You can find plenty of attorneys with experience in securities law when you know where to look (see Guide "How to Find a Corporate Securities Attorney"). However, after you locate one or more attorneys, there are several factors to consider when selecting the attorney that is right for you.
1
Review the Law Firm’s Website
When reviewing the law firm's website ask the following questions:
a. Is it professional?
b. Does it appear to be updated regularly?
c. Does it provide biographies of the attorneys?
d. Does it provide articles written by the firm’s attorneys?
The firm's website it should give you a feeling the firm and its attorneys are professional and up-to-date with the rapidly changing field of corporate securities law.
2
Read the Attorney’s Bio
a. How long has the attorney practiced corporate securities law?
b. Does the attorney/firm represent both individuals and companies?
c. Do they have experience with both public and private companies?
d. Do they have experience in your specific transaction (such as merger/acquisition, sale of a business, going public transactions, initial public offerings, reverse mergers, etc.)?
The last of these questions may be the most important. There are many different facets of securities law and an attorney that has experience with private offerings may not have experience in taking companies public or reverse mergers or mergers and acquisitions. You want to ensure the attorney you are retaining has experience with your type of transaction or company.
3
Read Articles Written by the Attorney
Even if the article is not specific to your issue it will give you some feel for the attorney and their expertise. It will also give you a feel for the attorney's style. Some attorneys are are very mechanical or technical in their delivery, which can be detrimental when discussing a complex area of law to someone who may not be experienced in this area. While reading an article should never replace a telephone call or face-to-face meeting with an attorney, it will give you a good initial feel.
4
Ask for Client Recommendations
If you followed the steps outlined in the Guide entitled "How to Find a Corporate Securities Attorney," you may have seen client recommendations for an attorney on Avvo and/or LinkedIn, but you can still ask for some that you can speak with. Don't be afraid to call an attorney's recommendation sources as most will not have an issue talking with you about an attorney they trust and have a good relationship with.
5
Call the Attorney
a. If you weren’t able to talk with the attorney when you called, was your call returned promptly?
b. If you were able to talk with the attorney did you feel comfortable in the conversation?
c. Did the attorney explain things in a way you could understand? You can hire the brightest, most experienced attorney, but if they cannot communicate with you or if you don’t feel comfortable with the attorney, the relationship will not work. You need to feel comfortable discussing your issues with the attorney and feel they will not only give you advice, but give it to you in a way you can understand. As mentioned above, securities laws are complex and your attorney needs to be able to explain them in a way you can understand.
d. Ask the attorney about their experience representing clients with companies or in transactions similar to yours.
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