Business law consists of multiple areas of law dealing with the interactions between a business, its employees, the government, the public, and other companies.

It deals with everything from starting, buying, managing, and closing or selling a business to any issues that can arise while operating, such as tax law, intellectual property, real estate, sales, employment, bankruptcy, contracts, and more. 

How Business Law Attorneys Help

Business law attorneys typically specialize in transactional work, meaning that they do not litigate or represent clients in court. Attorneys in the business law field are actually hired to avoid future litigation.

The more heavily-regulated the industry, the more companies will rely on their general counsel to research the newest laws on the issue.

Attorneys who practice in this area are experts at structuring transactions to minimize the company’s exposure to litigation. Simple tasks such as updating your privacy policy routinely through a lawyer will save companies millions. 

Frequently Used Business Law Terms Include:

Commercial Litigation
Disputes between business owners or between businesses.

Corporate Governance
Writing up governing documents like articles of organization.

Commercial Transactions
Contracts for the provision of goods or services.

Employment Law
Employment contracts, offer letters, employee equity plans, independent contractor contracts, advice on proper employee classification, etc.

Intellectual Property Prosecution, Licensing, and Defense
Intellectual property prosecution means helping folks identify and protect trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets—we cannot do patent law. Licensing means exploiting intellectual property already obtained for financial gain. Defense means litigating or threatening to litigate on intellectual property infringement.

Regulatory Compliance
Recognizing and complying with various government regulations, for instance, Real Estate Commission rules for clients that are real estate brokers, or Marijuana Enforcement Division rules for folks in the cannabis business.