Part of the (not fun) process of starting your own business is getting all the legal kinks hammered out: formation, patents, capitalization tables, employment, the list goes on. Your small team trying to tackle it yourselves seems risky; hiring a lawyer seems daunting. Some of the legal experts in town have an initiative to make it easier on you: free legal advice to better your business. We sat down with Lewis Goldfarb, University of Cincinnati College of Law professor and Director of the Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic, to learn more about the event.
Q. We hear UC and Duke Energy want to support small businesses. What’s this event you have brewing?
A. As a result of a collaboration between the College’s Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic and the Duke Energy Law Department, 15 lawyers from Duke and the local legal community will staff tables in the lobby of the College, offering free legal consultations of up to 30 minutes for each area to local business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Q. What kind of businesses can attend?
A. We welcome anyone with business-related legal questions, whether you are an existing business owner or an aspiring one.
Q. If I go, who will I be meeting with?
A. After checking in at the front desk, you will be directed to an attorney with expertise in the area of law you choose. We will have attorneys with expertise in contracts, business startups, litigation, real estate, tax, labor & employment, environmental, non-profit, trademarks, copyrights, and patents.
Q. What kind of questions can I ask them?
A. Any questions regarding legal issues in any of the above legal areas. Examples:
- How can I protect my product design/logo?
- Do you have any advice on how to handle an employment issue?
- Do you think I should pursue a patent on my invention and how do I do that?
- What types of employment policies would you suggest?
- How do I go about organizing a tax-exempt non-profit business?
- What are my contract rights against a landlord/vendor/customer who does not meet their contractual obligations?
- Are there things I can do to get my company ready for possible outside investment?
- What is the appropriate legal structure for my business?
- What types of contracts should I consider for my particular business?
- What are my legal rights under a designated contract or contract provision?
Q. Why are you doing this?
A. We want to help local businesses and contribute to the economic revitalization of the Cincinnati area – that’s in everyone’s best interest. We realize that legal services can be costly to a small business on a tight budget, so we offer free help during this event. For legal issues requiring a longer representation, business may be eligible for the free legal services offered by UC’s Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic.
Q. Okay, I’m in. What are the details?
A. The event is being held on October 9th from 3:00PM-7:00PM at the UC College of Law (corner of Clifton Avenue and Calhoun Street). Individuals may pre-register by contacting Lori Strait at 513-556-0117 or [email protected] and choosing an available time slot and the area of law in which they desire legal advice. Pre-registration is encouraged; however, walk-in registration is available up to 6:15 PM on the day of the event. Details regarding the event can be found at
http://law.uc.edu/ecdc..
This post is part of a series in which we’re highlighting local resources for entrepreneurs. If there are any we miss or you wish existed, let us know!
