Whether your business is just starting out or simply looking to find new legal counsel, there are plenty of standard tips and tricks for finding the right business attorney for you. Usually, some of the most common factors include how much they cost and what kind of track record they have, as well as whether they specialize in an area that’s related to your enterprise. While all of these are valid and have their place in evaluating potential company lawyers, it might help to consider a prospective attorney from a different angle. Here are three uncommon factors to keep in mind when you’re trying to choose your next company business lawyer.
Business Attorneys Who Are Business Owners
This sounds obvious, but business owners often fail to remember that it’s never the same trying to advise someone on something without firsthand experience. In other words, there’s only so much business attorneys can offer when it comes to legal and business wisdom unless they have their own knowledge and experience with respect to owning and running a business. It’s a great idea to ask your prospective lawyer what their experience is in running a business. With large firms, most of the attorneys will work for the partners and have no experience with this. In small firms though, they will likely be a business attorney, partner, and business owner, which means more of the kind of experience and knowledge you need.
Business Attorneys with Similar Ethics
You might not have it in the forefront of your mind when you look for a business attorney, but the reality is that it doesn’t work to align yourself with someone who doesn’t have similar ethics to yours. Imagine coming to an attorney with a business dispute and getting some unsavory advice on how to resolve it that you wouldn’t agree to in the first place. It’s a waste of your time and money to seek counsel from someone who doesn’t share your ethics, and it also makes a difference if you choose not to reward lawyers who have questionable ethics. For these reasons and more, it’s a great idea to ask some questions about how your prospective lawyers see things and what they would do in certain situations. Look for a company attorney who is proud of their business practices and who shares some of your same big-picture values. They will be more likely to work to your satisfaction toward an outcome you both feel is right.
Relatable and Transparent Business Attorneys
Along the same lines as similar ethics, it’s critical that you choose a corporate attorney you can identify with and get along with day-to-day. Whatever case or issue you’re facing, you should be able to trust your business lawyer, and that trust mostly comes from intangibles like a common rapport and a feeling of comfort. If you insist on someone you can honestly talk to, you’ll be in a much better position to keep your business going strong. Additionally, you want an attorney who keeps you in the loop, so you have the opportunity to make key decisions as the need arises. The more comfortable you and your company attorney are communicating information, the better equipped you’ll both be to deal with issues as they arise.
These characteristics are all noble to consider in your quest for a local business attorney, and you can find clues about them on attorney websites, in reviews, on social media, and of course, through a brief consultation. Don’t be afraid to ask.