Prevention is key to reduce legal problems

To avoid some of the most complicated and expensive legal entanglements, experts said companies must be clear on the law and their legal rights. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of a cure, area lawyers said, and the most important thing companies can do to avoid legal problems in this economic climate is to concentrate on prevention. Gale Finley, head of the corporate department at Dayton-based Sebaly, Shillito and Dyer, said the most important thing a small business can do to avoid legal entanglements is to plan ahead and think as if things already have gone wrong. Don’t expect everything to work out, he said, that’s when you can get into trouble. For example, he said, even if a potential contract is with a friend or family member, make sure everything is written out and carefully worded, because anything could go wrong, or your client could come under new ownership that’s not willing to cooperate.

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