Business Law

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Business Law

We Keep Your Business Rolling

Sooner or later every business is going to need a lawyer whether you choose to bring in a lawyer when times are good or whether you choose to bring in a lawyer during a crisis is entirely your decision is a business owner.
A lawyer at crisis time, however, is going to be fantastically more expensive than a lawyer who has been consistently working with you to avoid problems.

A Business Lawyer That Says They Can Handle All Of Your Legal Issues Will Lie To You About Other Things, Too.

You should view your business attorney as a quarterback. They are there to solve general business challenges, while bringing in experts on specific legal issues. A good business attorney should have the honesty and integrity to tell you that handling something specialized like foreign banking transactions, international taxes, business visas, or employee discrimination litigation is outside of their wheelhouse. They should also have the contacts to bring in heavy hitters for these issues and solve them for the business. At Linn Legal, we can meet all of your transactional business needs. This includes day-to-day issues like contract negotiation, purchase agreements, in corporate governance.
We can help you buy and sell the building or even buy and sell your business. We know what taxes can be handled by the firm and when it’s time to bring in outside experts. The Law Firm does not litigate cases, and so we cannot represent you in a lawsuit. Our goal is to keep you out of lawsuits. That said, every business is going to have a legal dispute during its lifetime, and our law firm works closely with litigation law firms that can help you win your day in court.

The War On Zero

The job of a business lawyer is risk management. They are constantly fighting a war against zero. Zero contract disputes. Zero government compliance problems. Zero issues with growth, expansion, employees, or intellectual property. Your business lawyer anticipates future risks, presents them to the company and proposes ways to grow the business while avoiding future calamity.
Business lawyers can also help a company raise money. Whether it involves applying for loans, or seeking investment rounds with private investors, a business lawyer can help you negotiate the best deals for your company and prevent catastrophic downsides.

Any Business Lawyer Can Tell You “No,” Only A Few Can Tell You “No, But Here’s How We Can Do It Instead.”

It’s easy for a lawyer to tell a business owner “no” because “no” protects the lawyer. If they say no to anything with risk, then the company never risks anything and the lawyer never has to defend their advice. The result of this is that a business becomes overcautious, takes no risk, loses market share to competitors and dies. The business lawyer then goes on to their next client, repeating “no” again and again.
A great business lawyer will tell you the risks and help you minimize them, but they know that every business has to take a chance on things. A good lawyer won’t talk you out of buying out a retiring competitor’s business. They will help you honestly evaluate the opportunity and review the proposal and give advice on whether it’s the best use of company funds and time.
From the start, before you even hire them, a business lawyer should be honest with you about their risk tolerance so that you know whether they will be a good fit. At Linn Legal, we have told some businesses desperate to work with us that we are not a good fit. We work wonderfully with manufacturers, professional offices, sales organizations, bars, and all kinds of retail. We have declined many offers to represent influencers that hype stocks on tik tok, give unregulated financial advice about cryptocurrency, play fast and loose with intellectual property, or other high-risk, high-compliance industries.

Businesses Hire Attorneys Whom They Believe Will Help Their Business Succeed.

Ask most business lawyers what they think makes a good business lawyer and you’ll likely hear two things.

“Do great work for the client”

“Return your phone calls and emails.”

What a pathetic indictment of our profession! business lawyers will tell you that the key to success is to do good work and occasionally pick up the phone. These two items should be the bare minimum for a business lawyer! any lawyer who gives you those two answers for why they deserve your business might as well say “when you hire me, i will wear a suit to court.” Of course they will, that’s just what’s expected of lawyers. You should expect more from a business attorney.

A great business lawyer will take the time to learn about your business and how you profit, so that they can help you succeed. For Linn Legal, that means that we perform extensive research on your business and field when you consult with us. We visit your shop or walk the factory floor. We talk candidly about your fears and pain points, where you’ve been burned in the past. We get to know how you get paid, how your sales department works, and how our legal work can help you grow without throwing extra hurdles on your staff.

Another competitive advantage that Linn Legal offers is flat-rate pricing upfront. We have never met a client that looks forward to opening a bill from their lawyer, so we take the surprise out of the legal expense. Before you are on the hook for any legal work from our office, you will know precisely what it will cost and when it will be delivered. This is because we focus strictly on transactional work and we know the time and effort required on the project. We can give you an upfront, exact price so that you can make a business decision on whether it is a good time to go forward or if you will need to review the project at a later time.

If you are ready to work with a lawyer that will learn about your industry, give us a call. If you are tired of paying surprise fees and huge invoices from law firms, call Linn Legal. If you want to work with a law firm that wants to understand your operation so they can help you succeed, give us a call.

Questions To Ask Your Lawyer When You Are Starting A New Business.

What should you do if the business that you are doing competes with the business used to work for? Is there a way to get out of a non-disclosure agreement? Did you previous employer have you sign an agreement that prohibited you from working for a competitor, or from competing against them?

Why to ask this: you may have signed away your ability to open a new business under your old employer’s work contract. A sharp lawyer will tell you whether there’s room to get out of the contract or if you’re bound by it. We have recently seen this frequently in roofing sales positions, but it comes up in contracts that we have reviewed for professions from hair stylist to heart surgeon.

How do you raise money and get investment from friends and family? Is it better to get a loan from people close to you, or should you give them part of your company?

Why to ask this: your lawyer will give you advice on your situation based on what you have talked about with your potential investors. Once you give away part of your company, there’s no getting it back unless you’re willing to pay for it. We can help you create fair and reasonable agreements with those close to you with the goal of helping you get funding, while preserving existing close relationships.

What steps can a new business owner take at the very beginning to make their business profitable and marketable if they ever decide to sell it?

Why to ask this: business lawyers help clients buy and sell businesses. They should be able to tell you the steps to take from your first day in business to make sure it’s in good shape if you decide to sell it. On top of that, your lawyer can give you advice to make sure you are following the law and paying taxes.

What state should your business incorporated in? should you file an llc or corporation?

Why to ask this: your decision to turn your company into a partnership, llc, corporation, or other form, will affect the taxes you pay every year. Although llcs are great (we recommend them most of the time), an llc can be costly at tax time for certain businesses. Your lawyer can also walk you through a decision on what state to file your company in. Ohio is a great state to incorporate in, but your attorney should be able to explain to you why most publicly-traded companies are registered in the state of delaware, or why nevada and wyoming are trying to become the best state to incorporate in.

What is the difference between a 1099 independent contractor and a w-2 employee? Can your lawyer show you the ohio administrative code section that gives 20 factors for to consider when determining whether is somebody in in an independent contractor or an employee? .

Why to ask this: your decision of whether to classify a worker as a 1099 independent contractor or a w-2 employee has serious consequences if you get it wrong. You could be liable for extra taxes and penalties if the government determines that your 1099 worker was actually a w-2 employee. It pays to get this right.

What documents do you need to file with the state to incorporate? Does a single owner company need an operating agreement? How do you prove that you own the company?

Why to ask this: your business lawyer should be able to tell you exactly what is necessary with the government, as well as what banks and other lenders want to see.

Every new business gets letters in the mail, offering to sell them certificates of good standing or labor posters or a variety of other services. Can your lawyer tell you which ones are scams and rip-offs and which are good deals?

Why to ask this: starting a new business is an investment of time and money. The last thing you want to do is end up paying money that you did not have to on something you did not need. Experienced business attorneys can help you save money from the beginning by only obtaining what you need. For example, you can obtain an ein for free from the irs on their website. Despite that, there are services that will gladly charge you $350.00 or more to fill out the five-minute application.

Your business attorney should be able to answer all of these questions and more. At Linn Legal, we welcome your business questions, whether you’re just starting off or you’re ready to grow and need experienced advice for your next stage.

Are You In Need Of A Business Legal Help ?

We work with Cincinnatians every day to take care of their business and hard work. If you need legal help, don't wait.

Are You In Need Of A Business Legal Help ?

We work with Cincinnatians every day to take care of their business and hard work. If you need legal help, don't wait.

What our clients say

They are very thorough and absolutely wonderful to talk to. Very responsive and made sure that I clearly understood my options. Shakespeare was wrong about at least one attorney! 5.0/5.0 Marianne K.

Doug Linn has been my primary attorney for a number of years. He's handled matters ranging from document review, legal strategy, and litigation, and each time we've had a successful and satisfactory outcome. The best thing about working with LinnLegal is you're not overcharged for quick questions, a brief phone call, or a follow-up e-mail. That's meaningful when you're trying to work through something and you want to ask your attorney for advice. I highly recommend LinnLegal. Paul M.

I hired LinnLegal to help look over and negotiate an important business contract. Doug did an excellent job of looking over everything carefully and he pointed out several potential pitfalls of the original contract wording. He did a great job of reviewing everything in a timely manner, and he was extremely reasonable with his time estimates and his budgeting. Doug's expertise and professionalism ensured everything went smoothly. I had great peace of mind knowing that Doug was representing my interests well, and I highly recommend him and his firm. Clint H.

Contact Us For Legal Help

We invite you to call Linn Legal for real estate, business transactions, and estate planning needs. Please bear in mind that the firm does not represent clients in lawsuits, because our goal is to keep you out of the courtroom in the first place.

513-426-9443 5935 Ridge Rd. #400
Cincinnati, OH 45213