How to Avoid Legal Time-Bombs

By Patrick A. Fraioli Jr. of Entrepreneur.com



If you own a business in the U.S. long enough, there's a strong likelihood that your business will be sued. When that happens, it will cost you a fortune to defend that lawsuit. And that's if you win.

So as a business owner, it's your responsibility to do something about it before it happens to you. For example, if you were afraid of a fire in your home, you'd ask a fire fighter for fire prevention tips. If you were worried about having a heart attack, you'd consult your doctor about preventive medicine. So it's only rational that if you're living in fear of being sued (and losing), you should ask a lawyer how you can improve the odds that you'll not only win, but also avoid a suit entirely. It's called "litigation avoidance" or "preventive lawyering."

An experienced litigator who focuses on litigation avoidance can help you find the "legal time bombs" that may be ticking in your business. A few examples follow:

Employment law is hot, particularly "wage and hour" suits, involving how employees are classified, what they're required to do, and how and when they're required to do it. It's a business nightmare. ...