how to find a company's attorney

by Camryn O'Hara 5 min read

How to Find and Pick a Business Attorney in 5 Steps
  1. Determine why you need a business attorney.
  2. Source attorneys through your network or legal directories.
  3. Compare attorneys by asking the right questions.
  4. Work out a fee arrangement that fits your budget.
  5. Know when it's okay to skip the small business lawyer.
Oct 15, 2020

How do I find a corporate lawyer?

Sep 09, 2019 · There are many ways to find a reliable lawyer. One of the best is a recommendation from a trusted friend, relative, or business associate. Be aware, however, that each legal case is different and that a lawyer who is right for someone else may not suit you or your legal problem.

How do I find out what kind of lawyer I Need?

Jun 11, 2020 · Most state and local bar associations offer this service (sometimes for a fee) and may also help you find a lawyer according to where you live and what kind of legal matter you have. Several online directories include reviews from other users.

Where can I find a small business lawyer?

Sep 04, 2020 · Ask around among your family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances to see if they know of any attorneys they could recommend. Personal references can be some of the most reliable references you will find. You can also ask a lawyer you know and trust, even if they don’t practice in the area of law in which you need legal help. They may be able to recommend …

How to find a reliable lawyer?

Many sites, including Nolo.com, offer a way to connect with local lawyers based on your location and the type of legal case you have. You answer a few questions about your case and provide your contact information. Then a lawyer specializing in the area you need contacts you directly. Talk to a local lawyer. Nolo's Lawyer Directory

image

What Is a Business Lawyer?

General business lawyers handle business formation, contract writing, and more. But in many fields of the law, lawyers tend to specialize. You might find a lawyer to handle:

How to Find a Business Lawyer

Even if you know what you're looking for, you also need to know where to find a lawyer. The American Bar Association, the State Bar of California, and many others recommend asking people you trust for recommendations.

Meeting With Potential Lawyers

Once you have identified some possible business lawyers, think about how to choose the right lawyer from that list. It's important to meet or at least talk on the phone, with several before hiring one.

You may also like

Finding the right lawyer for you may seem like an overwhelming task, but it doesn't have to be if you know what questions to ask.

What can an attorney do for a business?

An attorney can help you negotiate favorable contracts and ensure you understand all the fine print. Handling employment issues: As a business’s workforce grows larger, business attorneys often step in to help with labor law compliance and to resolve wrongful termination lawsuits.

Why do lawyers meet in person?

An in-person meeting signals that the lawyer places importance on building client relationships and is willing to make time for you. Plus, by meeting with a potential attorney in person, you’ll be able to get a better sense of that individual’s personality to determine if you think you’ll work well together.

How long is a consultation for a business lawyer?

The next step after sourcing a handful of business attorneys is to meet with all of them. Most lawyers offer free half-hour or one-hour consultations to meet with potential clients. A consultation is a good way to see if a small business lawyer is a good fit without committing.

Why avoid contingent fee?

For instance, an attorney who is fired midway through a case by their client might find it difficult to recoup compensation if a contingent fee arrangement is in place.

What can a small business lawyer do?

A small business lawyer can help you draft both partnership agreements and corporate bylaws.

What is Priyanka's job?

Priyanka specializes in small business finance, credit, law, and insurance, helping businesses owners navigate complicated concepts and decisions . Since earning her law degree from the University of Washington, Priyanka has spent half a decade writing on small business financial and legal concerns.

How to hedge your bets against legal problems in the future?

The best way to hedge your bets against legal problems in the future is to invest time and resources now in finding a small business attorney. A good business attorney is like a partner to your business and can see you through some of the most challenging times for your company.

What is the most reliable reference?

Personal references can be some of the most reliable references you will find. You can also ask a lawyer you know and trust, even if they don’t practice in the area of law in which you need l egal help. They may be able to recommend colleagues who can handle your case.

Is it necessary to hire a lawyer?

Although an attorney isn’t always necessary when dealing with legal situations, if you’ve decided you want to hire a lawyer, you may now be wondering how you go about finding a good one. Before you begin your search to find a lawyer, remember there are different types of lawyers, from estate planning to criminal defense.

What is Nolo lawyer directory?

Nolo offers a unique lawyer directory that provides a comprehensive profile for each attorney with information that will help you select the right attorney. The profiles tell you about the lawyer's experience, education, and fees, and perhaps most importantly, the lawyer's general philosophy of practicing law.

What is a lawyer referral service?

Lawyer referral services are another source of information. There is a wide variation in the quality of lawyer referral services, however, even though they are required to be approved by the state bar association. Some lawyer referral services carefully screen attorneys and list only those attorneys with particular qualifications and a certain amount of past experience, while other services will list any attorney in good standing with the state bar who maintains liability insurance. Before you choose a lawyer referral service, ask what its qualifications are for including an attorney and how carefully lawyers are screened.

How to find a lawyer for a lawsuit?

Here are a few other sources you can turn to for possible candidates in your search for a lawyer: 1 The director of your state or local chamber of commerce may be a good source of business lawyers. 2 The director of a nonprofit group interested in the subject matter that underlies your lawsuit is sure to know lawyers who work in that area. For example, if your dispute involves trying to stop a major new subdivision, it would make sense to consult an environmental group committed to fighting urban sprawl. 3 A law librarian can help identify authors in your state who have written books or articles on a particular subject -- for example, construction law. 4 A women's or men's support group will probably have a list of well-regarded family and divorce lawyers.

How much does a lawyer charge an hour?

Lawyers, of course, are prime sources of this information, but if you bought all the needed information at their rates -- $150 to $450 an hour -- you'd quickly empty your bank account.

What can a law librarian do?

A law librarian can help identify authors in your state who have written books or articles on a particular subject -- for example, construction law. A women's or men's support group will probably have a list of well-regarded family and divorce lawyers.

Do lawyers work with you?

Fortunately, many lawyers will work with you to help you acquire a good working knowledge of the legal principles and procedures you need to deal with your problem at least partly on your own. If you are hoping to represent yourself and use a lawyer only for advice, make sure the lawyer is open to that type of set-up.

Can lawyers be terrible communicators?

Unfortunately, the complaint logs of all lawyer regulator y groups indicate that many lawyers are terrible communicators. If every time you have a problem there's a delay of several days before you can talk to your lawyer on the phone or get an appointment, you'll lose precious time, not to mention sleep.

What is modified eat what you kill?

Most major US firms have a multi-tiered partnership, and a "modified eat what you kill" compensation method, which is sometimes referred to as the Hale and Dorr model after the former Boston law firm. With regard to tiers, most firms these days distinguish between equity and non-equity/income partners.

Why do companies use law firms?

Most companies use a variety of law firms to provide them with different legal services - especially as companies get larger and their legal issues become more diverse.

Can a law firm represent a company?

It depends, but typically, no. Law firms are often engaged to represent companies on specific matters, and unless those matters are in the public record, it can be difficult to know which law firm a company has chosen to represent it.

Is there too many legal issues?

There are entirely too many legal issues in the world, all requiring knowledge of different statutes, case law and pragmatic concerns. You might have a general practice firm, but such firms tend to focus on consumer based areas of practice, by that I mean personal injury, criminal defense, family law and so on.

Is it a violation of the canons of ethics for a lawyer to speak with a represented person

It is a clear violation of the canons of ethics for a lawyer to speak with a represented person separately from their lawyer. If a represented person tries to go around that, the ethical lawyer will either ignore the attempt, or contact the opposing counsel to ask that person to handle it.

Do family law lawyers do criminal work?

A small team for family law, which is their biggest area, a lawyer who does debt collection and bankruptcy, two lawyers who do estate work. They don't do criminal work. If they wanted to add it, they would need to add a lawyer or two knowledgeable in criminal law.

What to do if you have ever been involved in a lawsuit?

Here are a few suggestions: 1. If they have ever been involved in a lawsuit, their lawyer would have likely filed an appearance in the case. 2. If they own a business, the attorney might be listed on the corporate information... 1 found this answer helpful. found this helpful.

Is an attorney-client privileged?

The attorney-client is Privileged. Unless published in a case or in the news there should be no access to the relationship. You can speak with an Intellectual Property attorney regarding this privilege.

What is a registered agent?

Registered agents are designated by a business entity to accept legal and tax documents. When a business's actions cause physical or economic injury to another person or business, a registered agent accepts "service of process" on behalf of the company.

How to find out where a company is registered?

To find out where a company is registered, search for the company's corporate headquarters by visiting the company's website or calling any branch or store associated with the company and asking.

Do corporations have to register with their state?

Companies, including limited liability companies, corporations, and other legal entities operating under a fictitious business name, must register with their state's business filing office. The fact that a corporation does business in a certain state does not necessarily mean that is was legally created within the state.

Reasons Why You Might Need to Find a Company's EIN

While you should always know your own business tax ID number, or EIN, there are also a variety of legitimate reasons why you might need to know the EIN of another company. These include the following:

Finding Your Own Business's EIN

If you've lost or misplaced your EIN, there are a number of ways you can locate it:

Public Companies

If the company you need the EIN for is a publicly traded company, you will be able to obtain its EIN through the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's EDGAR database. Input the company name into the Company and Person Lookup search field, and check its latest Form 10-Q or Form 10-K filing for the company's EIN.

Nonprofits

You can locate the EIN of a nonprofit or charitable organization through a database like Guidestar. If the nonprofit is registered as a tax-exempt organization with the IRS, you can also search for it on the IRS's tax-exempt organization search page.

Private Companies

Finding the EIN for a private company can be more challenging, as there are no free one-stop databases that aggregate this kind of information. The following are the best ways to find the EIN for a private company:

Other Ways to Determine a Business's EIN

In addition to the free methods listed above, there are other, fee-based ways to find a business's EIN:

image