Business Formation Attorneys
35,326 verified formation attorneys across the United States. LLC, corporation, partnership, and other entity formation. Compare verified formation attorneys nationwide by experience, peer ratings, and client reviews — get matched with counsel in any state, free for clients.
Attorney Carlo LaMonica has devoted his entire legal career to helping individuals, families, and small business owners in Northeastern Pennsylvania w...
Attorney Joel R. Spivack has more than 30 years of experience representing clients in consumer bankruptcy cases and residential real estate transactio...
Kate Mesic practices at The Law Offices of Kate Mesic, PA Read Full Bio
Experienced and Skilled, Attorney & Counselor Ramesh Khurana is an experienced attorney with a friendly demeanor and excellent communication skills. I...
Ms. Sharon Crawley Bramlett is a lawyer practicing consumer law, commercial law, commercial real estate and 3 other areas of law.
While I am a lawyer and my career is a large part of my life, its only a small part of who I am. So let me start off by telling you a little bit about...
Marianna Schwartsman is a lawyer practicing wills and trusts, asset protection, probate and 18 other areas of law. Marianna received a B.A. degree fro...
For nearly 20 years Craig Thrift has represented clients in business transactions, mergers and acquisitions, franchising, real estate, leasing, corpor...
Attorney Jennifer Gilliland Vanasdale has earned the distinguished AV Preeminent Rating by Martindale-Hubbell. This high achievement is earned by a se...
Guy W. Bluff has more than 40 years’ experience in the areas of complex commercial, business, and construction legal disputes. 39+ years as a seasoned...
Anthony James Dispoto is a lawyer practicing business law, business formation, buying and selling of businesses and 10 other areas of law. Anthony rec...
I am the CEO and Co-Founder of Shankar Ninan & Co., a law firm that provides comprehensive legal services to small and medium-sized businesses in New ...
Stephen Lewis Pasta is a lawyer practicing business law, business formation, contracts and 26 other areas of law. Stephen received a B.A. degree from ...
Nathan T. Natori is a lawyer practicing business, debt collection, banking and 10 other areas of law.
Mitchell F Green is a lawyer practicing business law, health law, tax law and 6 other areas of law. Mitchell received a B.B.A. degree from Florida Atl...
Suzanna Baker is a lawyer practicing business law, commercial law, contracts and 5 other areas of law. Suzanna received a B.A. degree from Millsaps Co...
Craig Robert Karpe is a lawyer practicing automobile accidents, motorcycle accidents, corporate & incorporation and 4 other areas of law. Craig receiv...
Kristen (Vander-Plas) LaFreniere, owner and manager of Vander-Plas LaFreniere, PLLC in Lubbock, Texas, is a proud West Texan who was born and raised i...
Todd A Flubacher is a lawyer practicing trusts, estate planning, corporate & incorporation and 6 other areas of law. Todd received a B.S. degree from ...
Being licensed in Ohio and Michigan, Brad has extensive experience in many areas of law including real estate transactions and litigation, probate and...
Steven John Lewicky is a lawyer practicing commercial litigation, commercial transactions, corporate/business and 17 other areas of law. Steven receiv...
Bradley Gies, Esq. is the owner and lead attorney at Bradley Gies P.A., a boutique law firm tailored to entrepreneurs. Brad obtained his undergraduate...
Lonnie M. Player, Jr. was born and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina where his family has maintained a strong business presence in commercial con...
About Damian Michael Nash View website Awards Client Reviewed This badge is granted to attorneys who have been reviewed by a past client. AV Preeminen...
Mr. Reznik has successfully represented a wide array of clients from inception of a case through trial.
Colin M. Quinn is a lawyer practicing corporate litigation, commercial litigation, business formation and 28 other areas of law.
Mr. Robert L Stewart, Jr is a lawyer practicing appellate practice, bankruptcy, business dispute resolution and 21 other areas of law.
Attorney Susan Hankins is a lawyer with considerable expertise in handling complex civil matters. Susan Hankins obtained her undergraduate degree from...
Willie James Epps is a lawyer practicing torts, products liability, drug and medical device litigation and 7 other areas of law. Willie received a B.A...
Mr. Robert M Jensen is a lawyer practicing construction, business, property and 3 other areas of law.
My name is Jeremy T. Cranford.
Justin William Heeg is a lawyer practicing business, contracts & agreements, corporate & incorporation and 14 other areas of law. Justin has been lice...
Gail Haefner Straith is a lawyer practicing business law, banks and banking, business purchase & sale and 25 other areas of law. Gail received a B.A. ...
Ashley Calhoun Winship is a lawyer practicing probate & trust, business, real property and 7 other areas of law. Ashley received a B.A. degree from Fl...
Ms. Tamara Beth Pow is a lawyer practicing business law, labor & employment, real property law and 4 other areas of law.
Casey B. Green practices at Sidkoff, Pincus & Green, P.C.
Ryan Gressett Reiffert is a lawyer practicing business law, small business law, business formation and 30 other areas of law. Ryan received a B.A. deg...
Louis Steven Haskell is a lawyer practicing automobile accidents, car accidents, personal injury and 57 other areas of law. Louis has been licensed fo...
Jason E. Barth practices law in the field of real estate, construction, trust, and estate planning, business law, and general civil litigation.
Jason E. Barth practices law in the field of real estate, construction, trust, and estate planning, business law, and general civil litigation.
Mr. Andrew Fleet Ford is a lawyer practicing real estate, finance, corporate law and 8 other areas of law.
As a former teacher, I do enjoy those ah-ha moments where things click. I enjoy talking with clients and getting to know them and their situation, so ...
James Edward Gross is a lawyer practicing business law, registered agent, business litigation and 26 other areas of law. James received a B.A. degree ...
John Frederick Karch is a lawyer practicing asset protection, international asset protection, trusts and estates and 28 other areas of law. John recei...
Scott L Luedke is a lawyer practicing criminal law, criminal defense, dui/dwi and 126 other areas of law. Scott received a degree from Lawrence Techno...
Mr. William B.
Wayne F. Dennison is a lawyer practicing corporate & incorporation, bankruptcy & debt, intellectual property and 7 other areas of law.
Paul Nardulli is the President and CEO of Optima Law Group where he provides strategic counsel to emerging and well-established companies in the areas...
Matthew Wayne Gibson practices at Pappas Gibson LLC Read Full Bio
Steven R Hicks is a lawyer practicing trial and appellate practice, business law, business formation and 9 other areas of law. Steven received a B.A. ...
W. Trent Steele was born in Staunton, Virginia, but has been a lifelong resident of South Florida.
Listed as Best Lawyer of the Year 2017 - Tax Law. Listed in Super Lawyers for Louisiana in the field of tax law.
Cameron Hajaran Tousi is a lawyer practicing intellectual property, patents, trademarks and 28 other areas of law. Cameron received a B.S. degree from...
Stephanie M. Keating is a partner in our Estate Planning, Probate, Elder Law and Real Estate Groups.
Oscar Christopher Gonzalez is a lawyer practicing civil litigation, real property, land use and 10 other areas of law. Oscar received a B.A. degree fr...
Michael T. McGahan practices at Coogan Smith, LLP Read Full Bio
Neil B. Fang is a partner of the law firm of Schwartz, Fang, & Keating, P.C.
When the World Is On Your Shoulders, We've Got Your Back! Personal professional legal experience you can count on when you need it the most with well ...
J David Jeans is a lawyer practicing business formation, business planning, buying and selling of businesses and 12 other areas of law. J received a B...
Stephen Joseph Putnoki-Higgins is a lawyer practicing estate planning, estate litigation, charitable giving and 15 other areas of law. Stephen receive...
What is Business Formation?
Business Formation is the branch of law that governs the rights, obligations, and disputes that arise within its subject matter. In the United States, business formation sits at the intersection of statutes enacted by Congress, the regulations issued by federal agencies, the laws passed by all fifty state legislatures, and the body of judge-made decisions known as the common law. Because every state writes its own version of the rules, the way business formation works in one jurisdiction can look noticeably different from how it works in another, and that is one of the main reasons attorneys in this area focus their practice geographically — to stay fluent in the local statutes, court rules, and judicial preferences that shape outcomes.
At a practical level, Business Formation attorneys spend their time on three categories of work. The first is advice and prevention: counselling clients on how to structure transactions, draft documents, and conduct business so that legal risk is minimised before a dispute ever begins. The second is transactional execution: producing the contracts, filings, notices, and registrations that the law actually requires to make a decision legally binding. The third is contested representation: defending or pursuing a client's interests when a dispute escalates to negotiation, regulatory enforcement, arbitration, or litigation in court.
The clients who hire Business Formation lawyers range from individuals navigating a single life event to multinational corporations with complex regulatory exposure. What unifies them is the need for an experienced lawyer who knows the relevant code sections, has appeared in the relevant courts, and can translate the strategic options into language a client can act on. AttorneyQnA currently lists 35,326 verified business formation attorneys across the United States, each with a public profile showing their bar admissions, years in practice, and the kinds of matters they have handled — with the deepest concentration of practitioners in New York.
When do you need a Business Formation attorney?
Most people contact a business formation lawyer for one of two reasons: something is about to happen that they want done correctly the first time, or something has gone wrong and they need it fixed before it gets worse. The earlier you involve counsel, the more options you usually have, and the lower the cost of getting to a resolution tends to be. The scenarios below are the ones we see most often on AttorneyQnA from prospective clients searching for business formation representation.
Once your signature is on a contract, settlement, lease, or release, your bargaining leverage drops sharply. A short pre-signature review by a business formation lawyer is the cheapest insurance you can buy.
Cease-and-desist letters, regulatory notices, and demand letters all start clocks. Missing the response window can convert a manageable problem into a default judgment or formal enforcement action.
Statutes of limitations, filing windows, and appeal periods are jurisdictional — courts cannot extend them as a favour. If you can identify a date that matters, you need a lawyer before that date arrives.
The moment opposing counsel appears, the conversation moves out of normal English and into procedural language. Continuing unrepresented usually means losing ground you cannot recover later.
Forming an entity, choosing a venue, structuring a deal, or selecting a remedy each has long-term consequences. A consultation at the planning stage is far cheaper than redoing it after the fact.
Multi-state matters bring conflict-of-laws questions that change which statutes apply and which court has authority. An attorney licensed in the right jurisdiction is not optional.
If any of the situations above describes where you are right now, the next step is a focused consultation. Use the Ask a Lawyer tool for short written questions, or browse the 35,326 business formation attorneys listed above to book a paid consultation directly.
How to choose a Business Formation attorney
The single biggest factor in choosing a business formation lawyer is fit with your specific matter. A lawyer with twenty years of business formation experience but no exposure to your particular sub-issue can easily be a worse choice than a five-year associate who has handled the same problem repeatedly. We recommend running every prospective lawyer through the same five-step checklist before signing an engagement letter.
- Bar admission in the correct jurisdiction. Confirm the lawyer is admitted in the state — and where relevant, the federal district — where your matter sits. The lawyer's profile on AttorneyQnA shows every bar admission on file, and the underlying state bar's "lawyer lookup" tool will confirm active standing in under a minute.
- Direct experience with your fact pattern. Ask plainly: "How many matters like mine have you handled in the last three years, and how did they resolve?" An honest answer reveals more than years-in-practice alone.
- A written fee agreement. Whether hourly, flat fee, contingent, or hybrid, the engagement letter should specify what is included, what triggers additional charges, and how disputes are handled. Avoid lawyers who resist writing the terms down.
- Communication cadence. Decide upfront how often you expect updates, who your day-to-day contact will be, and what response time is reasonable. The number-one complaint filed with state bar grievance committees is not malpractice — it is non-communication.
- Conflict check + reputation pulse. Make sure the lawyer has run a formal conflict check, then spend ten minutes reading independent reviews and any public disciplinary history. The state bar's website is authoritative for the second; the lawyer's AttorneyQnA profile collects the first.
Once you have a shortlist, schedule consultations with two or three. Lawyers vary widely in temperament, and the right strategic match for your case is sometimes the second or third lawyer you meet — not the first.
How much does a Business Formation lawyer cost?
Legal fees in the United States are not regulated by a uniform schedule, so what you pay a business formation lawyer depends on the billing model the lawyer offers, the complexity of your matter, and the local market. There are four billing structures used in this practice area; most engagements use one, but hybrid arrangements are increasingly common.
1. Hourly billing
The default model for most non-contingent matters. Rates for business formation attorneys in the U.S. typically range from $150–$250/hour in smaller markets to $400–$700/hour in major metropolitan areas, with senior partners at large firms commanding $900/hour and above. Hourly billing is fairest when the scope of work is genuinely unpredictable, but it creates an incentive structure that the client has to monitor.
2. Flat fee
Increasingly used for well-defined transactions — incorporations, will drafting, single-issue filings, uncontested matters. A flat fee tells you exactly what the deliverable will cost, and the lawyer absorbs the risk of unexpected complexity. Ask whether the flat fee includes filing fees, third-party costs, and any post-filing follow-up.
3. Contingency
Where it is permitted by the rules of professional conduct — most often in plaintiff-side business formation work involving monetary recovery — the lawyer is paid a percentage of the proceeds, typically 33% before suit is filed and 40% after. The client pays nothing if there is no recovery. Contingency fees align the lawyer's economics with yours, but the percentage compounds across time, so very strong cases sometimes do better on hourly billing.
4. Retainer / subscription
A monthly fee that buys a defined block of access or hours. This is common for businesses with ongoing business formation needs — contract review, employee questions, regulatory check-ins. A subscription smooths out spending and gives the lawyer a reason to know your operation in depth.
Whichever model you choose, ask for an itemised written estimate before the engagement begins, and ask explicitly what is not covered. Surprise expenses are the most common source of attorney-client friction.
Frequently asked questions about business formation
How quickly can a business formation lawyer review my matter?
Most lawyers can schedule an initial consultation within 1–3 business days. Urgent matters — pending deadlines, time-sensitive notices, court-ordered hearings — should be flagged in your first message; many lawyers reserve emergency consultation slots for that reason. If you need a written answer faster, the Ask a Lawyer tool typically returns answers in under 24 hours.
Do I need a business formation lawyer in my exact city, or anywhere in my state?
Bar admission is the controlling rule: any attorney licensed in your state can represent you in that state's courts and agencies, regardless of which city they're based in. Practical proximity still matters for in-person meetings, local court familiarity, and access to the local bench and bar. For state-level filings and remote-friendly matters, an attorney elsewhere in the same state often works fine.
Will an initial consultation cost me anything?
Many business formation attorneys offer a free 15- to 30-minute initial consultation; others charge a flat consultation fee that may be credited against the engagement if you hire them. The lawyer's profile lists the consultation policy. Free does not always mean better — a fee-based consultation is sometimes the sign of a lawyer who treats their time, and yours, seriously.
What documents should I bring to the first meeting?
Bring every contract, notice, letter, filing, or written communication connected to the matter; a written timeline of events with dates; the names and contact details of every other party involved; and any deadlines or hearing dates you are already aware of. Even an incomplete file is more useful than a verbal summary alone.
Can I change lawyers if I am not happy with mine?
Yes. Clients can discharge their lawyer at any time, for any reason, by written notice. Your case file belongs to you and must be transferred to your new counsel. Any unpaid fees through the date of discharge remain owed; any unearned advance must be refunded. If you are mid-litigation, the court typically must approve the substitution, but approval is routine.
How long does a typical business formation matter take?
It depends almost entirely on whether the matter is transactional or contested. A transactional matter — a contract, a filing, a single-step transaction — can resolve in days to weeks. A contested matter — anything involving disputed facts, court intervention, or regulatory action — typically takes months at minimum, and complex cases can run multiple years. Your lawyer should give you a realistic outside estimate at intake.
Are business formation lawyer fees tax-deductible?
It depends on the nature of the matter and current tax law. Fees connected to producing or collecting taxable income, managing investment property, or operating a business are often deductible; fees for personal matters generally are not. Because rules change, confirm deductibility with a tax professional for the year in which the fees are paid.
What is the difference between business formation and the related practice areas?
Business Formation overlaps with several adjacent areas — see the related-practice-area grid below for direct links. Choosing the right lawyer often means picking the one whose primary focus matches the heart of your problem, even if multiple labels could technically apply. When you are unsure, list your situation in your own words to two lawyers from neighbouring areas and ask which one of them is the better fit; honest lawyers will tell you.
Find business formation attorneys by state
Each state link below opens the business formation roster for that jurisdiction, with the local statute of limitations, court-system overview, and verified attorneys.
Business Formation Law Firms
Main Law Firm
Winter Park
Walton Law Firm
San Marcos
Bruner Law Firm
Fort Walton Beach
J&Y Law Firm
Los Angeles
West Law Firm
Charleston
John T. Floyd Law Firm
Houston
Business Formation by State
All states →Find business formation attorneys in every US state. Each state link opens a hub with verified attorneys, the state filing deadline, and a free attorney match.