A transport-based business is any business that relies upon the use of some form of transportation. Common examples are trucking, warehousing, railroads, oil and gas pipelines, airports, public ports, motor freight carriers, bus lines, and shipbuilding corporations. Many transport-based businesses will have a legal department to assist with specific legal issues. However, they should also consider using professional legal counseling instead of relying on in-house counsel for all legal issues. In this article, we discuss some of the advantages of using professional legal counseling for all transport-based businesses.
Get Expert Help When Dealing With Legal Disputer
Many transport-based businesses will have legal issues arise that require the assistance of a lawyer. For example, if an accident with trucks occur in Folsom due to a blind spot and leads to personal injury and/or property damage, the parties involved may need to engage in negotiations and/or litigation. Depending on the laws where the accident happened, different attorneys will be needed for various stages of representing both clients. The injured party, in this case, will probably hire a blind spot accident attorney in Folsom, CA, to represent him in a personal injury claim against the truck driver. If a car accident leads to a criminal investigation or prosecution, a trucking company will need a good accident attorney to represent them as well. The costs associated with defending a lawsuit can be quite expensive and using professional legal counseling can help transport-based businesses prepare for litigation and create a comprehensive defensive strategy.
Save Time and Money
In-house counsel typically spends a lot of time on administrative tasks, such as creating contracts and other business documents, reviewing contracts from competitors and suppliers, compiling data for audits or tax filings, etc. A law firm can provide all these services promptly while freeing up the in-house counsel's time to focus on substantive legal matters. In addition, in-house counsel may have access to a greater number of lawyers for specialized tasks in certain areas of law whereas a law firm will typically include more experienced attorneys that mitigate risk by having experience with multiple types of transactions. Moreover, when problems arise with customers or suppliers regarding breach of contract claims or disagreements over obligations under commercial agreements, having an outside agency takes the matter out of the hands of in-house counsel who are also responsible for representing the business.
Avoid Conflicts Of Interest When Representing The Company And Its Employees
In most cases, an employee will have a conflict of interest when he has to represent both his employer and himself in a legal matter. That is because if he chooses to protect one client, he will inevitably have to harm the other client. For example, an attorney may be able to prevent his client from being sued if he removes evidence that would likely lead to liability but doing so would place his client's company at risk for breaching its contract with another party. Thus, it is better to practice for both attorneys and their clients benefit to utilize outside counsel rather than having an in-house counsel represent both the company and individual employees.
It Can Help Define/Take Advantage Of Industry Trends
One area in which transport-based businesses can benefit from using professional legal counseling is in defining or taking advantage of current trends in the industry they are involved in. For example, an oil and gas pipeline company should use professional legal counseling to understand the environmental regulations that are likely to be imposed on them by both federal and state governments. This would include understanding any new legislation that could affect their business practices, as well as understanding how current legislation may affect their business practices in the future. Because of these changing regulations, oil and gas pipeline companies need to work with legal counsel to better understand the risks they face.
Keep Up With New Regulations
The government is constantly creating new regulations that change the way transport-based businesses do business. For example, there are many federal laws and state laws that regulate business with firearms which include licensing, background checks, etc. This is to ensure that weapons are kept out of the hands of people who would pose a danger to others. These rules often apply not only if you own a gun store but also even if you sell guns online or at gun shows as well. Thus, any transporter needs to understand the legal requirements they must follow when transporting illegal weapons or firearm components to avoid serious consequences such as fines, lawsuits, or worse yet an arrest on their record. There are also laws regarding waste disposal, so if you operate vacuum trucks that carry waste, you may also wish to get a lawyer who will be able to advise you on how you can ensure that you are fully compliant when it comes to your industry's regulations.
Why Should Transport-Based Businesses Use Professional Legal Counseling
In summary, using professional legal counseling can be a cost-effective way for transport-based businesses to protect their business from unnecessary liability and position themselves for success. This is why transport-based businesses need to choose attorneys with experience in the industry they are involved in. So if you own or run a transport-based business, hiring a reputable attorney should be one of your top priorities.
