The Consultants Legal Guide

Consultants are increasingly the target of malpractice suits, note CEO Biech and attorney Swindling. Here they offer basic advice to help the consultant avoid legal problems. They define and explain the legal issues consultants confront as they start a business, negotiate contracts, deal with employees and independent contractors, and safeguard their intellectual property. The authors also give advice on how to choose the correct form of business entity, create an employee handbook, and choose insurance. They also cover the complexities of buying or selling a business and present an excellent chapter on trademarks, copyright, and trade secrets. Checklists scattered throughout help readers create a business plan or prepare to collect overdue fees from clients. A CD-ROM (not available at the time of review) supplements the text, providing more forms, checklists, and links to additional resources. Recommended for most public libraries.