Businesses are governed by laws and regulations that affect nearly every aspect of their operation. From formation, hiring, and firing, to drafting contracts, resolving disputes, and dissolving or selling the company, there are numerous legal matters that arise during the lifetime of a business.

As a small business owner, you are adept at handling challenges. But when it comes to parsing the fine print of the law, you may feel that you are in over your head. You cannot do everything on your own. Every business relies on other businesses to accomplish its goals. Accordingly, there is arguably no partnership more important to your long-term success than the one you have with your business lawyer.

Finding the right lawyer for your business can seem intimidating if you have never done it before. When preparing to meet with candidates, develop a plan that will allow you to identify an attorney who is a good fit to assist you with your company’s industry, goals, concerns, and culture.

Reasons to Hire a Business Lawyer

Even the most well-oiled business machine needs the counsel of a knowledgeable and skilled lawyer. While not every company requires in-house counsel, having a dedicated business attorney on standby, ready to assist you whenever needed, can help you avoid costly legal missteps that threaten the success—and even the survival—of your business.

A business lawyer can generally provide the following types of services:

• Choosing—and maintaining—a business structure that protects your personal assets
• Drafting and negotiating contracts with clients, customers, employees, and suppliers
• Obtaining licenses and permits
• Securing intellectual property
• Working with your accountant on tax liability issues
• Establishing policies for employees and independent contractors
• Reviewing commercial leases and other real estate deals
• Planning for succession
• Resolving disputes, including lawsuits
• Assisting with mergers and acquisitions
• Aiding in the creation of internal governing documents (e.g., articles, bylaws, and shareholder agreements)
• Advising on securities-related matters
• General business counseling
• Identifying business risks and mitigation strategies

Questions to Ask Attorneys

Ask questions with purpose and find out as much information as you can. You may want to include other key stakeholders in the interview process, such as co-owners, decision makers within the company (such as executives and managers), and advisors. Although they do not all need to be present at the interview, they should at least be consulted because they may offer perspectives that you have not considered.

The following are some relevant topics to discuss with the business lawyer during the interview:

• How long they have been practicing law
• Their areas of legal knowledge
• The relevance of their experience to your business and industry
• Examples of past clients and the types of clients they usually work with
• Their track record of handling past cases (especially cases that overlap with your needs)
• Their fee structure (i.e., flat fee, hourly fee, monthly fees, or retainer fees) and costs of typical transactions
• If you require a litigation attorney, their willingness to go to trial and their trial record
• If they will personally work on your case or pass the work off to other lawyers in the firm (and if so, who are the other lawyers and what are their credentials)
• Whether there are any potential conflicts of interest (such as representing competitors or former partners)
• Their processes and timelines, including how communications are handled

Are you ready to talk to a member of our firm about the ways we can contribute to your business’s success? Contact us to set up a meeting with one of our experienced business lawyers.