Cincinnati Startup Attorneys & Lawyers

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Steven S.

Steven Stark

583 reviews
For over 30 years, Steven Stark has offered counsel to non-profit organizations and private companies. He has a passion for helping small businesses in particular since he himself started several businesses of his own in New York and Florida. He understands the importance of small businesses having a reliable attorney to advise them about legal matters from their inception.
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Scott S.

Scott Stram

403 reviews
As a member of both the New York and New Jersey Bars, Scott Stram is an accomplished lawyer with experience in a range of legal and business areas. This includes corporate law, data security, compliance, real estate, and intellectual property. Before founding Stram Law, Scott was a compliance officer for a company that performed property audits, a director of a security consulting practice, and an operations officer for Viacom and CBS.
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Jake S.

Jake Siciliano

272 reviews
Jake graduated from Thomas Jefferson School of Law where he focused on international trademark and corporate law. As of 2022, he has obtained his L.L.M. in Financial Compli... read more
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Mary H.

Mary Hodges

249 reviews
Employment is a big part of any business, and Mary Hodges understands that many business owners may not know the legal details of the hiring or termination process. She works with business owners with a variety of needs: from working with independent contractors, to developing and implementing employment policies, non-disclosure agreements, and more. Ms. Hodges can also help with business formation, contracts, and operations.
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Richard G.

Richard Gora

200 reviews
Looking for an attorney with experience? Richard Gora is the exact attorney you want. Having defended over 100 cases both in state and federal courts and working with clients from around the globe, Richard has an array of different experiences. His services are wide-ranging and include business litigation, securities litigations, employment litigation, and business counsel. Prior to founding Gora LLC, he worked for Finn, Dixon & Herling LLP for eight years.
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Michael W.

Michael Wieser

163 reviews
I am dedicated to working with startup entrepreneurs and early stage growth companies to provide legal stability and scalability for growing enterprises. What sets me apart... read more
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Brig R.

Brig Ricks

159 reviews
I am a senior executive and strategic legal adviser with 19 years of experience providing legal services in international environments. I am a general counsel who can advis... read more
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Paul S.

Paul Spitz

147 reviews
With an MBA in marketing from Indiana University, Paul Spitz offers business experience and legal expertise to companies ranging from startups to midsize organizations. He specializes in the areas of technology, marketing, e-commerce, and digital media. Unlike attorneys at large law firms, Mr. Spitz is able to provide affordable services in counseling, representation, and negotiation.
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Grant M.

Grant Maynard

128 reviews
Grant represents high-growth companies in all aspects of formation, financing, and intellectual property issues. He has previously done general corporate, intellectual, and real estate work at Nebraska's oldest law firm before transitioning to a more virtual lifestyle. As an entrepreneur himself, he understands the need to balance legal and business interests.
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Baruch G.

Baruch Gottesman

117 reviews
Baruch Gottesman is a corporate attorney with over a decade of experience. He is licensed to practice law in both New Jersey and New York. Baruch obtained his J.D. degree in law from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. He is skilled in providing legal assistance to startup companies, with exceptional experience in drafting, negotiating and reviewing commercial contracts. Baruch founded his own law firm in January 2010.
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Why Should My Company Hire a Startup Attorney?

How well you grow as a company depends on how you approach the early days. You don't want to become a statistic, one of the many companies that fail during the first two years.

As one of the founders, you'll have little free time already. You don't want to waste it figuring out legal documents you barely understand. A startup attorney can offer a guiding hand. They'll also have experience with other businesses like your own. You can draw on this knowledge to improve your chances of success.

What Can a Startup Lawyer Do for a New Business?

An experienced startup lawyer offers a lot of value. They will:

Add Networking Opportunities: Whether your new business needs money or customers, lawyers have a network of former and current clients they know. They can connect you with established businesses that will help you secure your company's future.

Set Up Your Company: Whether you choose to incorporate or set up a business by yourself, a startup attorney can file the right paperwork. They'll advise you on the best way to register your services with the government, protecting your immediate and long-term interests.

Handle the Paperwork: During your early days, you'll sign contracts with customers. You'll hire new employees. You may even negotiate deals with business partners. All of these instances involve some paperwork.

Since you lack experience in this area, you run the risk of using the wrong documents or agreeing to something that you didn't intend. An attorney will handle the paperwork for you, saving you a lot of aggravation.

Offer Guidance on Hiring: The government has rules in place for proper hiring practices. The conditions vary depending on the size of your startup. You'll need legal advice to know who you can and cannot hire.

Once you have workers on the payroll, you also need to provide a list of rules for them. A lawyer can offer a checklist of guidelines. You can use them as the backbone of an employee handbook.

Protect Your Ideas: During its early days, your business might invent a new product or create a process. When you make something original, you should own it. Unless you know the details of copyright and trademark law, you run the risk of someone stealing your best ideas.

A startup attorney can offer advice on how to protect your intellectual properties (IPs). Just as importantly, they can also teach you how to avoid infringing on the IPs of others. A single encounter with a patent troll could bankrupt your company. That's why legal advice in this area is crucial.

Which Questions Should I Ask a Startup Lawyer?

You'll want to check for references just like you would when hiring anyone else. You also need to protect yourself against overbilling. Viewabill is an online service that tracks this statistic. The data suggests that lawyers overbill clients by 23 percent. To avoid the issue, clarify billing terms and services in advance.

You should also find out whether the lawyer will charge by the hour or by the project. Ask if they offer discounts or payment plans for startups. Since you'll have little excess cash on hand in the early days of the company, try to work out a payment schedule. It'll improve your chances for long-term success.

Other questions you should ask include:

  • How much experience do you have as a lawyer?
  • How much experience do you have with startups?
  • How much experience do you have in advising on trademarks, copyrights, and infringement?
  • Are you the point person at your firm or will I deal with other employees?
  • If others will also work with the startup, how many of them are lawyers as opposed to people who haven't passed the bar exam?
  • In case of emergency, will I talk to you or to them?
  • How quick are you and the rest of your firm with responses?
  • How many clients do you have and can you reasonably add more to your workload?

How to Find the Best Startup Lawyer in Cincinnati, Ohio

You should create a checklist of traits for your attorney. You obviously need someone who has passed the bar exam offered by the Office of Bar Admissions of the Supreme Court of Ohio. An attorney who hasn't passed the bar cannot offer legal advice in the state. To make sure an attorney is legal, contact the Office of Bar Admissions to verify their claim.

You also want an attorney who has no outstanding complaints. Any unhappy customer can register their complaint with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel of the Supreme Court of Ohio. An attorney with multiple complaints isn't someone you should hire under any circumstance. Even a single complaint should worry you enough to explore other options. You must trust your attorney since their advice is critical to the success of your startup.

Why use UpCounsel to hire a Cincinnati Startup Attorney?

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Legal Services Offered by Our On-Demand Cincinnati Startup Attorneys

On UpCounsel, you can find and connect with top-rated Cincinnati startup attorneys & lawyers that provide a range of startup law services for startups and entrepreneurs that are starting a business. Any of the top-rated Cincinnati startup lawyers you connect with will be available to help with a variety of your startup law related legal needs on-demand or on an ongoing basis in the city of Cincinnati, OH.

From primarily dealing with things like business formation, contracts, leases, equity financing, securities, and intellectual property protection, the Cincinnati startup lawyers on UpCounsel can help you with a variety of specialized and general startup law related legal matters. No matter what type of startup law needs you have, you can easily hire an experienced Cincinnati startup lawyer on UpCounsel to help you today.

If You Need Ongoing Legal Counsel or Ad-hoc Legal Work – We Can Help!

Improve Your Legal ROI with Affordable Startup Attorneys that service Cincinnati, OH.

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What Our Customers Have to Say

"UpCounsel gives me access to big-firm lawyers minus the big-firm price tag. I work with several attorneys on the platform and there are never surprises...I always receive quality legal work at competitive rates that larger firms simply cannot match."

Scott Woods
SVP & General Counsel

"Every startup needs to know about UpCounsel. We found great attorneys at great prices and were able to focus our resources on improving our business instead of paying legal bills."

Sean Conway
Co-founder & CEO

"Before UpCounsel it was hard for us to find the right lawyer with the right expertise for our business. UpCounsel solves those problems by being more affordable and helping us find the right lawyer in no time."

Tristan Pollock
Co-founder & COO

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