Are you searching for your San Diego business attorney?  Why is the selection of an experienced business attorney one of the most important business decisions you may ever make?

Key Takeaways When Searching For Your San Diego Business Attorney:

• We believe every genuine business needs an experienced business attorney, a competent CPA and tax advisor, and a banking relationship or reliable source of funding at any point in your business life.
• Experience helps you to accomplish your business goals more quickly and efficiently, while avoiding the traps and pitfalls that have harmed or ended similar companies in the past.
• A broad range of legal services will be required to help your company at every stage of formation, growth through mergers and acquisitions, and ultimately when you are ready to sell it and move on to your next opportunity.
• Disputes are unfortunately a natural part of any business.  Look for a business attorney that has the proven strategies to resolve any dispute quickly and cost-effectively, yet represent you in any legal forum such as in a lawsuit, settlement conference, mediation, arbitration, or at trial

A Business Attorney is One of the Three Essential Partners Every Company Needs

Every successful company, and business owner needs 3 reliable, experienced and proven business partners:

• An experienced business attorney
• A competent CPA, accounting and tax advisor
• A banking relationship or reliable source of financing ready to help on a moment’s notice

When should you turn for advice from your business attorney?  How can the right business attorneys help you and your company to increase profit and ensure the success of your business? What should you look for in a San Diego business attorney?

Experience Helps You Accomplish Goals More Quickly

The first thing to look for when searching for your San Diego business attorney is experience, especially in your industry or vertical market.  An experienced business attorney knows the specific nature of your business and the challenges you will face at every step of your growth.  They know the pitfalls which have arisen for other businesses like your own, and how to avoid them before they ever arise.  An experienced San Diego business attorney provides sound advice and counsel to ensure your business is built upon a strong foundation while complying with all federal, state and local laws and regulatory issues.

The Watkins Firm brings 40+ years of experience serving the business, science and tech, real estate and medical / healthcare communities here in San Diego and across California to your side of the equation.

You can pick up the phone and call us for a quick conversation and an accurate answer, or to talk to trusted friend and advisor you can draw upon to accomplish a business goal or resolve a substantial challenge.  We bring more than four decades of business experience and perspective to the table to help you to work through where you are, where you’re going, and how to get there.  We’re also there to support our clients when an unexpected challenge arises.

A Broad Range of Business Skill and Legal Services

The second thing to look for when searching for your San Diego business attorney is the business skill and legal services to support you in every phase of your business and growth.  Your business attorney should help you to form your original entity and work with you to structure additional entities as you grow and expand your business or acquire competitors or their assets.

Your business attorney must provide well crafted, proven business contracts which form the foundation of every transaction or business relationship you or your company will enter into.  We draw upon our own extensive library of proven business contracts as well as up-to-date external subscriptions.  One should never attempt to download a contract and modify it themselves.  Remember, if a dispute arises, the one who “wrote” or provided the contract loses the benefit of the legal doubt in any dispute. If your contract doesn’t cover it, or has the wrong language or clauses, you will pay the price.  We save our clients money by tailoring a proven contract to their unique application, while providing the protections necessary to ensure an enforceable contract which will lead to a successful outcome.

You will need to protect the ideas, inventions, unique processes, logos and work product of your business, known as “Intellectual Property or IP” which includes trademarks and copyrights and how to leverage your IP through licensing or distribution to expand into new geographies or vertical market spaces.

The Ability to Resolve any Dispute Quickly and Efficiently

If you are any sort of a success in business you will ultimately and perhaps often have to face the challenge of business disputes and business litigation.  Your business attorney should help to resolve business disputes quickly and an in a cost effective manner. The ability to resolve any business dispute which may arise quickly and efficiently is another trait you should look for when searching for your San Diego business attorney.  We have developed a unique style and approach which is specifically designed to resolve business disputes and litigation quickly and in a cost-effective manner.

The Watkins Firm is able to resolve the vast majority of our business-related disputes through effective, leveraged negotiation. This is the fastest and least expensive way to accomplish our client’s goals and objectives.  Our proven track record in mediation, arbitration and litigation extends from massive, national cases in 1980’s to almost every form of business dispute in today’s rapidly changing business environment.

Will you have employees?  California is the most difficult and challenging environment for any employer.  You will need a lawyer with extensive experience advising and defending San Diego employers.  Issues related to your responsibilities as an employer and challenges associated with employees are some of the greatest opportunities and challenges you will encounter in your business pursuits.

Pro-Tip: “Why do you need an experienced business attorney?  You get to do what you do best and not worry about doing something that you didn’t even know about that got you in trouble.

As business owners, we all have those moments where something comes up and we just need a quick answer or we need insight into how big a problem is this, how much should I worry about this? Or how do I go after this opportunity? I’ve never done this before. This is where we can really help you and your company. We have transactions and litigation attorneys. We have experience from both sides of the aisle. We have the deal makers and we have the ‘watch out; Don’t do that; You can get sued’ lawyers! And we all work together so we all can spot the same issues and provide good advice. And that’s what every business owner needs. It’s the least expensive form of insurance you can buy.

When we’re forming a business, we help them select the right kind of company with their goals in mind, or if they’re merging with or buying something else.  They’re already in business, but we give them advice on whether they should change or how to expand their company, or what they can and can’t do with their business. If they’re in the merger and acquisition stage, then it’s a whole different list of things we’re going to talk to them about and work them up, get them set and ready to go to do the best they can.

Every company has contracts when they first come to see us. We don’t want to do a full ‘dental exam on’ them. We’re just going to address what’s going on and get some background.  Because once our lawyers here get background on a company, know generally what they’re doing, then we’re ready for any kind of questions they may have. We don’t want to fix anything that’s not broken. We don’t want to go in there and say, you need to do this. You’re doing this all wrong. No, if they’re making a profit, they’re doing it all right. And if there’s something they’re concerned about, we’ll help them address it. But any of the main issues, the complexities of being an employer, business transactions, commercial contracts, all those will lead us to general background. And that means they don’t have to teach us or pay us to learn their general background for any questions they have in the future. We’ll get that at the first consultation. We’ll know what’s going on. And so if they come back and say, ‘okay, you just handled my consumer or my lease or my independent contractor agreements, I’ve got this other issue.’ We won’t have to say, ‘oh, I need a couple hours of your time to get to know what you do.’ Odds are, we’ve helped dozens and dozens of other companies very similar to your business, and we can help you to get there faster, and with less risk and setback.” – Dan Watkins, Founding Partner

Choosing Your San Diego Business Attorney is One of the Most Important Business Decisions You Will Make

The Watkins Firm has served the San Diego business community for decades.  We provide one of the most comprehensive business legal service offerings in San Diego and Southern California.  Ask about our unique approach to resolving disputes and business litigation.  Learn more about how our experienced business attorneys can serve as your most valued coach and business adviser. We invite you to review our podcast Episode 38 – General Counsel and The Importance of a Strong Business Attorney as well as the strong recommendations of our clients and contact the Watkins Firm or call 858-535-1511 for a complimentary consultation today.

Meet Dan Watkins:

Daniel W. Watkins is a true people person who sincerely listens. He cares about things that occur in other people’s lives. Dan enjoys digging into the facts and finding creative solutions to problems. He is not shy about giving his opinion either.

Dan’s interest in people make him deeply invested in every relationship and his exuberant personality makes him a true litigator. Dan fights for his clients with a fierce and calculated commitment.

Dan has practiced in the areas of business, medical practices and healthcare business, high tech/science, real estate and employment defense law since 1987. He is a seasoned litigator and true trial attorney with over 50 jury and bench trials to his credit. Dan has successfully represented both large companies and individuals and achieved substantial victories in well-publicized trials throughout California and the U.S.

He is experienced in business and corporate formation and administration, as well as all forms of alternative dispute resolution, including binding arbitration and mediation.

THE ROAD TO BECOMING A BUSINESS LAWYER AND LITIGATOR

Dan has almost 40 years of experience working with, for and against some of the largest insurance companies in the country. He has successfully tried and litigated cases in the areas of Healthcare Compliance, Commercial Litigation, Unfair Business Practices, Fraud, Breach of Contract, Battery, Premises Liability, Product Defect, Medical Malpractice, Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, Construction Defect, as well as Unfair Competition, Defamation, and Trade Secrets.

In December 2003, Dan commenced litigation against Health South Surgery Centers-West, Inc and its’ subsidiaries, exposing the company’s extensive mismanagement and misconduct of its’ surgery centers. Dan has also been asked by some of California’s largest municipalities and corporations to conduct legally required investigations into matters involving alleged employment discrimination and harassment.