Friends, relatives and business associates within your own company can also provide names of possible lawyers. But ask them specifically about lawyers who have had experience working for business clients and consider carefully whether they really know enough about business and human nature to know what they're talking about. In some types of specialized businessessoftware design, restaurants, plant nurseriesit can pay to work with a lawyer who already knows the field. That way you can take advantage of the fact that the lawyer is already fairly far up the learning curve. Sometimes specialists charge a little more, but if their specialized information is truly valuable, it can be money well spent.
Trade associations are often a good place to get referrals to specialists.
A law librarian can help identify authors in your state who have written books or articles on business law. The chairperson of a state or county bar committee for business lawyers may be able to point out some well-qualified practitioners in your vicinity. Once you have the names of several lawyers, a good source of more information about them is the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, available at most law libraries and some local public libraries. This resource contains biographical sketches of most practicing lawyers and information about their experience, specialties, education and the professional organizations they belong to. Many firms also list their major clients in the directoryan excellent indication of the types of practice the firm is engaged in.