a professional limited liability company
Do You Need a Lawyer?
Sometimes it is obvious that you or your business need legal advice, for example if you have been served with a complaint . You also may need a lawyer if you or your business:
- have been served with a subpoena to testify or produce documents;
- are entering a business relationship and have questions about proposed contracts;
- are an employer and have questions about compliance with overtime and wage laws or taking action against an employee;
- are an employee and believe your employer has violated overtime or wage and hour laws or wrongfully terminated your employment;
- are a small business and have never had a legal review of your business contracts ;
- are having a business conflict with any other party;
- believe that someone you have a contract with has breached that contract;
- believe that a former employee or business partner is misappropriating your trade secrets ;
- believe that someone is interfering with your business relationships;
- are a business that sells or distributes products that could cause injury; or
- have concerns about any other business or employment relationship
If in doubt, contact us- initial consultations are free.
Most legal matters are billed hourly, drawn from an agreed retainer, and invoiced monthly. This may not make economic sense for all matters, and we will discuss upfront which of our available fee arrangements is appropriate for your legal needs.
Standard Billing: my typical hourly rate is $275. Discounted rates may be available. I may engage others for specialized expertise or general assistance. I will not engage anyone at a higher rate than mine without consent, and expect that in most cases this will lower your cost.
Fixed fee arrangements: for matters that are not in litigation, like review of contracts, risk assessments, or general legal advice, we can negotiate a fixed fee that fairly reflects the anticipated legal work.
“Phased” fee arrangements: it is not always clear if a dispute will ripen into litigation, and sometimes a little advance work can lead to early resolution. We can negotiate a fixed fee arrangement for the preliminary stage of litigation, with standard billing to begin on the occurrence of a defined event (i.e., breakdown of settlement discussions, or the initiation of a lawsuit). Legal retainers: if you need regular legal advice (for example, a business without in-house legal resources), we can negotiate a monthly fixed fee that would cover needed legal services at a predictable cost, which could be renegotiated as legal needs change. Contingency fee: in certain cases, I can take a matter on contingency, which means that you pay a percentage of whatever recovery you receive. You remain responsible for expenses, but would only owe legal fees if you recover. Examples of legal matters that may be appropriate for contingency fee arrangements include lawsuits for wrongful termination, lawsuits to recover unpaid wages or overtime pay, or certain consumer lawsuits.
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Links and Legal Information
Resource Center : information on common legal topics under Massachusetts law, including legal rights and responsibilities of employers and employees, basics of contract drafting, information on trade secret law, nondisclosure agreements, and employee noncompete agreements, and other legal resources.
About Us: full description of Attorney Smith-Lee's experience and qualifications, and the vision of Smith Lee LLC.
One Post Office Square, Sharon Massachusetts 02067 781-784-2322
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