Whether an attorney needs to be present when negotiating a business for purchase is primarily a tactical decision that depends upon the personalities involved, the type of business, how effective the broker is, who’s involved in the transaction and so forth. Often times, the best negotiation can occur between the buyer and the seller directly. Other times, the best negotiation occurs when the negotiations are being conducted by the brokers. And, at other times, an attorney can step in to negotiate very effectively on behalf of the buyer or a seller for that matter, especially when the principals or brokers have reached an impasse. Hence, the decision of when to bring an attorney into the actual negotiation is a tactical decision. However, what is not up for grabs is whether an attorney should be involved at all. Our answer to that is “absolutely.” Whether an individual is buying or selling a business; buying or selling real estates, or buying or selling an asset of any nature; an attorney – particularly one who is independently experienced in business, real estate, and transactions – brings a completely different perspective to the deal and can provide massive value to the process. So our advice is simple enough – get an attorney involved in the transaction at the earliest stage possible and then use the attorney as is appropriate while it unfolds.