Phoenix Business and Commercial Law Attorney

Providing experienced counsel to growing businesses is a special focus at The Law Offices of William D. Black. Across all areas of our practice, we believe in investing in our clients’ futures by providing sound advice and reliable representation.

You need an experienced legal team to properly launch your business and to keep it running smoothly and profitably. The Law Offices of William D. Black are in your corner to help you deal with any business and legal challenges you encounter.  William D. Black has over 30 years of experience and uses his expertise to achieve a strong and effective result in the processing any Phoenix businesses’ commercial law matters.

Common Types of Business and Commercial Law Cases

The many successful years that William D. Black has spent in the legal profession in Arizona have given him knowledge, expertise and experience in many different types of business and commercial law matters.   Nearly every business will be involved in litigation of some sort or involved in administrative proceedings.  In fact, a recent survey of businesses found that 81 percent had been sued at least once in the last few years.

Legal Issues and Oftentimes Litigation Are Part of Doing Business in the United States

While the organizations involved in this study were mostly larger corporations, the implication is clear: legal issues are a part of doing business in the United States.

A breach in contracts can be one of the central reasons for someone to file a lawsuit in the business world. Almost any breaking or ignoring of a contract is grounds for legal action. These include business defamation and breach of contract disputes.

Questions of ownership are also a common source of contention in business and commercial law. This can be through a physical product, stock, or intellectual property. The Law Offices of William D. Black can help negotiate disputes with a business partner or monitor and mediate business divorces.

Relationships between businesses or entities can be difficult to negotiate. When negotiations are necessary, your business wants to know they are on the right side of Arizona business law. William D. Black can handle commercial collections, commercial lease disputes, and professional malpractice.

General cases, such as restaurant and liquor law, licensing and administrative law, general business litigation, entertainment law, and disputes regarding non-compete, non-solicitation, and anti-piracy aren’t so general when it comes to legal issues. Our team has negotiated and settled cases like these that can quickly become complex. However, if a settlement isn’t in your best interest, we have the tenacity to represent you in court.

Do You Need a Business and Commercial Law Attorney?

Whether a situation is serious enough to contact an attorney can be difficult to judge, especially if it is a dispute between you and your business partners. One of the many clear situations where you should turn to an attorney is if you and your partners want to make “special allocations.” Making special allocations is when you want to split up profits and losses of your business in a way that does not correspond to each owner’s percentage interests. This can be a complicated task, and hiring an attorney to help mediate and organize the process can prevent future issues in your business.

Another common situation is if you or your business partners want to add appreciated property to a partnership. An experienced tax attorney is necessary to properly add this to a partnership or LLC.

If you are in the process of buying a business and an environmental issue comes up, a business and commercial law attorney can help navigate that complication, as environmental issues can be a serious problem for a landowner.

Businesses, Sexual Harassment, and Discrimination

Two other issues that can cause serious damage to your business are sexual harassment and discrimination. If a current employee or someone who worked with you in the past threatens to file a lawsuit due to harassment or discrimination, you need an attorney. If you try to work through the claim yourself and proceed incorrectly, it can have a disastrous effect on your business.

If you are interested in protecting your business from such issues, exploring your options with an attorney can mean your business will avoid an unnecessary or ugly lawsuit.

AZ Business Law Attorney Can Help Start-Ups and Small Businesses

There are over 500,000 small businesses in the state of Arizona (businesses with between 1 and 499 employees). No matter what industry, all small businesses and start-ups will face some sort of legal challenge at one point or another.

Arizona Small Businesses by Industry

Starting or running a small business that is trying to compete with larger corporations comes with complications, and the legal issues that attorneys can help you avoid are more than worth the attorney’s fees, as lawsuits can be extremely damaging to any business.

The forms or legal documents you need to start a business are often complicated; the careful eye of an experienced attorney can make the process much easier. They can reduce the likelihood of you making an expensive mistake or one that could be problematic later.

The beginning stages of a business are some of the most vulnerable times a startup goes through, but, if you have an attorney leading you through the process, you can be more certain that you are set up to succeed and rest assured that the legal aspects are under control. This also gives you more time to focus on some of the other steps in starting a business.

Attorneys understand how important the details are for small to medium businesses. If there is one facet of your start-up that is confusing, an attorney can focus his or her energy on that aspect of your business. With a startup, it is even more helpful to have counsel and guidance from an attorney to give you the opportunity to spot possible issues and solve them before you they become serious issues.

When You Don’t Need a Business Attorney

There are some basic tasks you can accomplish without the help of an attorney, however, it’s important that you discuss any potential crisis or confusion with an attorney before working on things like writing a business plan, naming your business, reserving a domain name, creating a partnership agreement, or applying for various permits and qualifications to legitimize your business. While you may not need help with these specific tasks, having someone in your corner who understands your business and your goals can save you expenses and trouble down the road. An initial consolation can make your business run smoother than it would without such help.

How to Hire the Right Business Law Attorney

The decision about which business law attorney to hire is vital because attorneys deal with so many aspects of your business. The wrong one can hurt your business, but the right one can help ensure its success. Firm size is one thing to consider before you make your decision on which Arizona business attorney to hire.

Whether you want to hire a large or a small firm depends largely on your business size, its needs, and its legal risks. Big firms tend to be more expensive than smaller ones. However, large law firms usually have many attorneys with varying legal skills and specialties, so you could find everything you are looking for in just one firm. While this is good for a business, the downside is that they are often overly busy, and your case is likely one of many.

When you want to be able to reach your attorney, he or she may not have the same availability as someone who is part of a smaller firm. Smaller firms also often have relationships with the community, locally and regionally, which can mean their contacts work for your benefit.

Types of Business Attorneys

There are some specific concentrations that you will need in an attorney for your business. Sometimes, one person may have many of these different specialties, which is the ideal situation.

One of the most fundamental things your business needs in a commercial lawyer is someone who is good with contracts. You will be entering into many different contracts with many different people, and complications with those contracts can quickly end in a lawsuit. An attorney with contract knowledge can help you avoid that. You will also need someone who knows about business organization. You will be deciding what kind of ownership and setup to create for your business and an attorney can be a vital advisor and guide in this process.

Business attorneys can help you deal with an important, but often overlooked, aspect of your business: your commercial space. Usually, commercial leases favor the landlord. An attorney can help advocate for you and your needs for your space so you aren’t in a bad-faith lease.

Sorting out taxes and licenses is a vital part of starting and maintaining a business. Your accountant may prepare and file each year, but an attorney can deal with federal and state tax identification numbers and will have a deeper knowledge of how to avoid legal issues that could arise from taxes.

A lawyer with a specialty in intellectual property is especially important if you have a business in media, design, or other creative professions, however, any field could benefit from the insight of a specialist in intellectual property law.

At The Law Offices of William D. Black, we have attorneys who can help you in each of these fields. From real estate to intellectual property law, our team can help your business succeed.

Questions to Ask a Potential Phoenix Business Law Firm

There are some basic pieces of information to gather about a potential attorney that will help you make sure they are the right one for you and your business. Asking about experience and connections is a necessary first step. An attorney’s experience can often inform you about their skill level, and knowing their connections will tell you what other resources they can offer you.

Discuss questions about communication, firm specialty, and caseload with a potential law firm. If a firm has excellent reviews but too many cases, it’s unlikely they will be able to treat your business as well as one without an overburden of clients. You should expect that a firm stays in communication with you and answers emails or phone calls in a timely fashion.

We Have Dealt Regularly With and Have Special Expertise in COVID Issues Involving All Types of Cases and Situations. We Hope Covid May Now Be in the Rear View Mirror, But the Legal Ramifications Will Be With Us for Years T0 Come and We Can Help You Deal With Them

Finding a Business and Commercial Law Attorney in Phoenix, Scottsdale, the East Valley and Arizona

Finding a business attorney in the Phoenix area that is right for your startup, small business, or large company may take some research. Before you sign on the dotted line for any contract or agreement, it’s best to talk with a commercial business attorney. Have someone with your business’s best interests in mind to protect your company’s future.

If you are starting a new business or having issues with an existing one, contact The Law Offices of William D. Black. They specialize in many different types of business and commercial law and have extensive experience and knowledge. They offer reliable and educated guidance for every phase of your business and will work hard to ensure your success.

Phoenix Business and Commercial Law Attorney William D. Black

As your lawyer, William D. Black works hard to assist Arizona businesses with every phase of the entrepreneurial experience — from entity selection and formation to protection of your rights during disputes, expansion, contraction, business dissolution and planning for business succession. His more than 30 years of experience ensures that your legal, financial and personal goals will be addressed promptly and efficiently, in a wide variety of business, transactional and litigation matters.

Contact us today at The Law Offices of William D. Black in one of our conveniently located offices in Phoenix or north Scottsdale to speak to a corporate and business law attorney with the real-world business experience and legal knowledge and expertise to guide you through the process of forming and growing your business concern and protecting its profitability and integrity. We can also assist you in buying and selling business, creating profitable exit strategies and formulating business succession plans.

Contact Us Regarding An Initial Free Consultation and First-rate Legal Representation

The advice of a well-qualified lawyer committed to your personal or business success can be an invaluable asset. Call Arizona business and commercial law attorney William D. Black to arrange for a free initial consultation. We can be reached at (602) 265-2600, through our toll-free number, (844) 224-0054 or online. Call us for a confidential, complimentary initial consultation.

“Mr. Black and his co-counsel represented my company and me in a very complex breach of contract and misappropriation of intellectual property case. Early in the case, we made what we considered to be a reasonable demand on our opponents to resolve the case without the need to initiate litigation. They not only refused to give our demand any consideration, but insulted us by threatening unwarranted counterclaims. We thus proceeded with our lawsuit and several months later were awarded by a jury one of the top money damage jury verdicts in Maricopa County that year. Mr. Black and his co-counsel provided first-rate legal representation throughout this case and brought calm and justice to a case which meant a great deal to me in my business and professional career.” – Mark B.