Richmond Startup Attorneys & Lawyers
How it Works
Steven Stark
Jake Siciliano
Richard Gora
Glenn Manishin
Brig Ricks
Jason Head
John Allen Waldrop
Yvenne King
Sara Sass
Alden Eldredge
Richmond Startup Lawyers
Why Hire a Startup Attorney?
When you start a new business, it pays to bring on the best experts you can afford. Whether those experts are visual designers, master chefs, or biologists depends on your industry, but there are two experts you always want on hand, lawyers and accountants.
An accountant can help you set your short and long-term budgets, craft an affordable business plan, and understand your tax obligations. A lawyer can help you organize your business, negotiate with your partners, and carve out a space for yourself using intellectual property laws.
However, you would normally have to contact several different lawyers or law firms to handle all those problems. That's why startup attorneys have started to appear. These top attorneys can tackle different jobs personally or through contacts of their own. That's because a startup lawyer has a lot of ground to cover:
- Business entity organization. Choosing your business type is a matter of ownership, convenience, industry standards, taxes, and lawsuit liability. A small business just starting out might have a single owner or a limited partnership, or it could go straight to a limited liability company or a corporation. A startup attorney can help you figure out which one is best and when you should switch business types.
- Contracts. Putting it all on paper is only the first step. It's important to be clear and precise when you write contracts. You should have someone who can negotiate for your side when you sign the contracts of others. A startup lawyer can do all that and help you understand contract law at the same time. They can help you work out contracts with your employees, your customers and clients, your distributors and suppliers, and even real estate owners.
- Intellectual property. Copyrights are relatively painless, but getting a registered trademark and a patent can be a long and expensive journey. To get through it, you need someone who can take you all the way to the goal. Just hiring a trademark lawyer improves your odds of a successful registration by 50 percent.
How to Find the Best Startup Attorneys in Richmond
Virginia's capital city isn't as big as the Washington suburbs to the north or the Hampton Roads sprawl to the south, but it has plenty to offer a startup. Major industries include biotech and drug research, finances, and advertising are located there, but there are lots of other fields as well. Gourmet restaurants are showing up, too, making Richmond a heaven for foodies.
Part of this is thanks to Richmond's great location along the James River, but it's also due to some very startup-friendly tax incentives created by Virginia and the city of Richmond. Help is never hard to find, either, thanks to another one of Richmond's specialties, the legal profession.
However, not all legal advice is good, and not everyone needs expensive legal protection. A cellphone startup has to deal with a lot of lawsuits and patent defenses, but a restaurant owner usually doesn't. So if you want the best startup attorney for your business, you'll need to do some research.
- Understand Your Approach
Do you go on the offensive or do you try to talk things out until the last minute? Would you rather play it safe and secure or do you want to take risks and put everything on the line for a big payout? A good startup law firm can help you switch things up occasionally, but they should also be comfortable with your favorite strategy.
- Stick with the Specialists
Not all startups are the same. Lawyers and firms can specialize in certain industries, which means they can put you in touch with the right clients and suppliers to get your business going. You can speak to other startups in your industry to find out which lawyers offer the best and fastest services.
- Understand Your Budget and Needs
Different industries have different legal woes. Some have to sign and create a lot of complicated contracts and defend their IP like a guard dog. Others can coast by on a few basic employment contracts and some friendly competition. If you know how much legal help your company will need, you'll know how much to budget for a startup lawyer.
Questions for a Startup Attorney
- Can you give me references for your service quality?
- What's the average experience level at your firm?
- How much do your startup services cost? How much do you charge for consultations and document preparation?
- Are you familiar with my industry? Do you have contacts I can use?
- How quickly should I expect you to respond when I have a legal problem?
- Can your firm deal with all my legal issues, directly or indirectly? If indirectly, whom else do you use?
A relationship with a startup attorney can last for as long as you own your company. Be careful which lawyer you hire, as careful as you are with every other major business decision.
Why use UpCounsel to hire a Richmond Startup Attorney?
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Legal Services Offered by Our On-Demand Richmond Startup Attorneys
On UpCounsel, you can find and connect with top-rated Richmond 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 Richmond 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 Richmond, VA.
From primarily dealing with things like business formation, contracts, leases, equity financing, securities, and intellectual property protection, the Richmond 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 Richmond startup lawyer on UpCounsel to help you today.
Improve Your Legal ROI with Affordable Startup Attorneys that service Richmond, VA.
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 15 reviews for Business Operations attorneys in Virginia
Assist with Outside General Counsel
"Chelsea helped me understand my documents further and was patient with any questions I had."
Yaakov M
.
Richmond,
VA,
over 2 years ago
Startup Company in VA - Looking for Bylaws, amendments, shareholder/Board meeting min, Stock Ledger
"He is very knowledgeable and very good in professional writing. I called him multiple times and he answered my call even after hours. He clarified all my questions. Thanks Michael Wieser. Good Luck To You ..."
Kalyanaraman R
.
Herndon,
VA,
about 4 years ago
Outside General Counsel Services
"Christopher was timely and concise with his advice. We will definitely work with him again in the future."
Patrick J
.
Arlington,
VA,
over 4 years ago
Outside General Counsel Services
"Lauri is great, she was quick and to the point. Definitely recommend her for your legal needs."
Jj Z
.
Reston,
VA,
over 4 years ago
Bylaws Review
"Geoffrey was excellent to work with. Achieved everything I needed to very quickly. Turn around in less than 24 hours. No complaints at all!"
Samantha Leigh F
.
Fairfax,
VA,
almost 6 years ago
Stock Purchase Agreement / Waiver and Consent
"Geoffrey was excellent. He provided me with board resolutions and handled a tense situation with a co-founder. Highly recommend"
Samantha Leigh F
.
Fairfax,
VA,
almost 6 years ago
Series Seed Investment Documents
"Geoffrey was great. Very responsive, got everything I needed for investment docs very quickly. Explained nuances and options - highly recommend"
Samantha Leigh F
.
Fairfax,
VA,
almost 6 years ago
Outside General Counsel Services
"Great experience, Todd did exactly what I needed"
Don B
.
Arlington,
VA,
about 7 years ago
Foreign Register Business
"Again, Mary did a wonderful job and it is a joy working with her."
Sheena F
.
Alexandria,
VA,
over 7 years ago
File Trademark Application
"Great attorney!"
Wesley Y
.
McLean,
VA,
over 7 years ago
"Pleasant to work with Thomas, very patient, and doesn't hesitate to go an extra mile to help."
Muhammad L
.
Woodbridge,
VA,
about 8 years ago
Startup Equity Assistance
"Incredible experience with him. Prompt, professional, and he really cares for your situation. Definitely would recommend him!"
Elias Y
.
Springfield,
VA,
over 8 years ago
Employment Agreement - VP Sales
"A great lawyer and more than that he is a great counsel to seek strategic advice and guidance."
Bramh G
.
McLean,
VA,
almost 9 years ago
Post-Incorporation Documents
"Pantea is insightful, responsive, and a pleasure to do business with."
Andrew C
.
Harrisonburg,
VA,
about 9 years ago
Basic Legal Assistance
"Alejandro was awesome! He went above and beyond! Highly recommend!"
Nick B
.
Catlett,
VA,
over 9 years ago