what can business attorney help with

by Lily Hill 3 min read

A good business attorney will provide vital assistance in almost every aspect of your business, from basic zoning compliance and copyright and trademark advice to formal business incorporation and lawsuits and liability. First, some general rules about dealing with lawyers: If you are being sued, it's too late.

What does a business attorney do?

If you’re an entrepreneur looking for assistance to get your company off the ground, some of the tasks a lawyer can help with include: Choosing between an LLC, an S Corp, or another business type Creating a partnership agreement that spells out each party’s contributions and legal rights

Do I need a lawyer for my Small Business?

Nov 29, 2017 · A business lawyer educates clients on applicable laws and best practices, and represents them when an issue arises. Compliance & Risk Management – New and even established businesses benefit from an experienced business lawyer who can advise on compliance issues and develop systems to monitor and minimize risk.

What type of lawyer should I hire to handle a business dispute?

A business lawyer can help with transactions and business interactions between companies. A lawyer can help to ensure contracts are beneficial and valid with clear wording. Many businesses have at least one lawyer employed to handle these matters.

Why do you need a contract attorney?

Jun 01, 2013 · A business attorney can demonstrate to you the way and assist draw up contracts that ensure you, your copartners, workers and the business. Assist with starting open offerings The point when your business grabs speed and you’re certain that the street ahead will accumulate benefit you may choose to open up to the world about an Ipo.

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What is the purpose of a business attorney?

A Business Lawyer is an attorney who focuses on providing legal advice to business owners on issues that affect businesses, such as taxation, business transactions, and intellectual property rights. The Business Lawyer may also be known as a Corporate Attorney, Corporate Lawyer, or Commercial Lawyer.

What role does an attorney play in helping to form businesses?

They can guide entrepreneurs through the process of sales or acquisitions, help draft letters of intent, draft contracts, verify trademarks, and review contracts and agreements with buyers and sellers.Dec 4, 2020

What's the difference between attorney and lawyer?

For example in the US, an attorney is a general term for a lawyer that has passed a bar examination and can practice law in a particular jurisdiction. Attorneys act as lawyers but not all lawyers can perform the work of attorneys.Oct 22, 2021

What are common scenarios in which businesses engaged in litigation?

Common Types of Business Litigation
  • Intellectual property disputes: Your intellectual property belongs to you and if someone is using it without your permission, you will need to take action. ...
  • Breach of contract cases. ...
  • Employment disputes. ...
  • Partnership disputes or shareholder litigation.

What is a Lawyer?

Before we dive deep into business law, let’s answer what might sound like a simple question: what exactly is a lawyer? The truth is there are many, many types of lawyers with different specialties and skills.

What Does a Business Lawyer Do?

To put it simply, Portland business attorneys help business owners solve problems. Perhaps more importantly, business attorneys help business owners understand the problems they’re facing and which problems they might face in the future.

Do Business Lawyers Go to Court?

Yes– but only when we need to. Don’t get us wrong – it’s not that our business attorneys aren’t expert litigators who take great pride in representing our clients in court in Oregon and Washington. But often times there’s a better solution to a dispute and save our clients’ valuable time and money.

How do Business Lawyers Charge for their Services?

At JJH Law (as a small business ourselves) we understand the importance of flexible fee structures that allow growing businesses to manage costs effectively. We offer:

Do business ventures involve legal maneuvers?

As you have just learned, business ventures involve quite a few legal maneuvers and know-how. While entrepreneurs must wear several hats in order to achieve some level of success, sometimes it's best to leave the more complicated matters to the experts. Visit FindLaw's Business and Commercial Lawyer Directory for a qualified attorney near you or learn more about state-specific laws on our closely held business legal answers page.

What are the intangible assets of a business?

Many intangible assets of a business should be legally protected. A company's name, logo, brand name, and distinctive goods and services are entitled to copyright protection. Proprietary computer software, semiconductor chip mask designs, vessel hull designs, and many other creations may be eligible for trademark registration. Patents are often thought to cover only machines and other manufactured products, but can also protect processes, such as a method for refining petroleum, or new compositions of matter, such as chemical compounds or mixtures. Trademark, copyright, and patent registrations can help a business protect the things that give it a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

When creating a new business, it is advised to have a lawyer to assist with each step, check paperwork and

When creating a new business, it is advised to have a lawyer to assist with each step, check paperwork and ensure the right officials and authorities are contacted. However, when the business owner goes against this recommendation, he or she may face potential disaster from the beginning.

What is the process of starting an incorporated business?

Starting up an incorporated business often requires filing articles of incorporation , also called a charter. Some persons believe this is enough to start a business, but there are many other steps that must be completed before the company may be called such and continue to attempt to accrue revenue.

Is it hard to create a business?

Creating a business through legal means is not difficult, but ensuring the contracts and other documents are valid with clear wording and concise terms may be complicated without the use of a business lawyer.

What is business law?

Business law, or corporate law, is the application of law to the business world. The two are completely intertwined at all times. For that reason, as a business owner you should plan to work closely with a business attorney throughout the life of your company, right from the very start.

What is corporate governance?

A business lawyer can draft your corporate governance documents. Corporate governance documents describe, govern and constrain activity of the business owners. They “set the rules” and tell everyone involved how things should go and what should happen when a particular occasion arises. They are unique to each business.

What is succession planning?

Succession planning allows all partners to come to an agreement about what will happen when one of the partners retires and leaves the company. Succession planning usually happens when one partner starts thinking about retirement. 5. A business lawyer represents you in litigation.

What Types of Cases do Business Attorneys Handle?

Generally speaking, business attorneys typically possess a broad range of skills and are thus equipped to handle various types of business-related matters. Some examples of common legal issues that business attorneys may encounter on a daily basis include:

What Should I Consider When Hiring a Business Attorney?

There are many factors to consider when hiring a business attorney. The following list provides some general guidelines that may help when searching for the right business lawyer:

Should I Hire a Business Lawyer?

Although not every situation will require the assistance of a business lawyer, there are certain issues where it may be in your best interest to hire a local business lawyer for further legal advice. For instance, you may want to consider retaining a lawyer if you encounter a legal issue that needs to be addressed in court.

Why is it important to hire a lawyer?

However, if your business is subject to a lawsuit, you’ll be relieved that you hired a lawyer. When evaluating lawyers, you should ask a lot ...

What is a general business lawyer?

1. General Business Lawyer. As the name suggests, a general business lawyer can provide legal advice on a wide range of matters. This type of lawyer has a hand in every legal discipline. If your business doesn’t deal with special circumstances, a general business lawyer may be well suited to your purposes.

Is it expensive to hire a lawyer?

It’s well known that hiring a lawyer can be expensive, making it challenging for some small business owners to retain their services. However, if your business is subject to a lawsuit, you’ll be relieved that you hired a lawyer.

Can a lawyer review a contract?

In addition, some lawyers are knowledgeable about tax issues, even if they aren’t accountants. They may have handled legal tax matters for other business owners and can make sure you don’t run into the same issues.

What kind of law do lawyers specialize in?

People sometimes wonder what types of lawyers are available to them. Lawyers often specialize in either business law or personal law. For this reason, you should search for lawyers who have business law experience.

What is an employment lawyer?

Employment and Labor Lawyer. Using an employment and labor lawyer only makes sense when your business has employees. If it does, your business should comply with state and federal laws. An attorney in this area of the law can help you draft employee manuals and ensure safety standards are in place.

What happens when you buy and sell a business?

When you buy and sell businesses, you’ll negotiate for the property and assets of those businesses. It may not always be clear what you’re entitled to during these negotiations. It pays to have a mergers and acquisitions (M&A) lawyer representing your interests in the transactions.

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Corporate Governance

  • While most corporations will use an attorney to help with the process of incorporation, new businesses sometimes neglect the on-going legal requirements to maintain their corporation status. Annual shareholder, director, and partner meetings need to be held, and recording of minutes and the election of officers must conform with state requirements....
See more on findlaw.com

Intellectual Property

  • Many intangible assets of a business should be legally protected. A company's name, logo, brand name, and distinctive goods and services are entitled to copyright protection. Proprietary computer software, semiconductor chip mask designs, vessel hull designs, and many other creations may be eligible for trademark registration. Patents are often thought to cover only mac…
See more on findlaw.com

Employment Agreements

  • Many companies, especially technology companies, count the knowledge of their employees as some of their most important assets. Yet they fail to protect those assets through non-disclosure and non-compete agreementswith their employees. Inevitably, some employees will leave the company, and it's important to protect your business against their taking their knowledge of trad…
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Exit Strategies

  • Entrepreneurs sometimes are so focused on starting a new business that they don't consider what happens if one of the principals leaves the business. When a partner or major shareholder decides to suddenly exit, it can potentially threaten the ability of the business to continue operating. Closely held corporations need to have buy-sell agreements or buy-back agreements t…
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Find The Right Business Attorney Near You

  • As you have just learned, business ventures involve quite a few legal maneuvers and know-how. While entrepreneurs must wear several hats in order to achieve some level of success, sometimes it's best to leave the more complicated matters to the experts. Visit FindLaw's Business and Commercial Lawyer Directory for a qualified attorney near you or learn more about state-specifi…
See more on findlaw.com