If you’re looking to hire a business lawyer as a business owner, or simply interested in what professionals in these occupations get up to, we have some great tips and insights for you below.
Whether you’re running a business, looking to start a business or wanting to get into the field of law, there are some points we’re sure you’ll be interested in knowing.
As you might already know, business lawyers work within the business field, as is in the name, and assist clients looking to develop their brands and move forward with day-to-day operations with as little risk as possible.
In short, business lawyers such as LegalVision’s New Zealand Business Lawyers are the professionals who assist in everything from writing up business contracts, incorporating companies and dealing with business-to-customer or business-to-business disputes.
All that said, let’s take a more in-depth look into what business lawyers do below.
What do Business Lawyers do?
Off the top, business lawyers undertake a whole range of different tasks that enables companies to run more effectively and in legally compliant ways.
Whether you’re looking to merge two firms, take a look at your compliance with local laws or deal with contract breaches, business lawyers will be right by your side, helping you through these issues.
A few of the things business lawyers do include:
Drafting Contracts
One of the most common workflows business lawyers will be required to do is to develop business contracts for their clients. If you’re hiring a new staff member, working on a partnership with a new client, looking to have someone sign a waiver or just about anything else, your business lawyers will be the ones to deal with this.
To add, business lawyers are also going to be the people to talk to about getting all of the information required on a specific contract form. There’s a good chance that, as a business owner, you’re not too sure of all the legally required information that belongs on a contract, and so your lawyers will take care of this too.
Launching Businesses
When it comes to day one of launching a company, your business lawyers will also be able to assist here too.
A lawyer will be able to help you choose a company structure for your new business, outline all of the requirements related to selecting this structure and what you’ll need to do as a business owner to keep your compliance with this structure.
It’s always a good idea to reach out to business lawyers during the very first phase of your business’s launch as you’ll be able to make sure that you’re not doing anything wrong from the outset. If you catch an issue with compliance and regulation very early, you’re not going to be stuck with a required rebrand or change of tagline down the line.
Contract Disputes and Breaches
Another critical task that business lawyers often deal with are breaches of contract or disputes related to a business contract.
If a client or customer isn’t paying for a service, or they’re not providing the goods or services you agreed upon, you’re able to make use of a business lawyer to negotiate all of these issues on your behalf.
Whether because of a misunderstanding or a misinterpretation of a contract, a business lawyer can typically come to a conclusion with both parties, without requiring you to head to court.
To add — with business lawyers on your books, you’re able to have the assurance that your contracts are written carefully and informatively in the first place, reducing your chance of conflicts down the line.
Acquisitions and Mergers
For the businesses interested in either merging or buying out competing companies, your business lawyers will be all hands on deck here too.
These lawyers are going to help you along the way and assist in making wise decisions when it comes to the acquisition of assets as well as whether to move forward with certain aspects of a merger or not.
At the end of the day, your business lawyers will essentially be able to give you much-needed guidance and direction to make the mergers or purchasing of other organisations as smooth as possible.
The Resolving of In-business Issues
As we’re sure you’re aware, the business world can be, and often is, rather complex when it comes to employee requirements and entitlements.
If there’s been a workplace dispute, issues with pay, sick leave problems or just about anything else relating to harassment or discrimination, business lawyers are going to be your first line of defence and direction here.
You’ll be able to rely on your legal advisors to guide you and your employees through the process at hand, and oftentimes rely on them to mitigate future issues and rectify any issues that have occurred; without requiring staff, or yourself as the business owner, to head to court.
Risk Management and Compliance Assistance
We’re inclined to say that this perk is something that both new and existing businesses can benefit from, and that is the minimisation of workplace risk and compliance problems.
Both old and new businesses are always needing to work on their adherence to ever-changing local safety laws and financial compliance regulations. Without a legal advisor in the ranks, you’re often unaware of many changes governments make.
That said, business lawyers help brand owners to understand their compliance requirements and issues with compliance in the workplace.
Almost all lawyers out there will be able to help out in the development of systems which enable the monitoring of workplace compliance and keep you in the know should things begin to stray a little far from what’s legal.
Property and Real Estate Disputes
For the companies which own and lease property, business lawyers are going to be your saving grace when it comes to assist with the negotiation of sale and lease prices, disputes and more.
A business lawyer will be able to help you navigate the world of real estate and give you the facts to better understand how to make the most of your leased property.
