"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." Shakespeare, HenryVI

Hopefully, our readers will find the quote in the title of this post strictly humorous, rather than a call to act.

I am a lawyer. There, I said it. Contrary to the evil persona depicted in the many cartoons and email anecdotes my father and friends have sent me over the years, I pride myself in being a kinder, gentler lawyer and I believe I am in the company of many.

To me, a good business attorney is one of the most important assets a business owner can have, and the sooner he or she retains a reputable business attorney for guidance through the creation and operation of a new business, the better off that business owner will be.

As an attorney who bills by the hour, I understand why someone creating a new business may be reluctant to hire a lawyer initially. It is difficult enough to find the means to fund a new business and often times there just isn’t enough extra cash sitting around to pay a lawyer for legal assistance.

I am confronted with this issue regularly when I take calls from client prospects who ask me to help them differentiate between what is absolutely necessary and what can be overlooked in the beginning stages of operation. Unfortunately, for them – and for me – I don’t have a crystal ball and can’t predict with any certainty what crisis a particular client will face in the near or distant future.

However, experience has taught me that dealing with crises is an expected part of running a business. That knowledge is by no means intended to incite clients to act through fear; it is merely the practical reality of operating a business and ignorance is not bliss in the business world. It is far better to be aware today of potential problems rather than learn about them when they have become the crisis du jour.