Expertise key in picking attorney - Business First of Buffalo:

http://fishing-sea.com/Baits-and-Scents/Jumbo-Leech/
The question of when to hire an attorne y depends largely on the size of the prospective saidThomas Stahl, who managew corporate practice offices in Los Angeles, Washington and New York for LLC. Stahl said, hiring a corporate attorney in the beginning stagez of establishing a business is the best plan of actionn because a good lawyer will set the operationh up right thefirst time, preparing for almos every eventuality. And almost every company, no matter what its needs a lawyer, he said. “What kind of busineses are you looking to establish do you want to go public or are you looking to startsomethint smaller?” he said.
“Even for a private company, it comezs down to whether or not you areraising money. If you’re doing that, then there are securitiew laws that need to be immediately and many new business owneras forgetabout that.” If a company is raisinbg money, its lawyer needs to have securitiezs experience, Stahl said. “Most people think that if they are raisingy money through friends and familg it is nobig deal, but under the Federal Securitiesx Act, if you’re on the phonee raising money, you are selling shares and are subjec t to regulatory laws,” he “If you’re running a one- or two-manb operation you may not have need of as much legall advice as a larger company, but if you follow the rules from the start, you will protecyt yourself and your investors.
” In terms of businesses should look for a corporate attorneg who can serve as an “issue spotter” and raisde red flags when problems are on the horizon, said Stevem Spielvogel, a partner with in New York City and co-founder of the “I used to teach a law school and one of the thingzs I told my studentz was, if you’re an in-house counsel, you need to be a trainecd issue spotter,” he said. “For your lawyer may not have any expertis e in taxlaw litigation, but he or she needs to be able to identif y and determine who in the firm can handle thosw matters for you if something crops up.
Once you know it is out you can get a trainedlitigator Spielvogel, who also serves as president of the Internationalo Network of Boutique Law Firms (www.inblf.com), said it’s important to make sure your attorneu has expertise in your specific area of business or type of “Make sure to check that the lawyer handlinyg your case has handled this particular type of mattere before,” he said. “If you have a heart problem, you go to a a brain issue – a neurologist. The same goes for “If you have an issue on trademark infringement, check your lawyer’s background. Have they writtem papers on this subject? I thinkl these things are important.
” Stahl said owners should to look for an attorneg who is familiar witheach state’d “blue sky” laws, as well as federapl laws. If a business is financeed only by those working in the then a simpler frameworkis available. “Youi can do a pretty barebones setupthat won’t cost too much and will protectt your interests,” he said. “Some (limited liabilitgy corporations) can be done very if they’re done right.
“If you’re just talking about a basic husband-and-wife operation, the cost for the wholw thing is inthe $1,000 range, dependinvg on what part of the country you are The operating agreement gets trickier as you add peoplr … forcing the cost up.” Spielvogel and Stah l agreed that once a client’es needs have been a law firm always should be able to establisnh what the costs will be upfront. Both attorneysx also agreed that it is paramount to do your researcg on thelawyer you’re considering hiring. Meet with the personh one on one, check his or her and ask to speak toformedr clients. “Do your due diligence,” Spielvogel said.
“Becaused if you pick the wrong lawyer, it could be a very expensivd nightmarefor you.”