Your business may get sued by people or other businesses for various reasons. It is very likely that you will require the services of an attorney for other reasons, too. Attorneys can help provide assistance in various aspects of your business. They can provide advice related to trademarking, ensuring compliance with laws, and other liabilities to help your business running smoothly.
Like doctors and engineers, attorneys, too, are becoming increasingly specialized. They focus on one niche and provide counsel regarding the same. Broadly, attorneys specialize in either business or personal law. When it comes to business attorneys, they can be further classified based on their specialization in business law. Here’s a look at various types of business attorneys that you can hire based on their specialization.
General Business Attorney
As the name suggests, these attorneys provide advice related to a wide range of business matters. They have experience and knowledge in every legal discipline. A general business attorney is best-suited for start-ups and small-to-medium businesses. Similarly, they are also suited for businesses not following a specific niche. However, before hiring a general business attorney you should carry out extensive research. Law is a broad field and it is impossible for individuals to have complete know-how.
Bankruptcy Attorney
A professional bankruptcy attorney is an individual who specializes in bankruptcy procedures and legalities. Bankruptcy is a process where individuals or businesses under financial distress have to arrange funds to pay a portion of the debt, or completely pay the debt amount. There are various forms of bankruptcy. Hence, you will need to hire an attorney who has extensive knowledge about the bankruptcy process. A bankruptcy attorney should provide valuable advice regarding bankruptcy such as:
- The appropriate bankruptcy to file for according to the circumstances
- How you can proceed with the bankruptcy process
- Make you aware of the risks associated
Contract Attorney
A contract attorney is an individual who specializes in drafting contracts and other official paperwork. There are many websites that provide templates for preparing contracts, it is advisable that you hire a contract attorney to get the paperwork ready according to your business needs. This will help avoid any legal problems in the future.
Generally, contract attorneys are hired on a temporary basis to get the contract paperwork ready. Hiring a contract lawyer is cheaper compared to not hiring one at all and facing legal issues later.
Tax Attorney
We all know how complicated taxes can get. A tax attorney simplifies the process. While most businesses usually hire a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to handle financial tasks, such as auditing, it is advisable to hire a tax attorney in addition to a CPA. You should hire a tax attorney who has knowledge in tax law for businesses. Similarly, if the individual has the know-how of personal taxes, you can hire them to handle your personal tax and finances.
Employment and Labor Attorney
If you have employees, even a few, hiring an employment and labor attorney is necessary. When you have employees at your firm, it is mandatory that you comply with state and federal laws. There are many employment aspects that can affect your business, which can harm you financially and reputationally. For instance, your business can face false claims related to discrimination, sexual abuse, and others at the workplace. Thus, you need experienced employment and labor attorneys who can handle such cases. Moreover, employment laws change constantly. Hence, it is necessary to hire an employment and labor attorney who is updated with the latest labor laws. It will help ensure your business complies with state and federal laws.
Intellectual Property Attorney
If your business is involved in patents, copyright, and trademark filings, you will require the services of an intellectual property attorney. The duties of an intellectual property attorney include ensuring that your business does not get involved in copyright infringement and violation issues. They also help you protect your intellectual property rights. These attorneys help you register copyrights, website domains, and products. They are also responsible for creating non-disclosure agreements for your employees, especially if it is required to hide information from the public before any of your products or services are released.
Depending on your business, you will require the services of one or multiple types of attorneys. Before you hire one, you should carry out extensive research about the individual. You should consider their work experience, the clients handled, and the outcomes of court cases they handled. After analyzing all these factors, you should hire an individual who is best-suited for your business needs.
