Legally structuring your physical structures Coni Rathbone Developers, contractors and owners spend countless hours planning and designing their buildings and developments. They hire the best designers and engineers they can find to assure the structural integrity of their buildings. They realize that each project is unique and requires individualized plans and designs. They recognize that a well engineered structure and strong foundation are essential to creating a building that will stand the test of time. Unfortunately, those same developers, contractors and owners often don’t recognize that the “legal” structure selected for their buildings and developments can be equally important. Just as a properly designed building foundation is critical to accomplish the goal of holding up the walls of the building, the properly designed legal foundation is critical to accomplish the owner’s goals relating to taxation, liability protection and exit strategies.