Business Attorney in Alexandria, VA
An Alexandria, VA business attorney based in the city itself: Stephen Thienel handles formation, contracts, transactions, and succession with tax counsel built in.
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Most law firms serve Alexandria from somewhere else. Thienel Law, PLLC works the other way around: the office is in Alexandria, and the city’s founders, owners, and partners are the neighbors. Stephen Thienel is a business attorney who handles the calls that are expensive to get wrong, which entity to form, what to sign, whom to partner with, and when to sell. He has practiced for more than 26 years, holds an LL.M. in Taxation, and is licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., so the tax and cross-river questions that come with running a business in this corner of the DMV stay with one attorney instead of three.
What makes doing business in Alexandria different?
Alexandria runs on proximity. The city faces Washington across the Potomac, and much of its economy works for, sells to, or grew out of the federal government. A consulting shop near the King Street Metro lives on agency contracts and teaming agreements, while an Old Town restaurant or boutique deals in leases, licensing, and seasonal staffing. Even the federal government itself is a local presence: the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the National Science Foundation both make their headquarters in the city. A company that wins work across the river picks up D.C. or Maryland legal questions on top of its Virginia ones, often in the same quarter.
State compliance runs on Richmond’s calendar, not city hall’s. A Virginia LLC’s annual registration is assessed by the State Corporation Commission and generally comes due by the last day of its anniversary month each year, a rolling date that is easy to lose track of precisely because it is different for every company.
If a dispute cannot be settled, the courthouse is close. Larger civil cases and jury trials are heard at the Alexandria Circuit Court, the 18th Judicial Circuit, at the King Street courthouse, and smaller civil claims go to the Alexandria General District Court in the same building. Stephen is admitted in Virginia and can appear in either when a matter leaves the negotiating table.
What business services does Thienel Law offer in Alexandria?
Every matter below is Stephen’s own work, not an associate’s:
Business formation and entity selection
The structure fits your tax and liability picture from day one.
Learn moreContract drafting and review
The agreements your company actually runs on, from client contracts to NDAs.
Learn moreOperating and partnership agreements
Settle ownership and control before a disagreement tests them.
Learn moreBusiness purchases and sales
On either side of the deal.
Learn moreBuy-sell and succession agreements
Keep ownership stable when a partner retires, exits, or passes away.
Learn moreCommercial lease review
You commit to space in Old Town or anywhere in the city.
Learn moreBusiness, tax, and estate questions tend to arrive tangled together, and because Stephen practices all three, clients rarely need a second firm to untangle them.
Why do Alexandria business owners work with Stephen Thienel?
One engagement covers ground that usually takes three firms. Stephen practices business, tax, and estate law, and he is licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. When an Alexandria company hires across the river or signs a Maryland customer, the answers come from a lawyer who already knows the business, and the LL.M. in Taxation means the tax side never gets referred out.
The background is unusual for a solo practice. Stephen earned a J.D. at the University of Maryland, an LL.M. in Taxation at the University of Baltimore, and an M.A. in economics at Virginia Tech under Nobel laureate James Buchanan, and he spent years on the client side of the table before practicing law. He prices risk the way an owner prices it.
This is also the rare service page where the location question answers itself. The office sits on Belle View Boulevard in Alexandria, minutes from most of the city. The practice still runs on secure document sharing, electronic signatures, and online meetings, because convenience is the point even when the client is ten minutes away, and you work with Stephen directly with the terms in writing before the work starts.
Companies that want a lawyer on call without a full-time hire also engage Stephen as fractional general counsel on a steady monthly basis.
Serving Alexandria
Thienel Law serves Alexandria businesses in person and through secure, fully remote service, so where you are never limits the counsel you can get.
- Area servedAlexandria, VA
- Phone443-535-9717
- Office1520 Belle View Blvd, Ste 5392, Alexandria, VA 22307
What clients say about working with Steve
Throughout the years, Steve has been my go-to guy for business, real estate, and legal work. Steve works fast and is highly reliable. I would recommend Steve to anyone.
Unbelievably knowledgeable and responsive, particularly where it concerns ... financial planning matters. I truly feel like Steve cares about me and any issues that I bring before him - in other words, I'm much more than a client.
Reviews are published as given. Thienel Law does not offer compensation for reviews.
Frequently asked questions
Should my Alexandria business be a Virginia LLC or a corporation?
The right entity follows from how you want to be taxed, who will own the company, and whether outside investors are in the plan. An LLC gives most small companies flexibility and pass-through treatment, while a corporation fits some investor-backed or specialized tax situations. Stephen's LL.M. in Taxation means that analysis happens inside the engagement, not at a second firm.
Can Stephen handle contracts with customers in D.C. or Maryland?
Yes. He is licensed in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland, which matters in a city where a customer, vendor, or second location across the river is the normal course of business. One attorney can paper the deal correctly under whichever jurisdiction's law applies.
What does a Virginia LLC have to file each year to stay current?
An annual registration with the State Corporation Commission, generally due by the last day of the LLC's anniversary month rather than on a single fixed date for everyone. Tracking that rolling date is part of the routine upkeep Stephen helps clients keep straight.
Do I need a separate lawyer or CPA for the tax side of a business decision?
Often not. Stephen practices tax law alongside business law and also prepares tax returns, so structuring, filing, and any dispute can sit with one advisor. When a company already has an accountant, he works alongside them.
Where is Thienel Law's office?
In Alexandria, at 1520 Belle View Blvd, Ste 5392. The practice is fully remote: Stephen works with Alexandria clients, and clients across Maryland, D.C., and Virginia, through secure online meetings, document sharing, and electronic signatures.
Talk With an Alexandria Business Attorney
If you are ready to hire a business attorney, the shortest path is a free 30-minute consultation. You and Stephen talk through what your company needs and decide together whether the fit is right. No intake screener and no runaround: the whole engagement runs on secure online meetings, document sharing, and electronic signatures.
- Tell Steve about your matter
- Pick a time that works