If you’re wondering whether you need the services of a lawyer when setting up your business, you are not alone. Working with a business lawyer is one of the best decisions you can make. The idea is both valuable and economically feasible.
Finding the right business lawyer is not easy. It requires one to do their homework well to select the best lawyer or law firm.
When Do I Need a Corporate Lawyer?
The main reason why you may be in need of a lawyer is due to the nature and the objectives of your business. For instance, if you want to hire employees, you may want to have the right employment contracts for them to sign.
You would require a lawyer or the best corporate law firm who has the right expertise to draft employment contracts. These contracts should stand the test of any legal action in case of disputes from employees.
Having defined what your business needs, it becomes easier to look for the right corporate lawyer. There are so many situations when you may need the help of a corporate lawyer. Some of them include:
- When there are disputes between employers and employees due to issues such as wrongful termination or dismissal.
- When there are environmental issues where an employee has filed a claim, and OSHA wants to inspect the business.
- You want to allocate profits and losses into a partnership agreement.
- Manage any pending litigation
The above are but a few of the reasons why you would want to work with a corporate lawyer. Any mistake in any of the above area would make you pay dearly.
How To Hire the Right Corporate Lawyer
Once you have clearly defined your business needs, then you can consider the below to get the right lawyer:
1. Get a referral
If you have never hired a lawyer before, it pays to ask for referrals from either another lawyer, a friend or from a trusted source. You want to be sure that you have a lawyer who is experienced, trustworthy, among other critical factors.
Getting referral maximizes the chances that you will get the right lawyer, having a lawyer who has multiple experiences in operating the business, coming up with business strategies of how to buy and sell, or even winding up your business would be better.
2. Use Google to locate a lawyer who has specialized in your business needs
Looking for lawyers online could have its own pros and cons. To be safe, you can choose to look for recognized online directories such as Nolo.com. From the website, you can see the positive and negative reviews about a law firm.
Online research can help you approve or disapprove the information you have obtained from a referral. When you visit the firm’s website, you need to look for the lawyer expertise, what areas they thrive in, how many years they have been in practice etc.
As a way to confirm the information obtained, you can also search through their LinkedIn or Facebook link to learn more about them. In most cases, people use the state bar website to check whether a lawyer is licensed or have a disciplinary history.
3. Interview your prospective lawyers
After getting several prospects, you need to talk to each personally. It better to interview 2 to 3 lawyers before coming up with your selection. This is the only way to come up with the right lawyer. When conducting interviews, there are a few things you need to consider:
Pay attention to the personality of each lawyer. You don’t want a lawyer who has a different personality type. In such instances, you can trust your instincts.
Also, ask how the lawyer will be reaching out to you and how long they will take to communicate.
4. Conduct initial consultation
Once you have narrowed down your research, set up an initial consultation to have a better understanding of what the lawyer‘s work entails.
Most lawyers conduct initial consultation free of charge. In this meeting, you should clearly define what you want for the lawyer to address your business concerns. You should take as many details as possible to ensure you have the right candidate.
You will also learn about the attorney’s fee structure from the initial consultation. Depending on your business needs, you can choose to work on an hourly fee basis or flat fee. Remember that most business lawyer asks for retainer money before they commence any work.
Are You In Need Of A Corporate Lawyer?
Choosing the kind of corporate lawyer to retain is critical. If you have issues with a particular lawyer, you can continue with the search. That’s why you should conduct interviews with at least 2 to 3 lawyers.
With this, you can be assured to get the right corporate lawyer for your business needs. If you have any business issue that requires legal guidance, you can consider speaking to an experienced corporate lawyer.
