Legal Tips and Information

Finding a Startup Attorney in Chicago

When new businesses search for the best startup attorney for their situation, the sheer number of results, referrals, and suggestions can seem overwhelming. Finding the right startup lawyer in Chicago to usher a brand-new company through their formative years is vital to the health and long-term success of the startup.

Why Successful Startups Need a Startup Lawyer in Chicago

Startups need lawyers to help them in three major areas as their business grows and changes:

Relationships with each other

Establishing the responsibilities of each founder at the very beginning of the company’s life is a common-sense move that startup lawyers understand completely. The roles and duties of founders who start a company together will likely change over time, and a startup attorney will help create guidelines that minimize confusion and conflict.

Relationships with the public

Controlling risk when dealing with employees, product users, suppliers, customers, and vendors is a vital part of maintaining the momentum a startup needs to succeed. A startup attorney understands the risks and rewards of each relationship and can advise the founders about how they should conduct themselves to manage the risks and maximize the potential rewards.

Relationships with the government

Startup founders rely on experienced team members to guide them through tax issues, filing patents, and staying on the right side of the law. A Chicago startup lawyer can help to make sure that the startup isn’t experiencing unnecessary tax liability, is properly protecting intellectual property, and is filing patents correctly.

Things to Consider When Evaluating a Chicago Startup Attorney

Risk tolerance

It’s important to make sure that the lawyer has a similar tolerance for risk as the founders of the company. Understanding the business, how and why it was formed, and respecting the goals of the owners is a number one priority when choosing a Chicago startup lawyer.

Location

In a world where a lot of business is conducted virtually, it may be tempting to launch into a worldwide search for the best startup attorney. It’s much easier to set clear operating guidelines, align objectives, and keep the attorney in the loop when important events occur if the lawyer is local. Choosing a startup attorney in Chicago helps startups in the area make the most of the legal counsel they need, no matter the situation. 

Budget

Startup budgets for legal help are as diverse as the startups themselves. Prices vary from one firm to the next. It’s often less expensive to hire an attorney on a per-job or as-needed basis. Finding one that works well with the founders cuts down on the total amount of time required to solve legal problems as they arise and handle the day-to-day legal needs of a startup.

Many lawyers bill in increments of .1 hours, or six minutes. Some bill in quarter hour increments. Startups pay $150 per hour for legal consultation on the low end. On the high end, $1,000 per hour is a common rate for large and powerful law firms if the services of a senior partner are required or requested.

Startups that want to incorporate their new business should expect to spend over $2,000 for quality legal assistance from the best startup attorneys. This cost is dependent not only on the rate the lawyer charges, but the intricacies of the business and the specific services the founders request.

Early in the development of the startup, establishing a business entity should be a high priority. Protecting intellectual property is another important matter best handled by a startup lawyer in Chicago.

Background and experience

While many simple forms are available online if the founders of the startup know exactly what they need, it isn’t possible to find free legal advice that caters to the specific situations of the startup itself online. Having access to an experienced and trusted advisor is crucial to the growth of the company.

The best startup attorneys have extensive knowledge about copyright creation, patent law, intellectual property rights and new business formation. Search for a lawyer that has similar clients to the startup in question and who can speak intelligently about the market, the product or service, and who have helped other local startups with their strategic growth plans.

Chicago Startup Lawyer Areas of Expertise

The unique challenges that entrepreneurs face require the expertise of the best startup attorneys in Chicago. Here are just a few of the things area lawyers who specialize in assisting new businesses handle for their clients:

• IP strategy
• Copyrights
• Patent creation and filing
• Patent infringement
• Tax law
• Intellectual property rights
• Transactional business
• Contract dispute resolution
• Lender liability
• Warranty breach
• Insurance strategy
• Arbitration
• Commercial real estate transactions
• New business formation
• Strategic startup growth
• Privacy based litigation
• Employment contracts
• Technology compliance challenges
• Domain name disputes
• Commercial litigation
• Regulatory compliance
• Risk management
• Breach of fiduciary duty
• Financial fraud
• Commercial contracts
• Trade secrets
• Software licensing and software-as-a-service terms
• DMCA compliance, privacy policies, and online terms of service
• Loan and asset transactions
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Commercial contract drafting and negotiation

Chicago Business and Startup Scene

During the past four years, Chicago has created over 40,000 tech jobs. With a growing number of software as services and marketplace businesses, this up-and-coming Midwestern city is a hub of startup activity.

Fortune 500 Businesses

Known for its easygoing approachability, the Windy City is home to Boeing and United Airlines. The transportation sector is growing with startups like SpotHero taking root. The mobility sector is thriving as small new companies focus on growing into a position where they can be bought. Larger companies seek startups for purchase in Chicago because of their amazing rate of success.

Resources and Support for Chicago Startup Companies

Industry diversity is alive in Chicago, which creates an environment where it’s easy to get exposure as a small company. Built In Chicago is an online community dedicated to making sure startups have access to the resources they need to achieve their goals. Successful startup founders often launch secondary ventures as a result of their fast growth and Built In Chicago is often behind the scenes helping to make founders’ dreams come true.

The city itself is encouraging to entrepreneurs with programs like the Chicago College Start UP competition. Ten winners enjoy benefits like free office space and free mentorship programs to help them get off to a solid start. ThinkChicago: Lollapalooza is a competition that encourages and attracts tech talent by inviting 125 computer science and tech students from all over the country to learn about Chicago’s startup ecosystem.

Aggressive venture firms like New World Ventures, OCA Ventures, i2a Fund, and MK Capital are initiating earlier stage deals, creating a robust ecosystem in which Chicago startups thrive.

Costal startups are relocating their businesses to this Midwestern city to take advantage of a lower cost of living and the vast resources offered to emerging businesses. Future Simple, StyleSeek, Vlinks Communications, Trunk Club, and Big Machines all call Chicago home.

Universities and Colleges in Chicago

Three of the best colleges for entrepreneurs in the United States are located in Chicago according to Princeton Review. Of the top 25 programs for entrepreneurship, DePaul Kellstadt is number 15, Northwestern Kellogg is number five, and University of Chicago Both is number three. Schools are judged on mentorship programs, successful startup launches, percentage of alumni, students, and faculty that have created companies of their own, support for business plan competitions, and financial aid programs.

According to Pitchbook, both UChicago and Northwestern have been recognized as top schools for creating venture-backed startups. Both of these schools were also recognized as top innovative universities for research and patents by Reuters.

US News recently recognized DePaul among the most innovative universities in a ranking that scored colleges for making “promising change” across their own school environments.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign turns out computer scientists and engineers at a staggering rate. With the sixth best program in the nation, this respected university is responsible for many of Chicago’s up and coming company founders.

Cost of Living

Ranked the 31^st most expensive city in America by NerdWallet, it’s still much less expensive to live and work in the Windy City than in Silicon Valley or New York City. The median home price is under $250,000 and housing is readily available in most parts of the city.

Overall, the cost of living in Chicago is 1.9% below the national average. Unemployment sits at 6%. Job growth is at 1.9%.

How to Choose the Best Startup Attorney

In a world where answers are just a few clicks away, it may be tempting to strike out into the unknown world of startup management without on-call legal counsel. Hiring a lawyer to handle the tricky legal landscape of the emerging business is more than a simple way to obtain peace of mind.

Chicago startup attorneys understand the local startup scene, are intimately familiar with complicated legal issues, and can help prevent problems that could be devastating for a new business. This type of help doesn’t need to cripple a lean budget, but it is a worthy investment.