In short — so you don’t break the law or get taken advantage of. Both happen very easily no matter how savvy you might be. A couple of hundred dollars in prevention can save you several thousands in litigation later. We know this because we do a lot of litigation as well and have seen, time and time again, what happens when people try to “save money” or “do it themselves.”  You wouldn’t be your own doctor and operate on yourself – don’t try to be your own lawyer.

 In short — see above.  Also, many people take the plunge and start a new business before they learn about the potential legal risks associated with that certain business.  Business, no matter the type, is always filled with “landmines” that may explode at any given moment.  However, Internet businesses tend to have additional issues that many people don’t think about.  Again, a couple of hundred dollars in prevention can save you several thousands in litigation later. 

This often depends on what you’re looking to do in the short term, as well as long term. Then, it will be important to consider the initial costs and weigh those costs against the potential benefits to determine if it makes sense to do certain things now or wait. We can help you work through these tough decisions. When starting a business, there are places you may be able to avoid spending money now, but there will be certain places where you absolutely need to make the investment.  A big problem with new companies is that they either try to do too much up front and spend themselves out of business before they start or they try to save too much money in an attempt to make that big dream become a reality but they fail because they didn’t do the proper planning in the beginning (which usually results in getting in trouble or getting taken advantage of).

See both answers above.  As a co-founder you need to protect yourself with specific rights within your founder’s documents. If you are a minority interest holder, this is even more important. Sometimes even majority owners do not have have a majority vote. In such cases, the risk of a squeeze out is very high.  Founders should also make sure that all managers and directors have fiduciary duties to the company and other owners, and if not, there should be a specific reason why.

 Absolutely! When selling a business, it’s easy to get taken advantage of.  Don’t get tricked into being a free insurance company for your buyer– hire us. 

The answer to this question may vary quite a bit, depending on the type of business and situation.  Generally, however, you want to make sure you are getting what you are paying for and that there are adequate remedies available to you in case things don’t go as planned. Having experienced legal counsel to help negotiate the purchase agreement is key. 

While we can’t speak for everyone, we provide a wide range of legal services, including forming a company, various contracts, leasing agreements, purchase agreements, employee contracts and other related documents, assisting with the sale or purchase of a company, etc.  The list is almost endless.

Corporate lawyers can range from $200 an hour to $2000 an hour. However, we try to offer flat fees as often as possible. For example, many companies prefer a fixed fee for things like preparing standard agreements, etc.  However, flat fees may not be realistic when the amount of time needed to complete the work is uncertain or may vary significantly. In these situations, we will typically require a deposit and bill from that deposit based on our hourly rates.

This often depends on your preference. Some clients like to discuss each and every aspect of the case, as well as all potential strategies and options. Other clients simply prefer an email update every now and again, or a phone call when an important decision must be made or something happens in a case. We try to cater to your preferences. However, communication is one of the most important things to a strong attorney-client relationship and having you, as our client, being well informed of all the potential benefits and risks associated with a certain course of action. As a result, no matter your preference, we will do our best to ensure you know exactly where you stand under the circumstances.

RM Warner, PLC is based out of Scottsdale, Arizona, and the firm’s attorneys are licensed to practice law in Arizona only, unless specifically noted under a specific attorney’s website profile. However, given the Internet, we are a global society today, without borders. The majority of our clients are out of state or overseas. And to the extent litigation becomes necessary or local counsel is otherwise needed, we have formed relationships with many firms in many different states and countries who can serve as local counsel. Short Answer: Yes + we get permission from local courts with a local attorney, IF litigation is required.