Conventional wisdom (and many lawyers) will tell you that, if you're a business owner or manager, you will get yourself in trouble if you don't have a good business lawyer. But when I hear this, I view this as somewhat of a negative statement, which frankly annoys me. I assume that smart business people do not want to be belittled and told that, they if they don't have a lawyer, they will be too naive or inexperienced to avoid pitfalls. Another way of saying this is that I hate doing anything to move away from something. I much prefer to make choices that allow me to move towards perceived advantages of my actions. So I address my clients accordingly. So with this in mind I will rephrase the primary benefit of having a great lawyer by your side as follows: you will make more money. You should thus view a business lawyer as your partner who will help you make the choices that will improve your business and drive your bottom line upwards. Now, if you are looking for a lawyer or are not happy with your present lawyer, how do you choose a great business lawyer? What is a business lawyer? I distinguish a business lawyer from a corporate or commercial lawyer. To me, the business lawyer in the classic sense of the term denotes the traditional lawyer-client relationship where the lawyer is more than someone who cranks out the paper. I define the business lawyer as your quasi-business partner or confidante. Someone you can confide in, who can solve your problems, understand you and help you grow.