There are a lot of things you need to do when starting a business. Without the right team in place, the process can be overwhelming, and your business might fail before it has the chance to get off the ground. This is where a corporate lawyer can help. They handle startup tasks to ensure your new business is legally compliant and has a strong framework in place.

In some cases, your corporate attorney may even counsel you in general business manners and provide the resources and connections you need. For example, when your company is sued, corporate lawyers often refer their clients to business litigation attorneys Los Angeles businesses trust at the California Business Lawyer & Corporate Lawyer, Inc. Do not underestimate the value a corporate lawyer can bring to your startup. Often, biotech companies have employees in San Diego, therefore many corporate lawyers refer their clients to the Nakase Law Firm’s employment attorneys in San Diego.

How to Find a Suitable Corporate Lawyer

Just like entrepreneurs are unique, so too are corporate attorneys. They each have unique skills and personalities that they bring to the table. Finding a suitable corporate attorney is all about identifying your business needs and choosing the lawyer who can meet them.

1. Identify your needs – Write a list of skills or traits that you NEED from a business lawyer. If your list is quite long, prioritize them to identify the most important traits. Your list may include things like experience in your industry, efficiency, takes the time to explain things, and expertise in a particular area of law. 
2. Research local corporate lawyers – Using referrals or online legal directories, look at local corporate lawyers and compare them to your list. See if they match up with all or most of your needs. You can find information about them on their website, on lawyer review sites, and in industry news. 
3. Meet shortlisted candidates – Make a shortlist of suitable corporate lawyers and meet them. Book a free consultation in person so that you can ask them questions and determine if they have the skills you need. Prepare questions in advance so that you don’t miss any pertinent information. Once you have met them all, compare their answers and your impressions and hire the one you liked the best. 

The lawyer you hire should be someone that you see yourself working with for at least three years. Businesses change and grow and will need different legal expertise in different stages. In three years, your startup will still be in its early stages, and you will still need someone who can help you through the first few years of being a business owner.

Why Do I Need a Corporate Attorney?

A corporate lawyer can help your business in countless ways. From giving general advice to helping you complete important business tasks, your lawyer will ensure you make the best decisions for your new company. Here are some of the ways our corporate attorneys help our clients:

Day to Day Advice

New entrepreneurs often need a little bit of guidance, and our corporate attorneys provide that. They send out general business resources and act as a sounding board for clients who are new to the business world. Our clients call us for referrals to accountants and other business professionals and to ask about the legal implications of making certain decisions. If you need additional help and support, it is important to choose a business lawyer who can give you the time and support you need.

Business Launch

Before you even welcome your first customer, a business lawyer will be working behind the scenes to help you. They will do things like help you choose the correct business entity and help you to raise venture capital if you need additional funding. If you want to be a publicly-traded company, they will help you to navigate the securities laws to trade on the stock market.

Litigation

If you receive a legal claim or plan to sue somebody, then you will need the help of an attorney who knows your business well. Even if your corporate attorney suggests you hire a litigator, your corporate lawyer will be able to advise them and get them up to speed quickly.

By having a corporate attorney on hand, you can consult them if you receive legal threats or if you are worried about the potential for legal action. Consulting with an attorney before taking action in a risky situation will help to prevent a lawsuit.

Business Contracts

A business needs a large number of contracts to protect its interests. Some of the contracts a business may need include:

• Employment contracts
• Confidentiality agreements
• Partnership agreements
• Supplier contracts
• Commercial real estate contracts
• Shareholder agreements

Your corporate lawyer can help you draft, review, negotiate, and enforce your contracts. This will ensure each party named in the contract knows their responsibilities and the consequences for not fulfilling them.

Bankruptcy Advice

If your business is drowning in debt, the best solution may be to declare bankruptcy. Contrary to popular belief, bankruptcy does not mean that your business has to close. In fact, it is a legal tool that allows companies to get rid of some of their debt and reorganize so they can come back stronger.

The bankruptcy process needs to be handled a particular way to ensure it achieves the desired results, and you can write off as much debt as possible. Consult your corporate lawyer throughout the whole process to ensure you choose the right type of bankruptcy.

Taxes

While a corporate lawyer cannot help much with bookkeeping or filing taxes, they can ensure your business is correctly set up for taxes. Taxes and the law are tied closely together, and many big business decisions have legal and tax implications. A corporate lawyer will help you identify decisions that may affect your taxes and help you to choose the most tax-efficient options for your company.

Protecting Business Assets

A corporate lawyer will ensure that your business assets, both physical and intangible, are safeguarded. They do this through a combination of:

• Intellectual property protection
• Preventative action against lawsuits
• Strong contracts with no ambiguity

If you receive a legal claim, you may have to pay large settlements that will affect the cash flow of your business and your ability to create future assets. Another threat to your business assets is the dissolution or merging of your company. If these delicate processes are not handled by a corporate lawyer, you may find your business assets under threat.

Employment Agreements

An employment agreement is a contract that lays out the responsibilities and expectations of an employee. It may also provide guidance for how an employee must safeguard sensitive information after their employment has ended. A strong employment agreement can reduce the likelihood of labor disputes and lawsuits that can damage your reputation and productivity.

Your corporate attorney can create employment agreements as well as employment practices, anti-discrimination training, and employee manuals to protect your company. These will ensure that your company has hard evidence to prove that you provide an expectation of employee conduct.

When employment issues occur, your corporate lawyer can help resolve them in the following ways:

• Consulting with HR when dealing with tricky situations
• Mediating conflicts
• Advising on disciplinary action
• Consulting on termination decisions and advising the best course of action
• Creating policies for future use

Employment matters are some of the trickiest legal issues a business will face and can result in huge fines and settlements. Once you are ready to hire employees for your new business, hire a corporate lawyer if you haven’t already got one. The assistance they offer will be more than worth their fee.