Advising the Small Business, Third Edition includes many updates and new forms, in addition to all of the general guidance, forms, checklists, and resources from the first two editions, on issues that small businesses commonly face. This guidance can be invaluable to attorneys who do not have access to enough other lawyers or deal flow, or who haven’t had enough experience, to know what is “standard” in this area of practice.


Although there are many guides available for entrepreneurs, this book speaks to the advisor, not the entrepreneur. Advising the Small Business is designed to help legal counsel provide more effective legal and strategic guidance to small business clients, produce relevant documents, and spot issues that require further research or a specialist. Finally, Advising the Small Business is unique in its discussion of both how to approach an issue from scratch (e.g., drafting a contract or forming a corporation) and how to clean up an existing situation (e.g., amending agreements and corporate clean-up). A companion book, Letters for Small Business Lawyers, by the same author, is also available through the ABA to provide examples of the types of correspondence used by lawyers providing legal counsel to small, privately held businesses.


Whether a lawyer is approaching an issue from scratch or dealing with an existing situation, this book will assist counsel in providing more effective legal and strategic services, creating relevant documents, and identifying issues that require further research or a specialist.