how to hire a startup lawyer

The final way to find a startup lawyer is simply to ask fellow business owners. These include business owners you personally know, as well as owners on forums or online groups. Personal referrals sometimes will score you a free consultation or a discount on the lawyer’s standard rate.

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Should you hire a small business lawyer for Your Startup?

Apr 26, 2017 · Like any other precious resource, startup law expertise tends to be concentrated in certain places, but you’ll need to know where to look. Like hiring, connecting with investors, or finding a decent barber, the first and best option for finding a startup lawyer is a network referral. Asking other founders, investors, advisors, and startup aficionados who they’ve worked with in …

How do I find a startup lawyer?

Sep 13, 2012 · What should new entrepreneurs look for when hiring a lawyer? First and foremost, look for “fit” (i.e., someone you trust, get along with, enjoy working with, feel has an interest in you and what you’re working on, and can relate to you). Referrals are often the best place to start.

How can a startup lawyer on UpCounsel help?

Jul 19, 2021 · How to Find a Startup Lawyer: The Ultimate Guide. 1. Get a referral from a lawyer who has helped you with personal legal matters. Do you love the lawyer who drafted your will or helped you with that ... 2. Attend business events & conferences. 3. Online legal directories & services. 4. Get referrals ...

What kind of legal services do startups need?

Jul 23, 2020 · When you decide it’s time to hire a small business lawyer for legal advice, it’s best to give yourself plenty of options. Meet a few different attorneys and choose the one who is a right fit for your business and you think you would have a good attorney-client relationship. Take advantage of your local turf and network, network, network.

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To find the right lawyer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies: Offer internships. Set up a summer associate program to attract recent law school graduates. Offer full-time jobs to the interns with the most promise. Participate in legal events. Attend conferences and other events for lawyers.

Where to find a startup lawyer

Most founders know they need to find a lawyer, but actually finding one can be very daunting. Like any other precious resource, startup law expertise tends to be concentrated in certain places, but you’ll need to know where to look.

How to evaluate a startup lawyer

Before engaging an attorney for your startup, asking the following will help you and your lawyer set appropriate expectations and avoid future misunderstandings.

1. What should new entrepreneurs look for when hiring a lawyer?

First and foremost, look for “fit” (i.e., someone you trust, get along with, enjoy working with, feel has an interest in you and what you’re working on, and can relate to you). Referrals are often the best place to start.

2. Why do start-ups need a lawyer? What are some common situations in which you would need to get lawyers involved?

At the most basic level, start-ups need lawyers to help them deal with three groups:

3. How do lawyers bill their time? What's the typical hourly cost?

The lawyers most start-ups will deal with are likely in the $350-$800 an hour range, but this varies from firm to firm, obviously. Most big firms bill in increments of six minutes (i.e., 0.1 of an hour), but some charge in 0.25 hour increments. The range for hourly rates is huge.

4. How much will it cost to incorporate your new start-up?

If you work with a lawyer, you can probably expect to pay between $2,000 and $5,000, though some firms will give discounts that get the cost below that.

5. When should you use a lawyer, and when is it okay to use sites like LegalZoom?

The real value of a lawyer at the incorporation stage isn’t really in preparing the actual documents, but in helping you figure out what you need (LLC vs. corporation, what sort of vesting schedule makes sense, and so on).

7. What are the red flags entrepreneurs should be aware of when working with a lawyer?

First, a lawyer who doesn’t seem to speak the language of your business. If someone doesn’t understand the world in which you are operating, it’s harder for him to adequately represent you.

What is a startup lawyer?

A startup lawyer is an essential partner to a new business, making sure you’re in compliance with applicable legal business/industry requirements and preventing legal problems that could hurt your business down the line.

How to communicate with a lawyer?

Make sure the lawyer you’re working with is easily able to reach you and vice versa. Your lawyer should know your preferred method of communication — phone or email. They should also have an awareness of your day-to-day business responsibilities so that they aren’t calling you when you have a floor full of customers.

Do lawyers know other lawyers?

Good lawyers typically know other good lawyers. Just be sure to make it clear that you need a lawyer who is experienced in helping new businesses get off the ground. Some lawyers identify themselves as business attorneys, but they may be more familiar advising mature businesses.

What is a free initial consultation?

Some lawyers offer a free initial consultation during which you can introduce your business and evaluate if the lawyer is a good fit for you. During the consultation, the lawyer should give you an overview of how they plan to help your business.

When to Hire a Business Lawyer

You definitely do not need an attorney for every single step of setting up and running your business – any smart business owner is capable of filing simple business or IRS forms – and there are certainly many straightforward and self-explanatory matters that could be handled without spending hundreds of dollars on business attorneys.

Issues You May Need Help With

Here are some issues that business owners might tackle by themselves, but then realize it makes more sense to get professional help:

Issues Which Should be Handled By a Business Lawyer

You are inevitably going to face certain issues that are too complex to handle on your own. At that point, your best move is to retain a business lawyer. Here are some common situations when you might need help with your legal needs:

How to Hire a Business Attorney

When you decide it’s time to hire a small business lawyer for legal advice, it’s best to give yourself plenty of options. Meet a few different attorneys and choose the one who is a right fit for your business and you think you would have a good attorney-client relationship. Take advantage of your local turf and network, network, network.

Fee Structure

Talking money is going to be on top of your list when you meet a prospective small business lawyer. You are working on a tight budget, so attorney fees have to be one of your top concerns.

Conclusion

You don’t need an attorney for every legal issue that comes up in your business, but when you do, it's good to know where and how to find the one who’s right for your business.

Why hire a lawyer?

Hiring a lawyer can mitigate legal complications and save you time and money. An accomplished lawyer will be able to advocate for your company or clients. From ensuring your business is legally compliant to helping with taxes, negotiating leases and contracts, and securing patents, lawyers are a valuable, risk mitigating asset.

Skills to look for in a great lawyer

A capable lawyer will fight for your needs and keep your business safe, utilizing advanced skills in research, organization, and communication. To find a lawyer you can trust to represent your business, look for qualifications and work experience that demonstrate top legal skills.

Writing a lawyer job description

A thoughtful description is important to finding qualified lawyer candidates. A lawyer job description should include a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities, and the required and preferred skills for the position.

Interviewing lawyer candidates

Exceptional lawyers will be confident answering questions about their past work experience or legal specialization that suits your company’s needs. Hire the right lawyer for your company by asking meaningful interview questions that reveal a candidate’s qualifications, skills, and unique personality traits that make them a great fit for the role.

What does a lawyer do for a company?

Your lawyer will help you draft agreements clearly outlining the way your company's founders, employees, and investors will interact. These agreements provide a guide for how to resolve disputes about things like ownership rights, equity, and confidentiality. All businesses must comply with government guidelines.

How to become a limited liability company?

Advise you whether to become a corporation or a limited liability company and prepare required paperwork. Register your business for federal and state tax identification numbers. Advise you of the tax consequences of your business transactions. Help you incorporate your business.

How to protect your business' intellectual property?

Help your business protect its intellectual property, including filing copyright, trademark, and patent applications, and making sure it doesn't breach any other business's intellectual property rights. Advise you whether to become a corporation or a limited liability company and prepare required paperwork.

Who is Seth Wiener?

As an experienced trial lawyer and litigator, Seth Wiener has resolved numerous federal and state litigations. His cases have included everything from family law to bankruptcy to fraud and more. Before Seth formed his own firm, the Law Office of Seth W. Wiener, he worked for several prominent law offices where he gained a great deal of experience.

Who is Geoffrey Amend?

Geoffrey Amend has over 21 years of experience as a business attorney. He is licensed to practice law in Kansas. Geoffrey has represented numerous corporate clients, including JungleBee, MomoCentral and APIMATIC. He started his own legal firm in 2013 and was the general counsel at Chelsea Partner before starting his own firm. Geoffrey graduated with a J.D. in law from the Washburn University School of Law in 1995.

Who is Steven Stark?

For over 30 years, Steven Stark has offered counsel to non-profit organizations and private companies. He has a passion for helping small businesses in particular since he himself started several businesses of his own in New York and Florida. He understands the importance of small businesses having a reliable attorney to advise them about legal matters from their inception.

Who is Josh Garber?

Representing notable clients like Tesla and the City of Los Angeles, Josh Garber excels at helping clients with employment and labor laws. Many of his past clients have had great success using Josh for employment agreements and Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) hearings. With his practical advice, he has even helped clients avoid going to court.

You may not need to hire a lawyer as soon as you think when starting a business

Once you have a great idea for your start-up business, do you need to hire a lawyer to help you get started? Not necessarily. A lot of the initial steps related to choosing and forming your business entity you can do on your own.

Deciding on Your Business Structure

You will need to decide what type of ownership structure makes sense for your new business. Most states have information on their secretary of state (SOS) website about the different types of business entities you can choose from—solo proprietor, LLC, corporation, and partnership.

Checking for Name Availability

Choosing a name for your business is another initial step you will need to take. While there are some legal requirements related to naming your business, this can usually be done quite easily without the help of a lawyer.

Forming Your Business Entity

Once you have decided on the business structure and a name of your new business, you are ready to form your business entity. If you've decided on a sole proprietorship or partnership, you won't need to file any forms or pay any fees (although partners should enter into a partnership agreement).

Operating the Business

Once the formation tasks are done, you can focus your energy on getting your business up and running, figuring out the best way to sell your services or products, and creating the online presence you want.

How to hire a lawyer?

1. Hire lawyers who have experience with the particular task you are asking them to perform. Most lawyers have a specialty of some sort (however broadly defined) in which they are most adept and therefore efficient. The last thing you want to do is pay a lawyer to educate themselves in a new practice area.

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