smoothly it goes. Let us set it up right. Serving Leesburg, Fairfax, and all of Northern Virginia.
Prefer to talk now? Reach Anthony I. Shin, Esq. at 571-445-6565.
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Based in Loudoun County and serving clients across Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland, we know that when everything’s on the line, the right attorney doesn’t just make a difference, they determine the outcome.
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Copyright © 2025 Shin Law Office, PLC. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2025 Shin Law Office, PLC. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of any content on this site is prohibited except for individual, non-commercial, informational use. This limited permission does not allow modification, distribution, or incorporation of any content into other works or publications in any medium. You may not reproduce or distribute content from this site to any third party.