Choosing the Right Business Attorney: What to Look for in Legal Counsel
If you own a business, manage a company or are considering starting one, selecting a business attorney is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Ideally, the business attorney you select should have an understanding of your specific business, its specialty, and the overarching industry.
Without further ado, here’s a quick look at what to zero in on when searching for the right business attorney for your business in or near West Monroe, LA.
Experience Serving Small Businesses in West Monroe, LA
A business attorney with extensive experience counseling and litigating for small business owners is likely to be valuable. Do your due diligence on prospective candidates, asking each for examples of success stories representing businesses similar to yours in and out of a court of law.
However, some attorneys will shy away from providing explicit details about previous clients. In such cases, ask for generalities such as a percentage of clients that are businesses with less than 25 employees.
Is the Case Load Manageable?
Don’t be afraid to ask about the candidate’s case load. If the firm has a plethora of clients, there is a chance your legal matters will not receive the attention they need for your business to thrive.
Experience Overcoming Pertinent Legal Issues
An attorney that lacks experience helping companies overcome the specific legal issues most likely to cause problems for your enterprise is an attorney unworthy of your business.
When in doubt, lean toward the candidate that has demonstrated success in the specific area of law your business needs assistance with. However, businesses facing multiple issues simultaneously or anticipating various legal hurdles might be better paired with a generalist business lawyer.
Customized Legal Service for West Monroe, LA Businesses
Some business law firm attorneys are quick to delegate work to several other parties. You have the right to know if the attorney will handle the vast majority of your legal problems or if some or all of the work will be delegated to associate attorneys, litigation assistants, paralegals and/or other support staff.
Though business law attorneys’ time is limited, you need and deserve individualized attention from an experienced litigator. If the attorney suggests that a significant portion of the work will be delegated and reviewed by a managing attorney, communicate your concerns and proceed as you see fit.
Responsiveness in Your Preferred Medium
Do you prefer to interact with attorneys by phone, email, text message, or in person? The answer to this question shapes your attorney selection.
Communicate your preference and expected response time, carefully review attorney responses, and choose the one with whom you believe you will be most comfortable communicating.
Potential Conflicts of Interest
The attorney you select should not have even one minor conflict of interest with your current legal matter or potential legal matters that might arise in the future. If the attorney serves several businesses throughout West Monroe and nearby cities, you deserve to know about those professional relationships.
As an example, if the attorney represents a local supplier and you end up in a legal dispute with that supplier, there will be a conflict of interest if the attorney represents your business.
A Willingness to Learn About Your Enterprise
The legal issues relevant to your business are unlikely to be exactly the same as those facing other enterprises. Moreover, your business is highly unique.
Search for a business attorney willing to understand your business, its complex challenges and its goals. An attorney willing to learn about your company and its niche will tailor legal strategy and representation accordingly.
Schedule Your Consultation With Niswanger Law
The top business law attorney in West Monroe, LA is at your service. Niswanger Law’s legal team takes pride in serving local business owners, managers and hardworking employees. Our office is conveniently located at 3820 Cypress Street, West Monroe, LA 71291.
Reach out to us today at (318) 953-0071 to schedule a consultation.
