[jonas21]

Sorry if this is a silly question, but what's the best way to go about finding a competent lawyer for one's company?

Let's suppose you don't have a particularly strong network to draw from for recommendations.

Googling or using Yelp don't seem like particularly good options. They mostly turn up personal injury and divorce lawyers.

[malgorithms]

If you’re talking to investors at all, ask them for recommendations. That’s a good place to start.

[malgorithms]

I say this because investors sit on boards and work alongside these lawyers once they invest. They learn pretty quickly who is great and can often give very direct recommendations: a specific lawyer, not just a firm. At the startup stage you should choose the lawyer, not the firm.

[altusbrown]

FYI - at least one friend-of-a-friend large scale investor reached out after this article to note he'd almost hired this same person.

Don't assume someone coming in through a reference has had the level of due diligence you need. Always do your own due diligence. It catches things that will otherwise slip through because everyone assumes everyone else checked.

[bradknowles]

One thing to keep in mind is that any lawyers the investors recommend are likely to be loyal to the investors and not you.

[sneak]

Depends on what you need. Investment/M&A vs "I need to sue a nonpaying client" are quite different.

Standard lawyer answer: "It depends." :)

[gamblor956]

Your local attorney bar association can provide referrals.

Alternatively, if you have a large budget, any downtown law firm will be competent at handling business matters.

[kamilszybalski]

Referrals