By Phil Harwood

If you’re a business owner – or if you know a business owner – this is for you.

My name is Phil Harwood. I’m an attorney working with small & medium-sized organizations. Every organization needs a trusted legal advisor. Here’s why.

Large organizations have in-house counsel. They employ one or more attorneys on staff as part of their internal legal department. These organizations also work with outside counsel: attorneys working for law firms who support the in-house legal team. This makes sense for these large corporations, family businesses, and non-profits due to the many legal issues that arise on a regular basis.

On the other hand, smaller organizations usually face fewer legal matters and only engage with attorneys when something extraordinary happens, which could be that something bad happened, or it could be that a big opportunity, and associated legal matters, have come along.

The problem with this approach is that the organization is scrambling to find an attorney they trust at the worst possible time – when there is an immediate need or a crisis. We all know that we often don’t make our best decisions under pressure.

A better approach is to develop a relationship with a business attorney when there’s no crisis. This allows for time to build a trusted relationship with the business owner, the leadership team, and often family members, especially if there are plans to involve the next generation in the organization.

Then, when there is a crisis, the known and trusted attorney can step in as an advisor who knows the organization, the owners, the key people, and their family members.

Instead of investing time and energy into finding an attorney willing to jump into a crisis, deciding whether to retain the attorney, and hoping for the best, you can invest time and energy into the matter at hand.

Business attorneys who work with smaller organizations must be mindful of the costs associated with legal work. Big firm attorneys are often too expensive for smaller organizations due to their large overhead and high billable hourly rates.

This is where boutique law firms like Tamarisk Legal Advisors shine. We work with closely held small and medium-sized organizations. We understand what they need and what they don’t need. For example, unlike big firms, we don’t bill extra for simple emails and quick phone calls.

Because of our approach and affordability, our clients don’t hesitate to involve us in all sorts of matters – strategic business decisions, negotiations, partnership issues, entity formation, contract drafting and review, succession planning, selling their businesses, and much more.

And, of course, we’re one of the first advisors to be brought in when something goes bad. Unfortunately, business owners are not immune from bad things happening – distress, divorce, disability, and death – and these can result in a crisis without the right advisors.

Who do you know who owns a business and who would benefit from this message? Please take a moment to share this message with them. This small act of love may be the most important thing you do today.

Now Go Forth.