Pittsburgh Startup Attorneys & Lawyers
How it Works
Austin Plants
David Manes
William Kenworthy
Stacey Palmer
Rocco Cozza
Jonathan Young
Stephen Photopoulos
Brent Moon
Brian Malkin
Joseph Feldman
Pittsburgh Startup Lawyers
Why Hire a Startup Attorney?
Most people have heard the statistic that half of new businesses fail in the first year.
A top attorney can offer the legal advice you need to steady your company during its difficult early days. Startup lawyers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have plenty of experience in guiding startups. They can help you get the result you seek quickly and for a reasonable price.
Why Do Start-Up Companies Need a Lawyer?
- Protecting Ideas: Your business may come up with patentable inventions. The best attorneys help startups understand which of their ideas qualify. They can offer guidance in trademarking ideas and brands, too.
- Avoiding Existing Claims: Many ideas already have trademark claims. Those include business names, logos, and even business practices. A top lawyer will tell you about potential problems you have with copyright violations. Not protecting your startup from such claims may prove costly enough to bankrupt the business.
- Helping with Government Regulations: A company is subject to local, state, and federal laws from day one. Few startup employees are aware of these rules. A top attorney will offer guidance about how to follow the laws of the land. They can even tell a startup about steps to take to avoid certain regulations. Advice like this can save a company lots of money, time, and effort.
- Business and Trade Protection: When a startup gets customers, it is bound by set legal terms. It also forms verbal or written contracts with customers. A lawyer will write the contracts and other documents that a startup needs. Without legal advice, a startup runs the risk of violating an agreement. Such a mistake comes with harsh financial and legal penalties.
- Business Partners: When a startup begins, the owners enter a trust, even if they don't realize it. The best attorneys offer guidance in how to draw up legal documents. These contracts protect everyone's interests, reducing the odds of an extended legal battle at a later date. A lawyer's paperwork will decide who earns what in the partnership as well as controlling interest and expectations for each partner.
When Should a Startup Hire a Lawyer?
The mistake many new businesses make is not hiring an attorney immediately. Instead, these companies wait until someone sues them. By then, it's too late. A startup should use an attorney to:
- Incorporate or Form a Business: A lawyer will decide whether you need to incorporate as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or limited liability company among other options. Without top legal advice, you could mess up the company's future.
- Hire Employees: Government regulations impact the hiring process. Once the workers are in place, the company must have rules in place. Otherwise, workers won't know what the startup expects of them. A top lawyer can offer suggestions on the best hiring practices. The attorney can also help the startup write an employee handbook. It'll list all worker expectations and obligations.
- Obtain Patents: When someone in your organization invents a new product or idea, you need to trademark it immediately. By doing so, you protect your company's intellectual property against theft and copyright violations.
- Handle the patent and trademark process: This is important because the United States Patent and Trademark Office receives more than 600,000 applications each year. It also has a backlog of pending applications. An attorney can help you speed up the process while saving you money on document fees.
- Raise Money: Cash flow makes a difference to the startup's survival. The best attorneys understand this. They have experience making deals to get new companies the money they need. They also know how to handle any ownership interests, shareholder stakes, and revenue splits. You should always hire an attorney when you raise money for your business.
How to Find the Best Startup Attorney in Pittsburgh
To find the best attorneys in Pittsburgh, you need to do a bit of research. You should first check to make sure a lawyer has passed the Pennsylvania Bar Exam. You should also call the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Ask if an attorney has any outstanding complaints. Also check to make sure that they've passed the bar according to that organization's records.
Finally, read the online biographies of potential attorneys. See which ones list startup law as their field of expertise. You want a Pittsburgh attorney with a lot of experience in the field.
Which Questions Should I Ask a Startup Attorney?
- How much do you charge?
- Will you bill per hour or per project?
- Do you have special plans available for startups?
- What's your current workload?
- What kind of experience do you have with companies like mine?
- Are you the only person I'll deal with during the process? If not, who else will talk to me?
- Do you know state incorporation procedures for Pennsylvania?
If you're starting a new company, hiring a startup attorney is worth it. They can help you draw up business contracts, follow government regulations, and give legal advice for any other questions you have.
Why use UpCounsel to hire a Pittsburgh Startup Attorney?
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Legal Services Offered by Our On-Demand Pittsburgh Startup Attorneys
On UpCounsel, you can find and connect with top-rated Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh, PA.
From primarily dealing with things like business formation, contracts, leases, equity financing, securities, and intellectual property protection, the Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh startup lawyer on UpCounsel to help you today.
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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."
"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."
"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."
This is the most recent 11 reviews for Business Operations attorneys in Pennsylvania
Consult on Outside General Counsel
"Very helpful and professional for a first time founder"
Keith B
.
Lancaster,
PA,
4 months ago
Assist with Outside General Counsel
"Neil’s counsel was invaluable. He was available, engaging, and provided counsel with follow up. And all of this for a reasonable fee. A very nice man."
Sherylette A
.
East Petersburg,
PA,
over 3 years ago
Consult on Outside General Counsel
"Stacy was great to work with! She was very helpful, clear and quick in her communications, and personable. We enjoyed working with her!"
Sarah S
.
State College,
PA,
over 3 years ago
Outside General Counsel Nov 2015
"Great job as always."
Jonathan G
.
Philadelphia,
PA,
about 9 years ago
Outside General Counsel Services
"Paul is great, he does an awesome job of explaining legalese in layman's terms."
Amber S
.
Pittsburgh,
PA,
about 9 years ago
Outside General Counsel Services
"Paul is amazing - I highly recommend. He's a really nice guy, personable and super knowledgeable about startups."
Amber S
.
Pittsburgh,
PA,
about 9 years ago
Outside General Counsel October 2015
"Great team, great service! We use them for a number of projects."
Jonathan G
.
Philadelphia,
PA,
about 9 years ago
Outside General Counsel Services
"Abe and his team were amazing to work with. They were fast, efficient and really thorough."
Jonathan G
.
Philadelphia,
PA,
about 9 years ago
Repurchase by Company of Executive's Restricted Stock
"Fast and thorough job! Very experienced attorney"
Onikepe A
.
Norristown,
PA,
over 9 years ago
Startup Stock Grant Agreement Review for Restriction Terms
"Alejandro is extremely experienced and provides solid legal advice. I appreciate that he cuts to the chase and makes the choices very straightforward/clear."
Irakli N
.
Philadelphia,
PA,
over 9 years ago
Fantasy Soccer Compliance Assistance
"Paul was great to work with. We exchanged conversations on a research task that I requested to understand legal revenue options for a new website. Paul was able to provide very valuable research in a fairly time timeline and communicated the research to me in an understandable manner. I would happily work with Paul again."
David K
.
San Jose,
CA,
over 9 years ago