Home Blog How A Small Business Lawyer Can Help

How A Small Business Lawyer Can Help

Jump to Section

What Is a Small Business Lawyer?

A small business lawyer is an essential part of building your business and achieving success. They help new and budding businesses avoid the legal pitfalls that inexperienced entrepreneurs may be faced with. Hiring a small business lawyer early on in the process can help you keep your small business from facing a lawsuit or getting into trouble with the government for not filing the correct documentation.

What Can a Small Business Lawyer Do?

Corporate governance is a very critical part of some companies. Not doing your due diligence in this area can cause serious legal repercussions down the line. Here is a list of things a small business lawyer can do to help new business owners avoid legal trouble:

  • In general, a small business lawyer can ensure your company follows the law properly, relieving you of possible personal liability in the future.
  • They can guide entrepreneurs through the process of sales or acquisitions, help draft letters of intent, draft contracts, verify trademarks, and review contracts and agreements with buyers and sellers.
  • Small business lawyers can also help you settle litigations. If former employees elect to sue for any reason, such as for discrimination, you may not be equipped to handle the suit on your own. A small business lawyer can help you resolve a situation like this.
  • Additionally, they can help you distinguish protocols in advance to prevent future litigations from occurring or escalating.
  • They can help you set up labor rules in advance to ensure that none of your employees face discrimination.
  • They can also help set up proper sexual harassment prevention training to help avoid disastrous suits down the road.
  • A small business lawyer can offer legal counsel and help you avoid common small business pitfalls that can eventually cost you money.

Different Types of Small Business Lawyers

There are six different types of small business lawyers who can help you with your business. Depending on your needs, one may be better suited to your business than others. Here is everything you need to know about the different types of small business lawyers:

  • General lawyer: This type of small business lawyer can help you with various legal tasks, such as filing business documentation, drafting contracts, and developing internal business policies that are unique to your business. This is generally a good start for a new business, especially a very small one. You can count on this type of attorney to help with most legal matters, including contracts and agreements.
  • Labor lawyer: As your team of employees grows, it can help to have a lawyer who specializes in labor laws. They can ensure you follow all state and federal regulations, create employee manuals, ensure proper training, and develop the correct plan for letting employees go. Here is a link to more information about employment contracts.
  • Tax attorney: A tax attorney, or certified public accountant (CPA), can help you file income taxes, fill out financial documentation for the government, and complete your annual audit. As your company grows, a tax attorney will become increasingly important to have.
  • Contract lawyer: If your business involves creating contracts for your clients, you may want to consult with a contract attorney. There are thousands of online templates for contracts that you can use for free. However, these generic contracts may leave out important finite details that could cost you in the long run. A contract lawyer can help ensure that all of your contracts are legally binding and serve to protect both you and your clients properly.
  • Intellectual property lawyer: If your business is seeking trademarks or patents, you should consider consulting with an intellectual property lawyer. Many laws surround the applications of patents and trademarks, and rules can vary by state. To ensure you and your products are protected, an intellectual property lawyer is a great asset to have.
  • Mergers and acquisitions lawyer: Small businesses that are just starting out can probably forego a lawyer who specializes in this area. However, if your company is booming and you get the option to buy or acquire more assets, you should definitely consult with a mergers and acquisitions lawyer first. This will ensure you and your business are protected and not being overcharged. This is a more complex sector of law, so it is strongly recommended to seek legal counsel before moving ahead with any acquisitions.

When Do You Need a Small Business Lawyer?

Here are some situations in which a small business lawyer can be a huge asset to your growing company:

  • Business violation complaints filed by the government
  • Lawsuits from customers
  • Patents and trademarks
  • Employee discrimination suits or other lawsuits from current or former employees
  • Negotiating on your behalf during merger and acquisition sales
  • Completing proper financial audits
  • Developing shareholder agreements
  • Creating contracts and agreements for the company
  • Handling an IRS audit

Read this article to help you decide whether a small business lawyer could help your business.

What You Can Do Without a Small Business Lawyer

While a small business lawyer can be beneficial, there are still some areas that small business owners can operate on their own without legal counsel. Here are some examples:

  • Developing a business plan
  • Hiring employees
  • Applying for all relevant licenses and permits required by state and federal law
  • Running the business

There are many things that you can do to save money on legal counsel when you are first starting out. However, it's important to remember that it will always cost you less to prevent legal troubles than to settle them in the future. It is often worth it to invest in legal counsel early on so that you can be sure your company is on the path to success.

How to Hire a Small Business Lawyer

Before hiring a small business lawyer, it's important to evaluate your legal needs. You should aim to hire a lawyer whose background and expertise are compatible with your business goals. You can also meet with several types of lawyers to help figure out which is best suited to your business. Here is a webpage to help you find small business lawyers in your area.

What to Ask Your Small Business Lawyer Before Your Hire Them

If you are considering meeting with a small business lawyer, here are some questions you can ask them to see if they are a good fit for you:

  • How long have you been practicing law?
  • Do you work with many small businesses in our industry?
  • How can you help us grow and develop our business?
  • What can you do that we can't do for ourselves?
  • How often can we turn to you for legal counsel?
  • Are there any areas of our small business that you are unfamiliar with?

Hire a Small Business Lawyer Today

Hiring a small business lawyer can be a great choice for your business. As with anything else, it's important to ensure that you're making the most of your investment by hiring the appropriate lawyer for your needs. If you aren't sure what type of small business lawyer you should work with, schedule a consultation with a few different lawyers in your area to see how they can assist you.


ContractsCounsel is not a law firm, and this post should not be considered and does not contain legal advice. To ensure the information and advice in this post are correct, sufficient, and appropriate for your situation, please consult a licensed attorney. Also, using or accessing ContractsCounsel's site does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and ContractsCounsel.


Meet some of our Lawyers

Lynn C. on ContractsCounsel
View Lynn
5.0 (1)
Member Since:
September 30, 2025

Lynn C.

Founding Attorney
Free Consultation
Atlanta, GA
16 Yrs Experience
Licensed in GA
Emory University School of Law

I am a transactional attorney based in the Metro Atlanta, GA area, with a focus on real estate transactions, nonprofit, municipal law, corporate governance, and estate planning.

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
5.0

"Lynn is very knowledgeable and resourceful, she was able to explain me the process in details and provide all necessary information. Highly recommend. thank you"

George M. on ContractsCounsel
View George
Member Since:
September 18, 2025

George M.

Managing Partner
Free Consultation
Chicago, Illinois
1 Yr Experience
Licensed in IL, TX
John Marshall Law School

I am a corporate lawyer with extensive experience assisting clients of all sizes, from solo practitioners to enterprise-level international corporations. Over the course of my career, I have negotiated, drafted, and reviewed thousands of contracts spanning a wide range of industries and complexities. My practice is focused on delivering practical, business-oriented legal solutions that help clients protect their interests and achieve their goals.

Anna V. on ContractsCounsel
View Anna
Member Since:
September 19, 2025

Anna V.

Attorney
Free Consultation
Sacramento
5 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CA
UC Berkeley

Multilingual California Attorney with experience in Immigration, Real Estate, Contracts.

Rosanne M. on ContractsCounsel
View Rosanne
Member Since:
September 22, 2025

Rosanne M.

Attorney
Free Consultation
Carlsbad, California
10 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CA
Santa Clara Law

Rosanne (Rosie) Brady Muschenheim is an experienced estate planning attorney practicing law exclusively in trusts, estates, business, and tax law. She studied advanced tax law by taking several courses through Boston University's LLM program. She served as the Western Region Estate Planning Consultant for Bessemer Trust Company in addition to running her own law firm. Rosie spent several years working in Silicon Valley at a prestigious law firm serving ultra high net worth clients, including Founders, Directors, and Officers at companies such as Google, Netflix, Juniper Networks, Tesla, DocuSign, Looker, Nvidia, Xilinx, and Fortinet. Rosie spent time practicing in Honolulu, Hawaii serving ultra high net worth clients, including descendants of Hawaiian royalty. While in Orange County, Rosie assisted many high net worth clients of notable fame in the entertainment industry and the manufacturing industry. Rosie started her own law firm to provide a more customized and personal service to clients than what is offered through larger law firms. Trust is essential to building client relationships, and with her own law firm Rosie is able to provide more attention and care to each client matter.

David A. on ContractsCounsel
View David
Member Since:
September 24, 2025

David A.

Managing Partner
Free Consultation
Los Angeles
33 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CA, TX
Dedman School of Law- Southern Methodist University

David M. Abner is a practicing attorney with over 30 years of experience representing clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies in California and Texas. Mr. Abner is currently based in Los Angeles, California, and his practice focuses on negotiating the purchase and sale of businesses; negotiating equity and debt financing agreements; drafting and negotiating revisions to a variety of commercial agreements; and investigating and responding to law enforcement and regulatory compliance investigations. Additionally, Mr. Abner has considerable experience dealing with litigation involving ownership and valuation of privately held companies. He has tried nearly a dozen cases in private practice, including cases involving breach of contract, products liability, fraud, and officer and director liability. As in-house counsel for Ashland Inc., Mr. Abner worked with business leaders daily to assess, manage and prevent a variety of legal risks that threatened the viability and profitability of products, services and customer relationships. His efforts produced results that included settling a $700M anti-trust class action lawsuit for less than $7M; assisting in closing the sale of the company’s joint venture interests in an oil and gas subsidiary; assessing and quantifying the liabilities associated with the acquisition of other businesses; and supervising Ashland’s responses to DOJ, FBI and EPA investigations. Mr. Abner has been licensed to practice law in Texas since 1993, and in California since 2012. Mr. Abner obtained his Juris Doctorate from the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University in 1993, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Carolina in 1990.

Katherine B. on ContractsCounsel
View Katherine
Member Since:
October 8, 2025

Katherine B.

Principal Attorney & Founder, Phoenix Law PLLC
Free Consultation
Greater Seattle Area, WA
19 Yrs Experience
Licensed in WA
Gonzaga University School of Law

Attorney and former in-house counsel with 15+ years of leadership and project management experience in corporate & business law, risk management, compliance, strategy, and regulatory oversight in the private and federal sectors. Primary areas of practice are corporate governance & business law, compliance & financial services regulation, transformation & change management, regulatory response & remediations, consumer regulation & employment law, and conduct / ethics & investigations at regional, large and complex corporations. My experience includes banking, payment & ecommerce regulations, trade & product law, consumer regulations, employment & labor law, contracts and privacy laws. I have extensive experience advising firms on consumer protection and regulatory law, and I have specialized experience with firms engaging in large-scale transformations and remediations. I am admitted to the Washington State Bar Association and licensed to practice law, I am a Federal Reserve System commissioned Examiner, and I am a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM). At Phoenix Law PLLC, I advise individual clients and provide legal and regulatory guidance, corporate counsel services, as well as strategic consulting services to businesses. I leverage my unique experience and skillset to provide innovative solutions and achieve favorable results, with the goal of empowering clients to move successfully forward. www.phoenixlawpllc.com kbrandt@phoenixlawpllc.com

Sean D. on ContractsCounsel
View Sean
Member Since:
October 8, 2025

Sean D.

Founding Partner
Free Consultation
Washington DC
16 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CA, DC, MA
Georgetown University Law School

After 15+ years at leading firms in Silicon Valley, Boston, and DC, I started Supernova Law to partner with the clients who inspire me most—start-ups, mission-driven companies, B-Corps, and non-profits. My goal is simple: provide accessible, affordable, high-quality legal support to innovators creating positive change for our society. At Supernova Law, your vision and values come first.

Matthew K. on ContractsCounsel
View Matthew
Member Since:
October 10, 2025
Vivek S. on ContractsCounsel
View Vivek
Member Since:
October 13, 2025

Vivek S.

Real Estate Attorney
Free Consultation
Jersey City, NJ
20 Yrs Experience
Licensed in NJ, NY
Rutgers School of Law, Newark

Vivek Singh is a real estate attorney who brings clients far more than legal theory — he brings the perspective of a business owner, investor, and developer who has personally navigated the same challenges they face. With almost 20 years of experience in real estate law, construction, development, and property management, Vivek combines deep legal knowledge with real‑world operational insight. In addition to running his own law practice, Vivek has founded and managed construction and property management companies, invested in and developed real estate, and handled his own business disputes and litigation. This hands‑on experience gives him a unique advantage as an attorney: he understands the practical, financial, and strategic stakes behind every contract, negotiation, and deal. Vivek represents buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, investors, and developers in transactions, commercial leasing, construction agreements, land use approvals, and complex negotiations. Clients appreciate that he speaks their language, anticipates risks before they arise, and approaches every matter with the mindset of both a lawyer and a fellow business operator.

Brad A. on ContractsCounsel
View Brad
Member Since:
October 14, 2025

Brad A.

Attorney
Free Consultation
Fairhope, Alabama
27 Yrs Experience
Licensed in AL, FL, GA
University of Florida

Brad Adams is the founder of Adams Outside GC, PLLC, a legal consulting firm providing fractional General Counsel services to businesses across Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. With more than 25 years of legal experience, Brad offers practical, business-minded legal support to help companies navigate complex legal issues, minimize risk, and focus on growth. Brad’s practice spans both business law and employment law, with a focus on delivering real-world solutions tailored to each client’s needs. He regularly advises companies on legal compliance, drafts and negotiates contracts, supports clients with collections and dispute resolution, and helps businesses manage day-to-day legal and HR matters. His employment law experience includes drafting policies and agreements, conducting internal investigations, delivering compliance training, guiding employers through regulatory challenges and responding to administrative complaints. Brad has represented employers of all sizes—ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies—in a wide variety of industries, including construction, manufacturing, retail, healthcare, hospitality, solar energy, and technology. In addition to this broad experience, Brad has developed significant expertise in worker classification issues, particularly in the gig economy. He has worked with businesses using independent contractor models to help them navigate the legal and operational complexities unique to non-traditional workforces. Brad’s guidance helps clients reduce misclassification risk and design more sustainable, compliant contractor arrangements that support operational flexibility. His published work on this topic has appeared in Bloomberg Law’s Daily Labor Report, and he is a valuable resource for companies working within this rapidly evolving space. Prior to founding Adams Outside GC, Brad served as General Counsel for Meraki Installers LLC, where he managed the company’s legal, compliance, and HR functions. He previously practiced at top national and regional law firms, including Littler Mendelson, P.C., where he spent over a decade focusing exclusively on employment law as both an associate and shareholder. Earlier in his career, he worked in the Atlanta office of Powell Goldstein LLP (now Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner) and the Mobile, Alabama office of McDowell Knight Roedder & Sledge, LLC. Prior to joining Meraki, Brad worked in the Pensacola, Florida office of Emmanuel, Sheppard & Condon. Brad is licensed in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia, and was a Board-Certified Specialist in Labor and Employment Law through the Florida Bar from June 2021 through May 2026. He earned his J.D. with honors from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he was recognized for excellence in legal writing. He also holds a B.A. with honors and distinction from the University of the South (Sewanee). Brad is a speaker and published author on employment law topics and compliance strategy, contributing to Bloomberg Law, LexisNexis, and regional HR and legal conferences. For additional information, please visit adamsoutsidegc.com

Monica T. on ContractsCounsel
View Monica
Member Since:
October 20, 2025

Monica T.

Freelance Attorney
New York, NY
19 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CT, NY
Quinnipiac University School of Law

NYC based attorney of over 15 years in NY & CT who specializes in entertainment transactional law. 10 years as a general/in-house counsel in 2 entertainment companies and former indie film company executive as well as a creative professional (actress, singer, writer, model, blogger, podcast host/producer and beauty ambassador). Also have over 5 years of court appearance experience in various practice areas including foreclosure defense, bankruptcy, personal injury (plaintiff), immigration, consumer debt, etc.

Find the best lawyer for your project

Browse Lawyers Now

Quick, user friendly and one of the better ways I've come across to get ahold of lawyers willing to take new clients.

View Trustpilot Review

Need help with a legal contract?

Post Your Project

Get Free Bids to Compare

Hire Your Lawyer

CONTRACT LAWYERS BY TOP CITIES
See All Business Lawyers

Contracts Counsel was incredibly helpful and easy to use. I submitted a project for a lawyer's help within a day I had received over 6 proposals from qualified lawyers. I submitted a bid that works best for my business and we went forward with the project.

View Trustpilot Review

I never knew how difficult it was to obtain representation or a lawyer, and ContractsCounsel was EXACTLY the type of service I was hoping for when I was in a pinch. Working with their service was efficient, effective and made me feel in control. Thank you so much and should I ever need attorney services down the road, I'll certainly be a repeat customer.

View Trustpilot Review

I got 5 bids within 24h of posting my project. I choose the person who provided the most detailed and relevant intro letter, highlighting their experience relevant to my project. I am very satisfied with the outcome and quality of the two agreements that were produced, they actually far exceed my expectations.

View Trustpilot Review

How It Works

Post Your Project

Get Free Bids to Compare

Hire Your Lawyer

Want to speak to someone?

Get in touch below and we will schedule a time to connect!

Request a call

Find lawyers and attorneys by city