Even if legal advice has not been sought before a problem arises, or if a deal looks like it will sour despite earlier legal advice, it may not be too late to seek legal counsel. Most importantly, our legal system is full of statutes of limitations that require a plaintiff to bring a lawsuit within a set time or lose forever the right to do so. Different statutes of limitations apply, depending on the type of case or the place where it arises. They have different time periods, and different events can start the clock ticking. Even if a dispute is settled later to the satisfaction of all sides, it may be necessary to file a commercial lawsuit early in order to preserve the right to go to court if other forms of dispute resolution are not effective.
Lawyers are essential to protecting business interests in litigation.
The first chapter of this Guide , Selecting and Managing Counsel , describes an intelligent process for finding the right legal counsel for a company's needs. Individuals always are permitted to represent themselves in court, but representing oneself is appropriate only in a case in which there is very little money involved or in which the factual disputes are very plain. In all other disputes it is wise to hire counsel. In many situations, a corporation is required to hire an attorney to represent it in court. Appoint Someone to be in Charge For larger companies, finding someone to be in charge rarely is a problem.