Small Business Attorney
Small business attorneys provide a great range of small business legal services. Litigation services focused mainly on small businesses are intended to take the stress out of the legal details of your small business or other legal necessities you may encounter during the course of business. These services typically range from providing legal advice and document reviewing to providing services as an attorney or lawyer should it become necessary.
These services can be very comforting for a small business owner, especially during an unforeseen action against your small business where you will need an attorney to defend your business should it be served with a complaint.
Small business attorneys and lawyers work within the area of law that engages in the formation, needs and requests of small business. A small business can include any type of venture or doing commenced for profit. The most common small business endeavors include:
Sole proprietorship – full ownership by only one individual.
Partnership (typically a limited liability partnership, but can be a limited partnership, or general partnership).
Corporation – can either be the default C Corporation or option an S Corporation tax election. These types of corporations can also apply to sub-chapters or sub-corporations.
Limited Liability Company (LLC) – This is a hybrid configuration which limits the personal liability of business owners while preserving the flexibility and some tax advantages of a partnership or sole proprietorship.
A small business is, according to established size standards, simply a business that is thought of as small. The Small Business Association (SBA) has established these size standards for many industries in our economy as follows:
$12 million for all special trade contractors
$6 million for most retail and service industries
$0.75 million for most agricultural industries
100 employees for all wholesale trade industries
$28.5 million for most general & heavy construction industries
500 employees for mining and manufacturing industries
There are other laws and requirements pertaining to companies that are considered small businesses. For instance, there are a number of laws and regulations specifically applicable to how small businesses are to be operated and started. In any case, when starting a new business or expanding a small business, you ought to consult a small business attorney who specializes in your particular type of businesses formation. A qualified and experienced attorney will be able to easily answer any legal questions you may have pertaining to your small business.
Another way small business attorneys can be of service to a small business is to help the company with structural changes should the business decide to form a partnership or incorporate. In these situations a small business attorney can help by advising on the business formations that would fit best the needs of you company. In addition, an attorney that is experienced can easily assist you with the needed legal filings and paperwork.
The regulations and laws that a small business are required to follow mostly depend on the state in which the small business is started, the legal formation of the business like sole proprietor, or partnership, or corporation, and the nature of the business activity including products sold or services provided. Since the law changes frequently, it can become very time consuming and distracting to have to maintain an up to date checklist of all laws and regulations as a business owner.
Therefore, if you have your own small business, or are thinking about starting a small business, it would be best if you were to retain a small business attorney or lawyer to keep you informed on the changing laws and to give you advice and counsel you on what to do to stay compliant with all laws relating to your small business. Furthermore, a small business attorney will be ready to represent you legally if any issues arise.
