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Tips on Choosing a Corporate Lawyer for Your Company
Apart from your accountant, auditor and mentor, a corporate lawyer is one of the most important people that you want to have in your corner as a small business owner. That’s because corporate lawyers have the skills and experience needed to handle a variety of different legal matters that as a business owner, you simply don’t have the expertise or time to handle on your own. Here's what you need to know.
In fact, having a corporate lawyer for your business means that you’ll have someone to call and depend on whenever your company faces legal issues.
However, choosing a corporate lawyer is not easy, as you need to find someone who understands your industry and has the experience as well as the reputation to back up their resume. Here are some tips to help you choose the best corporate lawyer for your company.
The best time to look for a corporate attorney for your business is when things are still going well, because then you’ll be able to maintain an objective view of things without the pressure of having a legal problem looming over your shoulders. In fact, you should ideally start looking for a corporate lawyer prior to registering your business so that they can grow with your business from the start.
Fellow business owners in the same industry are often the best people to ask for referrals when you’re searching for a corporate attorney for your company. All it takes is a simple phone call to a local business colleague to ask for their recommendations on the best corporate lawyer for your line of business.
Another great source for good quality corporate lawyers is your local bar association, which is simply an association of professional lawyers that specialize in different fields, including the corporate sector. Here, you’ll find a comprehensive list of local law firms and attorneys that includes their contact details, their location and area of expertise. You can gain access to your local bar association via their website or by calling their office.
There are plenty of commercial referral services that have online websites which you can tap into in order to find corporate lawyers. The best way to find one of these services is by simply searching for them online using a search engine like Google, where you’d input relevant keywords like “lawyer referral” etc.
If you come across websites that require a miniscule referral rate in return for accessing their database, then you should move on to the next option because you shouldn’t have to pay for this type of online service.
Once you’ve gotten a few referrals from using one or more of the methods outlined above, you can then start the process of separating the chaff from the wheat. A good place to start in choosing a corporate lawyer is to visit the websites of all the prospects you have on your list. Look at the appearance of the website as well as the type of content that they post. Keep in mind that these days a website is like a business card, and a lawyer that acknowledges this and shows it in the way they maintain their website is much better than an attorney with a sloppy website that looks more like an afterthought, as it is a reflection of their professionalism and how seriously they take their work.
Most lawyers publish their work history and qualifications on their website, which is what makes it a great resource to mine for details when searching for a lawyer. The most relevant information you should look for on a lawyer’s website is information on which law school they attended and when they graduated, and do a background check on the school as well to make sure that it’s an accredited and reputable institution.
Other data to check for on their website is the type and number of cases that they’ve taken on and won, client testimonials, as well as any additional credentials that qualify the lawyer as a specialist in the corporate field.
There are a lot of sources on the web that you can turn to in order to find useful and reliable reviews on corporate lawyers, including Google+, Yelp and Avvo. Specifically look out for reviews that are accompanied by a name and surname instead of anonymous reviews, which should be taken with a grain of salt.
After finding a few potential candidates and contacting them you should have a short list and some review notes to help you choose the best attorney for the job. Once you’ve made your final decision based on their expertise, qualifications, availability, proximity to you, fees and personality, you can then enter into an engagement letter with them. However, this does not tie you to the lawyer for the rest of your company’s lifespan, and if for whatever reason you’re no longer happy with their services, feel free to release them and find someone else.
Additionally, if you are in Perth, Australia, the attorneys at Steinepreis Paganin in Perth specialize in corporate and commercial law for businesses in a wide range of sectors, and they work with a number of Australian market bigwigs. Have you ever had the necessity of hiring corporate lawyers, what firms do you recommend in your region?
However, choosing a corporate lawyer is not easy, as you need to find someone who understands your industry and has the experience as well as the reputation to back up their resume. Here are some tips to help you choose the best corporate lawyer for your company.
Start looking before you actually get into trouble:
The best time to look for a corporate attorney for your business is when things are still going well, because then you’ll be able to maintain an objective view of things without the pressure of having a legal problem looming over your shoulders. In fact, you should ideally start looking for a corporate lawyer prior to registering your business so that they can grow with your business from the start.
Ask for referrals from friends or business peers:
Fellow business owners in the same industry are often the best people to ask for referrals when you’re searching for a corporate attorney for your company. All it takes is a simple phone call to a local business colleague to ask for their recommendations on the best corporate lawyer for your line of business.Consult with your local bar association:
Another great source for good quality corporate lawyers is your local bar association, which is simply an association of professional lawyers that specialize in different fields, including the corporate sector. Here, you’ll find a comprehensive list of local law firms and attorneys that includes their contact details, their location and area of expertise. You can gain access to your local bar association via their website or by calling their office.
Try using a commercial referral service:
There are plenty of commercial referral services that have online websites which you can tap into in order to find corporate lawyers. The best way to find one of these services is by simply searching for them online using a search engine like Google, where you’d input relevant keywords like “lawyer referral” etc.
If you come across websites that require a miniscule referral rate in return for accessing their database, then you should move on to the next option because you shouldn’t have to pay for this type of online service.
Analyze each attorney’s website:
Once you’ve gotten a few referrals from using one or more of the methods outlined above, you can then start the process of separating the chaff from the wheat. A good place to start in choosing a corporate lawyer is to visit the websites of all the prospects you have on your list. Look at the appearance of the website as well as the type of content that they post. Keep in mind that these days a website is like a business card, and a lawyer that acknowledges this and shows it in the way they maintain their website is much better than an attorney with a sloppy website that looks more like an afterthought, as it is a reflection of their professionalism and how seriously they take their work.
Check their qualifications:
Most lawyers publish their work history and qualifications on their website, which is what makes it a great resource to mine for details when searching for a lawyer. The most relevant information you should look for on a lawyer’s website is information on which law school they attended and when they graduated, and do a background check on the school as well to make sure that it’s an accredited and reputable institution.
Other data to check for on their website is the type and number of cases that they’ve taken on and won, client testimonials, as well as any additional credentials that qualify the lawyer as a specialist in the corporate field.
Search for online reviews:
There are a lot of sources on the web that you can turn to in order to find useful and reliable reviews on corporate lawyers, including Google+, Yelp and Avvo. Specifically look out for reviews that are accompanied by a name and surname instead of anonymous reviews, which should be taken with a grain of salt.
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Choose the best person for the job:
After finding a few potential candidates and contacting them you should have a short list and some review notes to help you choose the best attorney for the job. Once you’ve made your final decision based on their expertise, qualifications, availability, proximity to you, fees and personality, you can then enter into an engagement letter with them. However, this does not tie you to the lawyer for the rest of your company’s lifespan, and if for whatever reason you’re no longer happy with their services, feel free to release them and find someone else.
Additionally, if you are in Perth, Australia, the attorneys at Steinepreis Paganin in Perth specialize in corporate and commercial law for businesses in a wide range of sectors, and they work with a number of Australian market bigwigs. Have you ever had the necessity of hiring corporate lawyers, what firms do you recommend in your region?
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Any facts, figures or references stated here are made by the author & don't reflect the endorsement of iU at all times unless otherwise drafted by official staff at iU. This article was first published here on 20th June 2018.
