What Does it Take to Make A Great Business Lawyer?

Romy B. Jurado, Esq.

Business law is one of the broader practice areas that covers multiple specifications.  A business lawyer should maintain an ample understanding of contracts, immigration laws, tax laws, regulatory laws, and corporate laws as they pertain to stock holding, investments, and securities.  He or she should also understand the basic of litigation and even personal injury as a business attorney must also safeguard their client from future liability.  A business lawyer cannot be a “Jack-of-All-Trades, master of none,” instead he or she must be a master of many, but, unfortunately, this is not always the case.  While there are many business lawyers, there are not very many great business lawyers.

Romy B. Jurado, Esq, of Jurado & Farshchian, is a popular business lawyer in Miami, Florida.  Her firm handles business law, real estate, immigration, and probate.  When asked why there were so few great business lawyers, her response was this:

First, there are many capable attorneys out there who can provide quality legal services for their clients in any number of areas of business.  I would never say that there aren’t many excellent attorneys in Miami because there are.  What has happened, however, is a change in the legal culture of the United States.  If you combine the yearly -exponential- increase in the number of laws and regulations that affect businesses, and the extreme aggressiveness of the federal courts to ‘revenue collect’ on businesses through use of asset forfeiture laws what you have is a legal climate that requires near-perfection.  I owe it to all of my clients to continue my education in the law by staying on top of regulations, court cases, and legal trends.  I don’t feel like I can just rest on my past record.  A great business attorney, in my opinion, is someone who constantly strives to obtain a greater knowledge base, and at the same time, not let myself become a legal automaton.  It’s a fine balance.

A great business attorney has both knowledge and people skills

Correct.  A great business attorney will understand that passion is not just the provenance of criminal and trial lawyers and put that same strength and feeling into what they do, as well.  Helping a small business get on its feet is just as important to that family that invested not just their savings, but also their hopes and dreams as helping the poor soul that got railroaded on a drug case.  Sure it’s not as popular in some respects, but as business lawyers we are helping to make people’s lives better.  When we remember that and allow ourselves to be passionate about what we do, we can help that small business become a national or global player.

A great business attorney helps small businesses grow

Of course!  When someone comes to me with their business idea and goals, it is my job to help them pick the type of corporation that will enable them to meet those goals.  I help them protect their family through incorporation, and I also protect a lot of friendships that are the basis for a business partnership by creating appropriate business agreements that will prevent disputes later as the business finds success.  But I also do more than that for my clients.

My job is to steer them through today’s murky and onerous regulatory waters and make the right employee agreements and benefits decisions that will prevent future legal liabilities.  I also am the person who has to think ahead for my clients as to where their company and brand may go so we can infuse brand protection into their corporate strategy through trademarks, patents, and copyrights.

A great business lawyer has to be a partner to a business, not a consultant.

A great business lawyer is in partnership with their clients

The attorney-client relationship is just that; a relationship.  If it’s not, if you’re someone who only does what’s asked of you and provides zero guidance or nurturing then you will only have a client for a short time.  They will flounder and potentially go out of business.  Our client’s success is our success.  When a small business grows because you helped them make wise decisions, then you have a client for a lifetime.  It’s really just smart business to be a good caretaker of your clients.

Ultimately, a great business lawyer is someone who understands not only the laws but the challenges of the laws.  He or she will stay on top of pertinent court cases, remain in the legal loop, as it were.  A great business lawyer is someone who will see their clients as partners, and people whose success is intrinsic to our own and then go the distance for them.  It’s a combination of knowledge, experience, and passion that separates the good lawyers from the great lawyers.

 Share

The post What Does it Take to Make A Great Business Lawyer? appeared first on Jurado & Farshchian, P.L. Business Lawyer, Real Estate Lawyer, Immigration Lawyer.