Every contract you come across needs to be modified specifically for you and your circumstances before you sign the dotted line. The form contracts widely circulated on the internet or within large businesses can often leave you unprotected. The notion that you are saving time and money by re-purposing a contract originally drafted for someone else will quickly be regretted when that generic contract opens you up to liability, years in court, and thousands upon thousands of wasted money.
Another common pitfall is not thinking you need representation in a "friendly deal." Trust me, everyone self-deals. When you are ready to leave your front door open while you sleep, then you ready to sign a contract without representation. Even if it's just a quick review, you need someone in your corner as a corporate lawyer.
Formation
You need to start off on the right foot. You need to consider things such as liability protection and whether you and your partners have the right agreement. Getting these things taking care of right away give you the freedom to grow your business without the concern of loose ends.
Contracts
Form contracts downloaded from the internet won’t cut it in court. Whether you need to draft or negotiate a contract for a partnership, customer, employee, or supplier, an attorney-drafted contract can prevent litigation down the road and set up valuable out-of-court remedies.
Mergers and Acquisitions
There are many legal issues that arise when you are purchasing or selling a business. The right business lawyer can protect you in negotiations, protect you with the right purchase agreement, and protect you from avoiding liability that does not belong to you.
Employee Issues and Agreements
A business lawyer can help draft employment agreements, including non-disclosure agreements, non-competes, and other employment contracts. Having a business attorney on speed dial for your business can help reduce the risks of lawsuits from employees. Lastly, in this day and age when employee retention is like a revolving door, you need to make sure your employees of today do not go to work for a competitor tomorrow and try to take your customers.
