Find the right fit
Before you turn over your spreadsheets, make sure your attorney complements your style. You may be eager for your day in court, but your attorney is best in settlements. Being on the same page is imperative to long-term success.
“I think it’s beneficial to view your engagement of a lawyer as a potential long-term relationship,” Karzmer says. “You want to make sure you pick the right person and you’re comfortable with this person’s judgment.”
Finding a legal mind that matches your corporate spirit is no small task. As with other services, it’s wise to get recommendations from your colleagues. Referrals from your current professional team, such as your banker and accountant, can be especially helpful.
“When I try to pick a service provider, such as an accountant or stock broker, I go to people I know and trust and say, ‘Do you have any experience with anybody?’” Karzmer says.
Consider where others in your industry get their legal advice. Intimate knowledge of your market is priceless when it comes to staying on top of regulatory changes. And the legal relationship is bound by attorney-client confidentiality, so you can sleep easy knowing your company’s dark secrets aren’t being broadcast.
“There is an abundance of lawyers and an abundance of legal talent, but companies need to work with attorneys who have specific experience in handling the issues that that the company is facing and that are in the industry that company is in,” Slagter says.
Once you’ve identified a few lawyers, schedule brief meetings with each. While many firms can handle the technical work, it’s important to find someone you feel comfortable with. Ultimately, the better you and your lawyer know and understand each other, the more hazards you can avoid.
“You should try to be developing a long-term relationship,” Karzmer says. “When you develop that relationship … it is good
for the attorney and the client.”