Business Attorney in Fairfax, VA
A Fairfax, VA business attorney for the county's contractors and tech firms: Stephen Thienel handles formation, contracts, transactions, and succession, tax built in.
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Few places pack this much business into one county. Fairfax runs on federal contracts, corporate headquarters, and a deep bench of technology and cybersecurity firms, and each of those brings its own legal weight. If you own or lead one of those companies, the calls that are expensive to get wrong tend to come early: which entity to form, what to sign, whom to bring on as a partner, and how to hand the company off later. Stephen Thienel is a business attorney who handles those decisions for companies from Tysons to Reston to the City of Fairfax. 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-border questions that follow growth in the Northern Virginia market stay with one attorney instead of three.
What makes doing business in Fairfax different?
Fairfax is defined by who its companies sell to. A large share of the county’s economy works for or supplies the federal government, and that shapes the paperwork long before any dispute appears. A defense or aerospace supplier lives on prime contracts, subcontracts, and teaming agreements. A cybersecurity or software firm near Tysons lives on licensing, intellectual property, and investor terms. A closely held services company in the City of Fairfax lives on employees, vendors, and the lease on its space. They share a county, but their contracts, their risk, and their exit plans look nothing alike.
The support around those companies is unusually dense. The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, based in Tysons, runs programs for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and startups, and the county’s corporate and federal-contracting cluster puts customers and partners close at hand. That proximity is an advantage, and it also means more agreements and more chances to sign the wrong one.
Formation and yearly upkeep run through Richmond, not the county. 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, a rolling date that is easy to miss precisely because it differs for every company. If a dispute does reach court, larger civil cases and jury trials are heard at the Fairfax Circuit Court, the 19th Judicial Circuit, at the courthouse on Chain Bridge Road, while smaller civil claims go to the Fairfax County General District Court. Stephen is admitted in Virginia and can appear in either when a matter cannot be settled another way.
What business services does Thienel Law offer in Fairfax?
Stephen does this work himself, not through associates. Most Fairfax matters fall into a few areas:
Business formation and entity selection
You start as the right entity for your tax and liability picture.
Learn moreContract drafting and review
The agreements your company runs on, from client and vendor contracts to NDAs and teaming agreements.
Learn moreOperating and partnership agreements
Settle ownership, control, and voting before a disagreement puts them to the test.
Learn moreBusiness purchases and sales
Whether you are buying, selling, or merging.
Learn moreBuy-sell and succession agreements
Keep ownership stable when a partner exits, retires, or passes away.
Learn moreCommercial lease review
You commit to office or flex space in Tysons, Reston, or anywhere in the county.
Learn moreBecause business, tax, and estate questions rarely stay in their own lanes, many Fairfax owners work with Stephen on more than one of these over the life of the company.
Why do Fairfax business owners work with Stephen Thienel?
In a county built on federal contracts and venture-backed technology, the tax and structuring questions arrive early and rarely stay simple. Stephen practices business, tax, and estate law and is licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. A Fairfax company that hires across state lines, opens a second location, or sells into the District works with one attorney instead of coordinating three, and because he holds an LL.M. in Taxation, the tax side of a deal is part of the same conversation rather than a separate bill.
His background reads a deal from more than one angle. 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, where he studied under Nobel laureate James Buchanan. He weighs how a decision plays out for the owner, not only how it reads on paper.
The firm’s office sits across the county line in Alexandria, and the practice runs online by design. Secure document sharing, electronic signatures, and video meetings carry the work, so you keep your day rather than lose it to the Beltway. You work with Stephen directly, on terms set in writing before the work starts.
For companies that want ongoing legal access without a full-time hire, Stephen also serves as fractional general counsel on a steady monthly basis.
Serving Fairfax
Thienel Law serves Fairfax businesses in person and through secure, fully remote service, so where you are never limits the counsel you can get.
- Area servedFairfax, 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 Fairfax business form an LLC or a corporation?
It depends on how you want to be taxed, who will own the company, and whether you plan to raise outside money. An LLC gives most small companies flexibility and pass-through taxation, while a corporation can suit firms courting investors or seeking a specific tax treatment, a common path for Fairfax's tech and contracting startups. Because Stephen holds an LL.M. in Taxation, he weighs the tax side of that choice with you rather than sending you elsewhere.
Do I need an operating agreement for a Fairfax LLC?
It is strongly recommended, even for a single-member LLC. A written operating agreement reinforces the line between you and the company, sets out ownership, voting, and what happens when a member joins or leaves, and gives banks, lenders, and courts a clear record of how the business is run.
What does a Virginia LLC have to file each year to stay in good standing?
An annual registration with the State Corporation Commission, generally due by the last day of the LLC's anniversary month rather than on one fixed date for everyone. You also have to keep a registered agent on file continuously. Tracking that rolling date is part of the routine upkeep Stephen helps clients stay ahead of.
Do I need a separate tax attorney or CPA for 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 your company already has an accountant, he works alongside them.
Does Thienel Law have an office in Fairfax?
No. The firm's office is in Alexandria, Virginia, and Stephen serves Fairfax companies from there through a remote practice. The work runs on secure online meetings, document sharing, and electronic signatures, and he appears in Fairfax courts when a matter requires it.
Talk With a Fairfax Business Attorney
If you are ready to hire a business attorney, start with a free 30-minute consultation. You and Stephen talk through what your company needs and decide together whether the fit is right. There is no intake screener and no runaround, and the whole engagement runs on secure online meetings, document sharing, and electronic signatures.
- Tell Steve about your matter
- Pick a time that works