Small Business Attorney in Chicago

Corporate Law & Litigation for Chicago Founders, From an Attorney Who’s Traded on the Floor

De Silva Law Offices represents founders and small business owners across Chicago who need legal guidance they can act on. Founding attorney R. Tamara de Silva brings a combined focus on corporate law and commercial litigation, and her background as a former floor trader and brokerage executive gives the firm a distinct vantage point for companies operating in regulated industries. Whether a client is structuring a new venture or defending one in court, the firm is built to handle both sides of the work.

Chicago founders and small business owners can reach De Silva Law Offices at (312) 500-8424 or through the contact form on this site to discuss their legal needs.

Forming a Business in Illinois: What Chicago Founders Should Know

The structure a founder chooses at the outset affects personal liability exposure, how the business is taxed, and how ownership disputes get resolved later. A sole proprietorship offers simplicity but no liability shield. An LLC, formed by filing Articles of Organization with the Illinois Secretary of State, separates personal assets from business obligations. A corporation or partnership carries its own governance and tax consequences. There’s no universal right answer, and the choice deserves deliberate attention before any filings go out.

Illinois LLCs must appoint and maintain a registered agent with a physical Illinois address. Separately, businesses operating in Chicago must obtain a business license through the Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) in addition to completing state-level registration. Federal employer identification numbers, operating agreements, and industry-specific permits add further layers. Getting the structure right from the start can be far less costly than correcting it after the business has clients, employees, and contracts in place.

Commercial Litigation for Chicago Startups & Small Businesses

Business disputes don’t arrive on a convenient schedule. A contract the other party refuses to honor, a partner whose conduct crosses into breach of fiduciary duty, a shareholder conflict that threatens the company’s direction: each of these can consume management attention and cash reserves if left unresolved. The firm’s commercial litigation practice covers contract breaches, partnership conflicts, and shareholder litigation, with an eye toward minimizing disruption to the client’s operations.

Protecting proprietary business information is a distinct and recurring concern for startups. In 2025, R. Tamara de Silva secured a substantial confidential settlement in a high-stakes Defend Trade Secrets Act dispute. Trade secret protection under federal law extends to formulas, processes, customer lists, and software code that a business takes reasonable steps to keep confidential. For small businesses and startups whose value is concentrated in what they know and how they do it, that protection is worth considering before a dispute arises.

Regulatory Counsel for Chicago Fintech, Trading, & Digital-Asset Companies

Founders building fintech platforms, trading applications, or digital-asset businesses in Chicago face regulatory questions that many small business lawyers haven’t navigated firsthand. De Silva worked as a floor trader and brokerage executive before practicing law, then studied blockchain technologies at both the MIT Sloan School of Management and the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. That background informs the firm’s regulatory and compliance work for financial-services clients.

The firm’s practice includes fintech law and regulatory representation before agencies including the SEC and CFTC. Founders in these sectors don’t need general guidance repackaged as fintech counsel. They need a lawyer who understands how regulators think and what a licensing or registration misstep can cost.