A contract lawyer for contract review, drafting, and negotiation. Before you sign a business contract, employment agreement, lease, or vendor agreement, we make sure it actually protects you. Serving Birmingham, Mountain Brook, Hoover, and all of Alabama.
Schedule a Consultation Call (205) 202-9801A contract is only as good as the words in it. Vague language, missing provisions, unfavorable terms buried in the fine print, or clauses unenforceable under Alabama law, these problems are invisible when you sign and catastrophic when a dispute arises. If you are looking for a lawyer for contract review or a contract lawyer to draft or negotiate an agreement, that is exactly what we do. At Colvin & Sawyer Law Offices, founding attorney Christopher Colvin reviews, drafts, and negotiates contracts for businesses and individuals across Birmingham, Mountain Brook, Hoover, Vestavia Hills, and throughout Alabama.
Below you will find the types of contracts we handle, exactly how our review process works, what we look for, the red flags we catch, and honest answers on cost and timing. If you already know you need help, call (205) 202-9801 or request a consultation.
"The time to negotiate a contract is before you sign it, not after something goes wrong. A few hours of attorney review can prevent years of legal headaches."
Partnership agreements, joint venture agreements, shareholder agreements, and buy-sell agreements drafted to clearly define rights, responsibilities, and procedures.
Review and negotiate vendor agreements to ensure pricing, delivery, liability, and termination terms actually protect your business, not just the vendor's.
Custom service contracts for Alabama businesses, clearly defining scope of work, payment terms, intellectual property ownership, liability limitations, and dispute resolution.
Employment contracts, independent contractor agreements, NDAs, and non-compete clauses drafted to be enforceable under Alabama law and protective of your business interests.
Commercial leases are often heavily one-sided in favor of the landlord. We review and negotiate lease terms to protect Alabama business tenants from personal guarantees to exit provisions.
We review purchase agreements, sale contracts, and other real estate documents for Alabama buyers, sellers, and investors, catching issues before closing that could be costly after.
As a contract lawyer serving Alabama businesses and individuals, we work across the full range of agreements. If your contract is not listed here, call us anyway, chances are we handle it.
Partnership, joint venture, shareholder, and buy-sell agreements, plus master service agreements and general commercial contracts that define how your business operates.
Employment contracts, independent contractor agreements, offer letters, severance agreements, non-compete and non-solicitation clauses, reviewed for enforceability under Alabama law.
Commercial leases are usually written to protect the landlord. We review and negotiate rent escalation, personal guarantees, maintenance obligations, and exit terms for Alabama tenants.
Supply contracts, distribution agreements, and vendor terms, checked so pricing, delivery, liability, and termination actually protect your business.
Client service contracts, statements of work, and consulting agreements defining scope, payment, intellectual property ownership, and dispute resolution.
Non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements, whether you are protecting your own information or being asked to sign someone else's.
Purchase agreements, sale contracts, and asset purchase agreements reviewed before closing, when problems are still fixable.
Licensing, software and SaaS agreements, and intellectual property assignments, reviewed so you keep the rights you mean to keep.
Contract review should not be a black box. Here is exactly what happens when you bring us an agreement:
When we review a contract, we are checking dozens of specific provisions. The ones that most often cause problems for Alabama businesses and individuals:
A few provisions should make you stop and get a contract lawyer before signing. If your agreement contains any of these, call us:
Contract review fees vary with the length and complexity of the agreement. A short, standard contract may need only a brief review, while a complex commercial agreement takes considerably longer. Rather than quote a number that will not fit your situation, we explain the expected scope and cost at your consultation, before any work begins, so there are no surprises. For most business owners, an hour or two of review is a fraction of what a single bad clause can cost later.
For a straightforward agreement, review typically takes one to two business days. More complex contracts, or ones requiring negotiation with the other side, take longer. If you are working against a signing deadline, tell us when you send the contract and we will tell you honestly whether we can meet it.
AI tools can summarize a contract and flag obvious clauses, and they are genuinely useful as a first pass. What they cannot do is tell you how Alabama law applies to your specific situation, whether a non-compete is actually enforceable here, what a term is worth in negotiation, or what protective language is missing entirely. AI does not carry malpractice responsibility for the advice, and it will not negotiate on your behalf. Use it as a tool if you like, but have an attorney review anything you are about to sign.
Have a contract you need reviewed or drafted?
Call Colvin & Sawyer Law Offices at (205) 202-9801 or send us a message. We serve businesses and individuals across Birmingham, Mountain Brook, Hoover, Vestavia Hills, and all of Alabama.Christopher Colvin founded Colvin & Sawyer Law Offices and brings a background as a former small business owner to the firm's contract work. He drafts, reviews, and negotiates the agreements Alabama businesses actually run on, from service contracts and vendor agreements to commercial leases and operating agreements, with a practical eye for the terms that create real risk down the road.
Because contracts rarely stand alone, Christopher coordinates this work with the firm's business law and estate planning practices, so an owner's company, contracts, and personal plan fit together.
"Fast, efficient, and made the entire process so much less stressful. From the beginning, they took a huge weight off my shoulders and handled everything with professionalism and confidence. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for an outstanding attorney."
Contracts are legally binding, and poorly written agreements can cost businesses and individuals significant money and legal exposure. An attorney review catches hidden risks and unfavorable terms before you sign, when changes are far easier to negotiate.
We review and draft business agreements, vendor contracts, employment and contractor agreements, commercial leases, real estate contracts, service agreements, non-disclosure agreements, and operating agreements. Contact us at (205) 202-9801 to discuss your specific needs.
An enforceable Alabama contract requires offer, acceptance, consideration (something of value exchanged by both parties), and mutual assent on essential terms. Some contracts, including real estate agreements, must be in writing under Alabama's statute of frauds.
Before, always. Once you sign, you are bound by the terms and your leverage to change them is gone. Attorney review before signing is when problems are cheap to fix. Reviewing after a dispute has started is far more expensive and far less effective.
Both. We draft new contracts from scratch tailored to your business and Alabama law, and we review, revise, and negotiate contracts drafted by the other side. Founding attorney Christopher Colvin brings a small business and contract law background to both.
A contract lawyer reviews, drafts, and negotiates agreements. On review, we read the full contract, flag risks and missing protections, explain each major term, and recommend or negotiate changes. On drafting, we write agreements tailored to your business and to Alabama law so they hold up if challenged.
It depends on the length and complexity of the agreement. A short, standard contract may need only a brief review, while a complex commercial contract takes longer. We explain the expected scope and cost at your consultation before any work begins, so you are never surprised by the bill.
A straightforward agreement is usually reviewed within one to two business days. Complex contracts, or ones that require negotiation with the other party, take longer. If you have a signing deadline, tell us up front and we will tell you honestly whether we can meet it.
Yes. Beyond flagging problems, we can work directly with the other side or their attorney to revise unfavorable terms. Having a contract lawyer negotiate often gets better terms than trying to push back on your own, and it keeps the relationship professional.
AI can summarize a contract and flag obvious clauses, but it cannot determine how Alabama law applies to your situation, tell you what protective language is missing, or negotiate for you, and it carries no responsibility for the advice. Use it as a first pass, but have an attorney review anything you are about to sign.
We work with businesses and individuals across the Birmingham metro. For local detail on how we help in your city:
Contracts rarely stand alone. Depending on your situation, these may also apply:
Christopher Colvin and Valerie Sawyer serve clients throughout Birmingham, Mountain Brook, Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Homewood, Alabaster, Pelham, Helena, Chelsea, Trussville, Gardendale, Bessemer, and Montgomery.
Schedule a Consultation Call (205) 202-9801