Finding the right business attorney depends on reaching out to a personal network, leveraging online tools, and applying discerning inquiries to weed out unqualified candidates. A business attorney can work as a force multiplier for small, medium, and big enterprises by empowering the company to expand into new business opportunities, increase hiring, and sign an extended lease. However, selecting the wrong attorney can be a drag on a company’s growth just as it is poised to expand rapidly.
Personal Referrals
Most owners will rely on their personal network to find an attorney. The personal network allows the owner to “vet” the attorney based on their friends’ and peers’ reviews – i.e. the network wouldn’t have referred the attorney unless she performed adequately. The personal network is a good place to start. However, most personal networks are limited and the owner may not find an attorney with the right experience. For example, a lawyer well-versed in fast-food franchises may not have the requisite experience for an up-and-coming PR firm.
Online Resources
If the personal network is inadequate, the next natural place to look for a business attorney is online. There are several attorney databases, however, there is no way to know how the database lists referrals. Is the ranking based on reviews? How does the online service account for fake reviews to boost rankings? Is the ranking purchased? Are the top-rated attorneys really the best ones for the job?
Tips to Find the Best Business Attorney
While personal referrals and online databases are inadequate, they do provide owners with a pool of candidates from which they can select the ideal lawyer. The following is a list of recommended questions to ask every candidate to narrow the pool of candidates.
- Does the attorney any experience in [insert industry]?
- How often does the lawyer handle these issues?
- What are the attorney’s primary areas of practice?
- How long has the attorney been practicing in this particular area?
- What is the attorney’s fee arrangement and what is the rate?
- Who is the primary point of contact at the firm?
Some other areas worth exploring include the attorney’s extended network of colleagues. Business attorneys often become their client’s first point of contact with the law so, a good business attorney should have a network to whom they can refer their clients.
These questions illustrate the attorney’s experience, knowledge, capability, and cost.
