Business Lawyer

Ultimately, you should ask yourself, “Do I trust this person with my business?”

To help you answer this question, below are a few issues and questions you should address in evaluating whether or not a prospective business lawyer is right for your business:

Check out the lawyer’s background.

• It should go without saying, but you need to check with the local bar association to determine if the attorney is currently licensed to practice law and whether he or she has had any major disciplinary actions.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals.
• Find out what is their area of practice.
• You need an attorney who spends most of of his/her time practicing business and commercial law.
• When dealing with the health and future prosperity of your business, you want a specialist who can quickly diagnose and efficiently find the solution.
• Ask how much of their practice is devoted to business and commercial law.
• What areas of business law do they specialize in? In what (and how many) other areas do they practice? – are these areas complementary to your business needs?

Assess their experience and knowledge.

• Make sure your attorney has the right experience and knowledge of your industry.
• You need a lawyer who has significant experience with companies like yours so you do not have to pay for the attorney’s learning curve in getting up to speed on the legal issues affecting your industry.
• On the other hand, you should want an attorney who is willing to invest the time to understand your legal issues and the challenges facing your business, rather than provide a cookie-cutter solution.

Don’t forget relationship count!

• While most of your communication with your lawyer may occur on the phone, through email and mail, a face-to-face meeting is still crucial in an attorney-client relationship.
• You need to meet your prospective attorney in person. You can learn many things from a face-to-face meeting that do not communicate well over the phone or email.
• Be wary of any lawyer who is unwilling to meet you in person or insists on a “retainer” before your initial meeting and/or any discussion about your business, your particular issues and the scope of their engagement.

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