Construction Law
New Construction Business Owner? Here’s Why You Need an Attorney
Take a second to think about the iconic duos throughout history. There’s Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Sonny and Cher…the list goes on and on. In every instance, these duos share a mutualistic relationship that is integral to their success, growth, and development. This is similar to the relationship shared between contractors and Naples contractor lawyers.
A Naples contractor lawyer can provide contractors with a broad range of legal services, including roofing law, OSHA defense, litigation, arbitration, contract review and drafting, employment law, license defense, lien law, dispute resolution, bid protests, and more. These services can help you protect yourself against costly disputes and citations that threaten to derail projects and reduce your bottom line. As a new construction business owner, it’s imperative that you recognize the reality of your situation — you can’t be your own lawyer. Focus on timely project completion while your legal partner works behind the scenes to protect the best interests of your business.
Start Your Business Off on the Right Foot
It’s not uncommon for new construction business owners to attempt to cut costs by downloading DIY legal forms online. While this is a cost-effective strategy, you render your business vulnerable to potentially costly disputes down the line. You need legal guidance to get your business off the ground, avoid common contractor pitfalls, and save money. Making too many early mistakes, especially those that are legal in nature, could undermine your business before you even procure your first contract. When you partner with a Naples contractor lawyer, your business will start off on the right foot and receive ongoing support to keep your business growing.
Legal Tips for New Construction Business Owners
Are you looking to become competitive in your local market? Our Naples contractor attorneys recommend that you follow these tips:
- Choose a Sensible Legal Structure: when determining the best legal structure for your business, you have to be realistic about your legal needs. Are you going to require ongoing contract review services? What about demand letters? You may want to invest in a subscription plan to keep your legal costs low without sacrificing your access to an on-demand attorney.
- Maintain Compliance With Local, State, and Federal Regulations: noncompliance is one of the fastest ways to disqualify your business from obtaining contracts. Your attorney can help you maintain compliance with all construction-related laws. They can also assist you with annual filings required by law.
- Be Smart With Your Contracts: bad contracts are the most commonly cited source of construction disputes. You need to make sure that you know what you’re signing. An attorney can review your contracts, negotiate terms on your behalf, or draft an entirely new contract that protects your best interests.
- Protect Your Intellectual Property (IP): IP and trade secrets help separate your business from your competitors. IP should be held close to the chest, and you must be certain that all of your copyrights and trademarks have been filed and maintained. If you plan on discussing business information with someone from outside of your company, you should have a Naples contractor attorney by your side to ensure that your information remains confidential.
- Control Negotiations: whenever you find yourself at the negotiation table, you should have your attorney with you to help you achieve better terms. It’s easy to be caught off guard by a seemingly lucrative offer. You might want to rush to sign on the dotted line, but this could lead to misfortune for your business.
If you would like to speak with a Naples contractor attorney, please contact us today.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.