As a business owner, it’s important to develop relationships with various professional services that can help your business, financially and legally. Among the two most important are an accountant and, you guessed it – a business lawyer.

Whether a new entrepreneur or established business owner, navigating the requirements and complexities of the law for businesses can be daunting for most. Not to mention, if your company ever faced a lawsuit, without a lawyer on your side, what then would you do?

Hiring a Business Lawyer

You may be wondering when the right time to look for and hire an attorney might be. In short, the answer is, if you haven’t already, it’s time to. Not only can lawyers help in the starting phases of your business with things such as entity selection and employment matters, but a good business attorney will be there to help guide along all the legal aspects of your business. In addition, they can help you should your business ever face legal trouble.

What a Business Lawyer Can Do for You

Want to set a partnership or corporation? A lawyer can help you with that. Want to ensure you are in compliance with regulations for your business type? They can help you with that too. Everything from setting up the legal aspects of your business, to buying and selling real estate for your business are the things that business lawyers specialize in.

Should something go wrong in your business and you are suddenly facing a lawsuit from another company or employee, a business lawyer is going to help you navigate and provide guidance on good courses of action to take. Think of it as legal protection for your business. Much like your insurance, you may not need to use it all the time, but when you do, you are glad you have it. Same concept here.

Choosing a Business Attorney

Now that you have a good understanding of the areas that a business lawyer can help your business in, next, how do you choose the right one? It’s important to understand that not all attorneys are created equal. You want to work with an attorney or firm who understands both your needs and the needs of your business.

To help, here are some questions to consider for when choosing and meeting with a business attorney for the first time:

What kind of experience do they have?

While years of experience are important, more crucial is the kind of experience the attorney has working on businesses and cases similar to yours. You want to ensure that the business lawyer or firm that you choose has the necessary experience to handle the unique situations that may come up in your business. This will give you confidence and assurance knowing that the attorney is prepared to protect your business the best way possible.

How well do they communicate?

Communication is important in life and in business. You want to make that your attorney can communicate to you in everyday terms. Most business owners do not speak in legalease, so it’s important to work with an attorney who can explain things in a way that makes sense to you. Sometimes your attorney will need to make decisions on your behalf, so it’s important that you understand what they are doing for you and why they need to before they actually do it. That way, you are on the same page and have a complete understanding of what your attorney is trying to accomplish for you.

Do they understand your business needs?

As important as it is they the attorney understand business aspects of the law, they should also understand your unique business. And if they do not, they should be willing to learn as much as they can about your business to offer the best possible representation for you. If an attorney has not represented businesses in your industry before, it’s not a deal breaker. They should however offer the assurance that they will better familiarize themselves with your business and goals.

How available are they?

You’re not necessarily looking for someone who answers the phone every time you call. But you should find an attorney who returns calls and emails promptly. If you need to wait days for a returned call or email, you’re much better off looking elsewhere as this will not help your business relationship long term.

Can you see yourself forming a healthy business relationship with this attorney?

Lastly, does the attorney seem like someone you can work with for a long time. Subtle cues such as how they respond to your questions can be a good indicator of what’s to come. Are they understanding and patient? Or do they seem to be in a rush to get back to their day? How well you can get along with the attorney is going to be a large factor in your overall business relationship.

Ready to Hire a Business Lawyer?

If you ready to hire a business lawyer for your business, we can help. We have worked with a number of small to medium-sized businesses in San Antonio with their legal needs. With the experience and dedication you deserve from a business lawyer, rest assured we can offer the same for you. Call today for a consultation.

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