Negotiating Your First Big Deal as a Start-Up or Entrepreneur? How to Pick the Right Lawyer to Get it Closed

If you are a start-up or entrepreneur and are on the verge of landing your first big business deal, you may be wrestling with the idea of hiring a lawyer for the first time to assist you on negotiating and reviewing your important business contract.  It may be tempting to call the firm you are most familiar with as a first resource and not spend time looking for the right fit, as time is precious and you have a deal to close as soon as possible.  But is that really a good idea? What should you really be looking for in an attorney?  Skillset and expertise are obviously very important, as you want to be working with an attorney or firm that has the knowledge and experience to provide the advice you require.  To start a search, you can frequently get a good idea about your options on the Internet where you can read about various professionals and their backgrounds, years in practice, and other expertise.  Availability is really important too, as you want someone who you can actually reach by phone to discuss your questions and issues as they arise.  Not every lawyer is actually available when you need to speak with him or her.   Moreover, not every lawyer is going to truly be approachable by telephone either.  You want to have some you are comfortable with to discuss your concerns and to feel like that person really has your best interests at heart.  When you are starting out you will likely have numerous questions and you want to feel like you can raise any question you have and that you will get a good answer to your question when you raise it.  You also want someone who is going to be able to provide some legal planning assistance, so that you are putting some thought into how you draft and negotiate your contracts, how you approach legal issues, and how you think ahead to save on legal costs long-term.  The least budget-effective way to manage your legal expenses is to handle them without any sort of planning or thought on streamlining and managing your legal needs early-on.  The bottom line is that you want someone who is on your team and invested in your success.

What should be your other considerations?  This article by Ventureburn provides some excellent additional insights on how to choose the right lawyer or law firm at an early business stage:

7 Things Startups Should Look for in an Attorney