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How to Choose an Attorney
By Raymond P. Kolak
You and your friend Sam have finally decided to make the break and start your
own furniture company, after years of working for others. You will handle sales and
customer relations, and Sam will handle production and operations. Together, you have
the knowledge, experience, capital, and sheer nerve it takes to begin this journey. You
have lined up space, equipment, employees, and suppliers, and have promised orders in
hand. You know you also have to bring in professionals to guide you - accountants,
attorneys, insurance people, bankers. How do you find and select your attorney? That’s
what this article is about.
There are over a million attorneys in the United States today. Finding one isn’t
hard - finding the right one for you can be a challenge. First, ask yourself what you are
looking for. Growing businesses need a well-rounded business attorney familiar with the
law of corporations and business organizations. Tax considerations pay a major role in
business planning, so the attorney should also have a tax background. You need someone
with real estate experience to handle your lease, and also someone you can turn to for
employment problems. Your business may need other legal expertise, such as patent,
secured financing, mergers and acquisitions, or immigration experience, among others.
That covers the legal practice areas, but there is a lot more to choosing an attorney
than that. The best attorney/client relationships involve more than discrete legal projects
given by the client to the attorney. Ideally, your attorney should become your advisor
and counselor - in your business, and possibly in your personal legal affairs as well. An
attorney who is a true advisor is transformed from an expense item to a revenue-enhancer
on your income statement. You want your attorney to tell you about opportunities you
can take advantage of (say, a tax election), and to warn you about risks before they blow
up in