7 Essential Items Your Business Needs an Attorney For

For many small businesses, it’s normal for the owner to take on a lot of jobs. You’re the accountant, the HR manager, maybe even the janitor.

You might be tempted to operate as the lawyer for your business, but that’s an impulse you should reconsider. The law is very complicated, and making legal mistakes can be very expensive for your business. That’s why you should hire a lawyer, especially in important situations.

Starting Up

There are many complicated aspects of business formation that would benefit from consulting with a lawyer. From protecting your personal assets to structuring your business to filing proper paperwork with the authorities, there are many things an attorney can help with when starting your business. Not handling these things right at the beginning can lead to messy complications later, so it’s essential to talk to a business lawyer before you start.

Neglected this step? It might not be too late: talk to a lawyer now to manage your legal risks.

Writing and Reviewing Contracts

Most of the relationships your business has with other entities – suppliers, clients, landlords, employees, and more – should be governed by contracts. In some cases, it will be your responsibility to supply the contract. In other cases, the other party will give you a contract to sign.

In either case, you’ll want the help of a lawyer. A lawyer can write contracts for your business to protect you from bad actions by the other party, including not following through on promises or trying to change the terms of your relationship later. A lawyer can also review contracts provided by the other party to make sure that all the terms are in your best interest.

Ensuring Compliance

You probably have no idea how many regulations there are governing how your business operates. However, ignorance of the law will not protect you from the consequences of noncompliance. If you aren’t in compliance, you might be forced to stop business immediately and may not be able to reopen until you not only get into compliance, but also go through legal procedures proving compliance. You may also face fines and/or jail time, depending on the infraction.

Instead, it’s essential to consult with a lawyer about what regulations you need to adhere to when operating your business. The best time to do this is before you start your business, but if you haven’t yet, now is better than later.

Dealing with Legal Disputes

Properly written contracts can reduce your business’ involvement in legal disputes. With a contract defining what’s expected of each party – and the consequences of failing to meet expectations – people either live up to the contract or deal with the consequences. But sometimes there are disagreements about what needs to be done. Some of the most common disputes are between employers and employees.

In these cases, it’s necessary to get a lawyer involved. Bringing in a lawyer can help you get what you’re owed by the other party or protect you from their assertions that you didn’t live up to the terms of your contract. A lawyer can often help you resolve the issue without going to court.

Legal disputes also include when authorities allege that you didn’t comply with regulations or broke the law in some way. A lawyer can help you avoid fines, jail time, and other possible consequences.

Restructuring, Merging, Buying, or Selling a Business

Changes to your business often come with legal complications. A business lawyer can ensure that these complications are resolved properly and don’t result in future liabilities for you.

Sometimes you need to change the structure of your business. Perhaps you didn’t set it up properly at the beginning, or maybe conditions have changed so you want a new structure. A lawyer can help you resolve any obligations from the old structure and handle all the proper procedures to transition to the new structure.

Sometimes it makes sense to merge with another business. A lawyer can help you ensure that the merger is fair in terms of what value each business is bringing to the table. They can also help you resolve conflicts in the merger, such as what the new name and logo will be.

On the surface, buying a business might seem like a profitable course of action, but it’s important to get a lawyer involved. They can review the agreements and help ensure that everything you think you’re buying is actually included in the sale.

You might think selling your business automatically removes you from responsibility for anything it does after that, but it doesn’t necessarily. A lawyer can help you draw up a sales contract that maintains only the ties you want with the old business and doesn’t expose you to unnecessary liability.

Real Estate

Whenever your business is involved in a real estate deal, you need a lawyer there to make sure everything is in the best interest of your business. They’ll help you write, review, or negotiate the contracts, make sure everything is properly documented, and help you understand what you’re really getting.

Making a mistake in a real estate deal can cost your business a lot of money, so it’s best to get a lawyer involved to protect your business.

Protecting Intellectual Property

Your intellectual property is probably the most valuable thing your business owns. Unfortunately, it’s also highly vulnerable to infringement and theft. Taking proper steps to protect your intellectual property can save your business.

A Dedicated Small Business Lawyer

Elizabeth Lewis believes in helping businesses thrive in the complex legal environment that is the modern economy. She believes in building relationships with businesses, so if you work with her now, she’s happy to help you later.

Elizabeth has extensive experience addressing the needs of small businesses. She’s been serving small and medium-sized businesses in Denver and throughout Colorado since 2007, and in 2010 became a small business owner herself by opening The Law Office of E. C. Lewis, PC.

Let Elizabeth show you how her results-oriented approach can help resolve your disputes and difficulties efficiently and effectively. To learn how she can help you, please call us or use our online form today to request an appointment at the Law Office of E. C. Lewis, P.C. in Denver.