Lawyers may be associated with high prices. And good lawyers may be associated with very high prices. However, the professionalism of a lawyer is primarily indicated by his practical experience, substantive skills and knowledge of industries your business is dealing with. So let’s list 4 features of a good lawyer.

1. Expertise

Good lawyer has good opinions and credentials. Having completed expert courses and acquired prestigious certificates, now applies this knowledge in practice. If the lawyer is really good at something, he or she may like to share that knowledge. Look for any books or articles the lawyer has written. Check, if your lawyer runs trainings, webinars or workshops. Training of employees or management is an inseparable element of an efficient company. For an example, see our GDPR-standard data protection staff training.

2. Flexibility

A good lawyer aims to optimize cooperation with the company in terms of quality, time and price. Typically, you as a client can choose form of cooperation and the lawyer acts at your best interests. Often, particular cases do not require a full-time lawyer or large amounts of working hours. Thus, specific cooperation program and flexible hourly rates often serve to optimize mutual cooperation.

3. Soft skills and understanding of your industry

However, flexibility must not come at a cost of understanding your business. We discussed this topic with Maciej Herman, CEO of Wedel – a famous Polish confectionery brand (Wedel’s website). We asked Mr. Herman what  distinguishes a good lawyer, according to Wedel’s experience: ‘Substantive knowledge, of course, comes first. Our cooperation with external lawyers most often concerns difficult topics that require special knowledge. We appreciate lawyers who take responsibility for their recommendations. Other important features are openness, creativity, flexibility.’ Maciej Herman also highlighted the importance of understanding the business: “It is important for us that law firms we work with have high business understanding skills, take responsibility, are creative and offer practical legal and business solutions.”

Read the full interview

4. Keeping feet on the ground

A good lawyer is well educated and experienced in specific fields. Nobody knows all the laws and nobody has participated in all types of cases. A good lawyer knows his or her own strengths and weaknesses. If not an expert at your question, he or she would point out the best person to reach out to.

Thanks for reading the article! Who would make the best lawyer for your business? What kind of assistance do you need? Share your experience and ask us your questions. Contact us at office@gclawyers.eu