Louisville Startup Attorneys & Lawyers

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Steven S.

Steven Stark

589 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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Jake S.

Jake Siciliano

299 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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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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Paul S.

Paul Spitz

158 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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Carmelo C.

Carmelo Chimera

40 reviews
10 years ago, I graduated from the University of Chicago Law School, and since then I've practiced at some of the world's largest law firms. I've also been a business owner... read more
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Jon B.

Jon Bourne

36 reviews
Experienced on-demand general counsel for small to mid-size companies not yet ready for full-time general counsel. Proven ability to provide pragmatic advice in plain Engli... read more
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Stephan H.

Stephan Holmquist

21 reviews
Served as transactional and litigation counsel to clients ranging from start-ups to government entities to publicly traded, Fortune 50 companies. Served as outside genera... read more
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Ryan A. W.

Ryan A. Woods

18 reviews
Ryan Woods is both a business attorney and an entrepreneur, with years of experience behind him as a successful online business owner. Ryan was recently licensed to practice law in California. He is experienced in all areas related to starting a new business, with a particular focus on labor and employment law, as well as securities and finances. He has been the CFO and a general counselor at Tinsel App Holdings Inc. since March 2015.
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Nathan W.

Nathan Wenk

13 reviews
Nathan Wenk concentrates his practice on helping startups and small businesses realize their goals by providing targeted and efficient legal advice and agreements. No proje... read more
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Jonathan P.

Jonathan Patrono

3 reviews
With a background in both computer science and law, I have over 20 years of experience advising businesses on complex legal and operational matters. As in-house counsel for... read more
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Why Hire a Startup Lawyer?

Starting a business can be a difficult task. Having an experienced lawyer on your side can prove to be one of the best decisions you can make for your new business. 

If you're thinking about whether or not you need a startup lawyer, consider some of the ways one can help.

  • Negotiate contracts: Whether it's employee contracts, customer contracts, or contracts with your suppliers, having a lawyer who understands all of the legal wording is invaluable. He or she can explain various contracts or help draw up new ones for your company.
  • Register your business: You need to register your business with the Kentucky Secretary of State. It is recommended that you at least speak to a lawyer about the filing required before you attempt to do this on your own. The attorney can also assist you with registering in different counties and states if you plan to do business outside of Louisville.
  • Increase your chances of success: The best startup lawyers can use their past experience of helping other startups to make sure that you and your company don't fall into the same traps that caused others to fail.
  • Help you make more money: Good startup lawyers have years of experience and knowledge of business law. They will be able to tell you about the special tax benefits a C corporation would provide (such as tax breaks on income). Startup lawyers can also provide introductions to venture capitalists and angel investors, which would give you an opportunity to raise more capital.
  • Protect you from liability: If you wait to call a lawyer after you've been sued, it can often be too late. You want to have a lawyer on your side from the very beginning who can help you cover all of your chances of liability to ensure you never get sued in the first place.

How to Find the Best Startup Lawyer in Louisville

When you start a business in Louisville, you want to make sure you hire the best startup lawyer in town. If you have contacts for other small businesses in Louisville, asking them for lawyer recommendations is a good place to start. You can find some local businesses in your industry by getting in touch with Louisville Forward, the city's small business development agency. You can also find more information about lawyers in Louisville from the Kentucky Bar Association or the Louisville Small Business Development Center. Both have listings of lawyers of all types. Once you have plenty of contact information, you need to do some research. Find out as much as you can about the lawyers and the firms they work for.

Then contact the ones that seem the most promising. You should have your short list down to no more than five. Ask if they would like to set up a meeting to discuss working together on your startup business. Their response to a preliminary call is a good way to gauge their interest. When you meet with them, be sure to have all relevant documents and information about your business. You want to give the lawyers a realistic snapshot of your business, and you want them to understand your vision and where you want your company to progress. Be ready to answer questions about what you require from the lawyer and what you're hoping to gain from their services.

Questions for Startup Lawyers

Have several questions ready for the lawyers you interview so that you can be clear about whether or not they are the best startup lawyer for you.

  • Have you worked with startup businesses in my industry before?

While you don't want a lawyer who works directly with your competitors (which could lead to a conflict of interest), you do want a lawyer who has experience working with businesses like yours. If they've never worked with startups before, they may not be able to adequately do all the things you want them to do. You don't want an inexperienced lawyer to be billing you while he or she learns how to work with startups.

  • What are your fees and how will they be billed?

This is a crucially important question. You should not be basing your entire decision on cost, but as a startup, finding a lawyer who understands that you're tight for cash is invaluable. Find out if they offer a billing plan for startups where you can pay in installments. Ask how they will be charging you (hourly or for the type of work being done). Fees are sometimes negotiable, so be sure to ask.

  • Do you have business experience?

Having a lawyer who understands the unique situation of an entrepreneur is invaluable. He or she should understand not only all of the legal and financial challenges that you face, but also the simple stresses of starting your own business.

Though entrepreneurship is central to the American economy, startup businesses need experienced help to overcome the beginning challenges. By carefully researching and choosing the right startup attorney in Louisville for your type of business, you will give yourself a higher chance of success.

Why use UpCounsel to hire a Louisville Startup Attorney?

14 years

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Your work gets done quickly because professionals are always available.

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Legal Services Offered by Our On-Demand Louisville Startup Attorneys

On UpCounsel, you can find and connect with top-rated Louisville 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 Louisville 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 Louisville, KY.

From primarily dealing with things like business formation, contracts, leases, equity financing, securities, and intellectual property protection, the Louisville 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 Louisville 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 Louisville, KY.

Want to Connect with Top Louisville Startup Attorneys & Lawyers?

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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