Houston Contract Attorneys & Lawyers
How it Works
Matthew Wendlandt
Faryal Ayub
John Davis
Josh Mathews
Matthew Compton
Christy K. Brown
Holly Little
Keith Strahan
Steve Okoroha
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Erin Mcclarty
Houston Contract Lawyers
Why Hire a Contract Lawyer?
Contracts play a pivotal role in any business. Unfortunately, the language in contracts is often difficult to understand, and misunderstandings lead to costly mistakes. To make sure you know what you're getting into before you sign on the dotted line, you should enlist the help of a contract attorney. Top contract lawyers are equipped to help you with:
- Business formation agreements. If you are forming an LLC, a limited liability partnership, a limited liability limited partnership, a corporation, or another type of Texas business entity, a lawyer helps you put together the necessary contracts to get your business off the ground.
- Confidentiality agreements. These help to protect your sensitive information.
- Leases. Whether you are leasing a warehouse, office space, or a piece of equipment, you need to thoroughly understand what the lease entails and what obligations it sets out for the parties involved.
- Employment contracts. When you're onboarding new workers, you need to have a general employment agreement ready. You should also have an independent contractor agreement and a non-compete agreement.
- Sales-related agreements. Bills of sale, purchase orders, and security agreements are all part of everyday business, and you must be certain that the documents related to these transactions are in order.
Online services may offer many contracts for free or for a small fee. However, keep in mind that laws vary from state to state. A generic agreement that works in one state may be easy to invalidate in Texas. A lawyer helps to adjust the terms of these contracts and add necessary clauses to protect you and your business.
Lawyers who focus on writing and viewing contracts are known as transactional attorneys. Other lawyers may channel most of their energy into contract litigation, which seeks to settle issues related to breaches of contracts.
How to Find the Best Contract Lawyer in Houston
Houston is a thriving metropolis with many lawyers, but you don't want to pick the first attorney you hear about. The first thing you need to do is make sure that a lawyer is a member of the State Bar of Texas. Lawyers who do not belong to the bar are not allowed to practice law in the state.
In addition to confirming that a lawyer belongs to the State Bar, you should:
- Read lawyer reviews. Turn to a trustworthy site like Martindale.com to discover peer reviews of attorneys. You can also search for complaints made against the lawyer.
- Seek professional referrals. One way to find a reputable lawyer is to use a local lawyer referral service. You may get referrals through the State Bar of Texas, the Harris County Bar Association, or the Houston Bar Association.
- Seek personal referrals. The Houston metropolitan area has more than 122,000 businesses, and over 100,000 of those are considered small. Seek out other businesspeople in the area who have used the services of a contract lawyer before. The attorneys they recommend are worth looking into.
- Read lawyer biographies. A lawyer's biography tells you more than where they went to school. It provides valuable information about the types of cases they've handled in the past. Knowing about an attorney's experience is especially valuable if the contract you need help with deals with a specialized industry.
Before you sign up with a Houston contract lawyer, make sure you understand:
- The law firm's structure. Will you mainly work with the attorney you initially speak to, or will your task be passed off to a paralegal or a junior associate with the firm?
- How the lawyer communicates. Are they easy to reach if you have a question? Also, watch out for attorneys that speak over your head. You want someone who takes the time to explain things clearly to you. Your lawyer should never dismiss or minimize your concerns.
- How billing works. Some firms charge a flat fee for certain services, while others stick to an hourly rate. Also, ask about retainers and extra fees that you may have to pay along the way.
Questions for Your Contract Lawyer
- How much experience do you have with writing and reviewing contracts? What about contract litigation and negotiation?
- Should I give you any extra information about my business to help you review the contract?
- What are common loopholes and traps with this type of contract?
- What kind of timeline are we looking at for what I want to do with this contracts?
- How do you charge for your services, and when will I be expected to make payment?
- How deep will you dig when you're reviewing my contract?
Contracts hold you and your business associations responsible for certain actions. They protect you and help your business thrive. Instead of taking a risk with these vital documents, hire a Houston contract attorney who can help you with writing, reviewing, negotiating, and litigating contracts.
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In the event that you are unsatisfied with the work of an attorney you hired on UpCounsel, just let us know. We’ll take care of it and refund your money up to $5,000 so you can hire another attorney to help you.Legal Services Offered by Our On-Demand Houston Contract Attorneys
The Houston contract attorneys & lawyers on UpCounsel are dedicated to helping businesses save time, money, and peace of mind with contract drafting and review, negotiations, litigation support, discovery, commercial business transactions, and more.
Our independent contract attorneys are available on-demand to provide contract legal services for businesses or to support your in-house general counsel to help lighten the load for transactional matters or litigation support.
Although the work of the Houston contract attorneys found on UpCounsel often varies they are highly experienced in legal contract activities such as commercial contract negotiations, document review in response to document subpoenas, request for production of documents, legal research, draft legal briefs, along with providing a full range of other contract legal services to businesses of any size.
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