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When choosing a law firm to represent your business, it helps to understand what types of law firms are out there, and which ones are the best fit for your business. Here are some pointers to get you started.
1. Corporate Firm
Corporate lawyers, in the traditional sense of the term, typically work for medium to large law firms, sometimes referred to in the industry as “law factories”. When someone refers to an “army of lawyers” descending on a case, they are probably referring to a corporate law firm.
Many corporate law firms perform defense work on behalf of their corporate clients. So if ABC Corporation is sued by a consumer for $100 million for a defective product that caused injury to the consumer, corporate law firms will swoop in to defend the company.
They also undertake a large volume of transactional legal work for their clients. This specialized type of work runs the gamut from bankruptcy proceedings to contract negotiations to merger and acquisition work and beyond. Corporate attorneys like to bill by the hour, and don’t expect them to take a second look at you unless you can demonstrate your ability to pay their often exorbitant fees.
If you’re a small business owner, you might be better off looking for a smaller firm that can give you the attention you need, and be less concerned about shelling out billable hours to pay for your high-value associates. If you are a large company, you are in business, as are corporate law firms dedicated to your cause.
2. Small firms
While you may not find a comprehensive list of services provided by a large firm, you may find that smaller firms tend to focus on certain areas and become quite proficient in their chosen specialties.
You are also more likely to have continued access to upper-level managers and partners at these firms, as partners often do legal work rather than passing their legions of lower-level lawyers on. Expect to find a number of plaintiff firms in this realm. Plaintiff firms need to be nimble, fast and versatile. Their culture will probably more closely match yours.
3. Boutique Firm
Boutique firms are smaller firms with a much tighter focus than their non-boutique brethren. They are called “boutiques” because they only do one thing, like a hair salon. You will see many boutique firms practicing personal injury law and nothing else.
However, you’ll also run into boutique firms that focus on different aspects of business law, labor law, divorce law, estate law, and so forth. If you have a specific legal issue and are not looking for someone to represent your general interests and “whatever comes up,” consider a boutique firm.
Their focus on a particular specialty often means that they are really good at what they do. Instead of being a “jack of all trades, master of none”, they are “masters” at what they do.
4. Solo Practitioner
Sole practitioners either focus on the act that is causing the injury individually, or on generalized practices such that they “do it all”.
If you need very specific but less complicated work, such as incorporating your business, a sole trader may be just the person you want. Small business tasks like incorporation don’t require an “army of lawyers” and you can even do it yourself if you want to save some money.
If your business is not very big then consider Sole Proprietorship. The reason large companies need large law firms is that sometimes they are sued by many people at once, and those cases can be large with a long list of people to deal with all at the same time. There is a lot of paperwork involved.
5. Additional Points to Consider
As an attorney who has worked with attorneys in each of the above categories, I recommend that you become familiar with the attorneys in each category. Usually a lawyer at the firm will be happy to talk to you to see if they can help you, and it doesn’t hurt to introduce yourself to the different firms before you really need the help.
For example, if you expect to make a major property purchase in the next 90 days, call some business lawyers in your city and talk for a few minutes about your upcoming needs. Let them know that you may need a lawyer in the near future.
This approach enables you to gain some familiarity with the attorneys without the pressure of time. For example, if you have a contract on your desk and that contract is only valid for five business days, you should have an attorney review it immediately. There is never a good time to start your attorney search process.
I wish you success in your search for a lawyer. Remember that law firms vary in size and culture because of the services they offer and the clients they cater to. Also remember to get acquainted before you need a lawyer. Keeping this in mind should get you off to a great start.
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