As business leaders approach the end of 2025, now is the time for strategic planning that extends beyond financial budgets and operational goals. Just as you conduct year-end financial reviews and plan for next year's growth, your legal infrastructure deserves the same intentional attention.

For mid-sized businesses with annual revenues between $5 million and $150 million, year-end legal planning isn't just about compliance—it's about creating a foundation for strategic growth while proactively managing risk. The legal decisions you make (or postpone) in the next few weeks will impact your business throughout 2026 and beyond.

The 7 Critical Areas Every Strategic Business Owner Should Review

1. Employment Handbook Compliance Updates

What to Review: Your employee handbook should reflect current Wisconsin and federal employment law requirements, which continue to evolve rapidly.

Key Action Items:

• Verify your handbook includes updated policies on remote work, workplace safety, and harassment prevention
• Review paid time off policies to ensure compliance with Wisconsin state requirements
• Update technology and social media policies to address current workplace realities
• Ensure your handbook clearly defines exempt vs. non-exempt employee classifications

Strategic Considerations: An outdated handbook isn't just a compliance risk—it's a liability that can complicate employment disputes and undermine your workplace culture. Your handbook should work as a strategic tool for setting expectations and protecting your business interests.

Business Impact: Companies with comprehensive, current employee handbooks resolve workplace issues 40% faster and face fewer employment-related disputes.

2. Contract Audit Priorities

Vendor Agreements Start with your most critical vendor relationships. Are your supply chain agreements still protecting your interests? Have payment terms kept pace with your cash flow needs? Review force majeure clauses and delivery commitments that may need updating based on lessons learned from recent supply chain disruptions.

Customer Contracts Examine your standard customer agreements for opportunities to improve payment terms, clarify scope of work, and strengthen intellectual property protections. Consider whether your liability limitations adequately protect your growing business.

Partnership Agreements Business partnerships evolve as companies grow. Review buy-sell provisions, profit-sharing arrangements, and decision-making authority to ensure they align with current business realities and future growth plans.

3. Corporate Governance Document Reviews

Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws As your business grows, ensure your foundational documents support your current operational structure and future expansion plans. Review director and officer roles, meeting requirements, and voting procedures.

Shareholder Agreements Update valuation methods, transfer restrictions, and buy-sell triggers to reflect your company's current value and market position. Consider how these agreements align with your succession planning objectives.

Operating Agreements (LLCs) Review management structure, profit and loss allocations, and member responsibilities. Ensure your operating agreement can accommodate potential new investors or members as you scale.

4. Risk Assessment for the Upcoming Year

Identify Emerging Risks Consider new regulations affecting your industry, cybersecurity threats, employment law changes, and market conditions that could impact your business model.

Evaluate Current Risk Management Review your current legal risk management strategies. Are you addressing potential problems proactively, or are you operating in reactive mode?

Develop Mitigation Strategies Create specific action plans for identified risks, including legal infrastructure improvements, insurance adjustments, and preventive legal measures.

5. Insurance Coverage Alignment with Business Growth

General Liability and Professional Liability As your revenue grows, ensure your coverage limits align with your increased exposure. Review policy exclusions and consider industry-specific coverage needs.

Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) With a growing workforce comes increased employment-related risk. Verify your EPLI coverage adequately protects against wrongful termination, harassment, and discrimination claims.

Cyber Liability Coverage Evaluate whether your cyber insurance covers current technology risks, data breach response costs, and business interruption from cyber incidents.

Directors and Officers (D&O) Insurance If you have a board of directors or are considering outside investors, ensure your D&O coverage protects leadership from personal liability for business decisions.

6. Intellectual Property Protection Review

Trademark and Copyright Audits Verify your key trademarks remain protected and consider whether your growing market presence requires expanded intellectual property protection.

Trade Secret Protocols Review confidentiality agreements, employee access controls, and information security measures protecting your proprietary business information.

IP Ownership Documentation Ensure all employee-created intellectual property properly belongs to the company through updated employment agreements and work-for-hire documentation.

7. Compliance and Regulatory Planning

Industry-Specific Requirements Manufacturing companies should review environmental compliance, product liability protocols, and supply chain due diligence. Healthcare businesses need to evaluate HIPAA compliance, licensing requirements, and regulatory reporting obligations.

Tax Structure Optimization Work with your legal and accounting team to ensure your business structure remains tax-efficient as you grow and consider whether changes in tax law create planning opportunities.

Multi-State Considerations If you're expanding into new states, review licensing requirements, employment law differences, and tax obligations that could affect your growth strategy.

Creating Your Year-End Legal Action Plan

Priority Assessment

Immediate Actions (Complete by December 31, 2025):

• Update employee handbooks with current law requirements
• Review and renew key vendor and customer contracts
• Conduct insurance coverage analysis

First Quarter 2026 Actions:

• Complete comprehensive contract audit
• Update corporate governance documents
• Implement new risk management protocols

Ongoing Monitoring:

• Establish quarterly legal check-ins
• Create systems for tracking regulatory changes
• Develop relationships with legal specialists in key practice areas

The Concierge Approach to Legal Planning

Rather than managing relationships with multiple legal specialists across different firms, consider working with a business attorney who can coordinate comprehensive legal services. This approach ensures consistency in legal strategy, eliminates coordination gaps, and provides a single point of accountability for your legal infrastructure.

The Business Case for Proactive Legal Planning

Strategic business owners understand that legal planning is an investment in business success, not just a cost of doing business. Companies that conduct regular legal health checks typically experience:

• Reduced legal costs through preventative strategies rather than crisis management
• Faster resolution of legal issues through experienced counsel and proper documentation
• Better business outcomes through legally-informed decision making
• Scalable legal infrastructure that supports rather than hinders growth
• Competitive advantages through superior risk management and contract negotiation

Getting Started with Your Legal Health Check

The most effective year-end legal planning happens when business owners take an active role in the process. Start by gathering your key legal documents, identifying your biggest business challenges for 2026, and considering how legal infrastructure can support your growth objectives.

Remember, the goal isn't legal perfection—it's making intentional, informed decisions about legal risks and opportunities that align with your business strategy.

If you're ready to conduct a comprehensive legal health check for your business, the time to start is now. Year-end planning is most effective when you have adequate time to implement changes before they're needed.

About Strategic Legal Planning

Adam Witkov helps growing businesses throughout Wisconsin develop comprehensive legal strategies that support business growth while managing risk. His approach combines litigation experience with deep business understanding to provide concierge-level legal services that go far beyond traditional transactional work.

Ready to discuss your year-end legal planning? Contact us to schedule a strategic planning consultation and ensure your legal infrastructure supports your 2026 business objectives.