How to Select an Attorney for Your Business
How to Select an Attorney for Your Business
July 07, 2015

Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Sheryl Hunter, the Entrepreneur’s Attorney, and I am here with the Entrepreneur’s Legal Brief on how to select an Attorney for your small business.

It’s a little like shopping for shoes. You want to make sure you have the right fit, that the shoe is good quality, at a reasonable price and you are very comfortable.

When you start to look to select for your small business, you want to make sure the law firm is proficient in a few core areas.

  1. Business Entity Formation
  2. Contracts
  3. Intellectual Property
  4. Labor and Employment
  5. Mergers and Acquisition, so they can help you buy and sell businesses.
  6. Dispute resolution and Litigation

These practice areas embrace business needs that come regularly as you are growing your company.
What happens when you contact a law firm that you think might be a good fit for you?

First of all, you’re going to have an initial consultation. These are traditionally free, some firms charge, but most don’t.

You should expect up to 30 minutes to talk with an Attorney from the firm. The goal is for the attorney to learn about your needs and for you to learn more about the firm, and what they can do for you.

If the firm is a good fit for your Business, the next thing that will happen is the Firm will provide an Engagement Agreement for your review.

This is a contract between you and the law firm. It should spell out:

  • How you are going to be charged (Hourly Rate, Flat Fee, or some other arrangement)
  • What are the payment terms?
  • Can you terminate the law firm and can they terminate you? Under what circumstances?
  • Finally, if there is joint representation, you want to make sure that there is a conflict waiver.

The main thing is to read this agreement carefully, and make sure you understand the terms.

When you are looking for a business law firm make sure the fit is right, the quality and price is right, and that you are very comfortable with the relationship.

This is Sheryl Hunter giving you the Entrepreneur’s Legal Brief.

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