Small firms operating in New York City as well as online have unique legal needs, some of which are unlike needs experienced at large companies. To begin, large corporations often have their own in-house human resource departments. It’s also not uncommon for large corporations to have in-house attorneys and compliance officers. The time when these large companies need an external attorney are to handle acquisitions and mergers or to take on a class action lawsuit.
Not only do large corporations employ in-house legal counsel and compliance officers due to the fact that they realize the importance of keeping their corporate records private, the corporations also hire in-house legal and compliance officers because they have more revenues with which to pay the professionals. Small firms, especially small firms that operate mostly online, don’t always have that same luxury.
Yet, small firms can still find themselves embroiled in nasty legal battles that senior business managers may not have the experience or knowledge base to handle. In fact, once a year during one of the most celebratory times, the holidays, small businesses are forced to deal with issues like sexual harassment and workplace violence. Many of these issues surface during company holiday parties.
For example, the American Bar Association reports that “But what happens when that holiday party goes awry? This is the season when your clients are going to come to you with some doozies.” Bankruptcy protection, forming corporate boards, establishing employee policies and procedures and handling workmen’s compensation issues are other times when small businesses reach out to NYC internet law attorneys.
Some small businesses are even opting to hire NYC internet law attorneys if they already have a retainer with a business lawyer. These small business owners realize that their online legal needs are different from their offline needs. For example, NYC internet law attorneys at Cohen, Schneider & O’Neill take on cases that cover issues like protecting and enforcing trademarks, intellectual property and copyrights (a hot topic on the internet).
NYC internet law attorneys are also experienced in areas like interpreting the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the Communications Decency Act and drafting privacy policies for small businesses that have an online presence. Privacy policies can help small businesses avoid lawsuits, especially if small businesses inadvertently allow minors to have access to the wrong type of information or if small businesses collect information on minors without getting their parents’ permission.
Other reasons why small business owners are hiring NYC internet law attorneys has to do with social media regulations. To keep themselves out of legal hot water, small business owners hire the attorneys to draft and interpret social media policies. Recent National Security Agency (NSA) spying practices have also demonstrated the importance of monitoring the type of user-generated content, so as to avoid crossing a troublesome line.
This also includes creating online advertising policies and promotions, including policies and promotions for social media pages at networks like Facebook and Twitter. Should small businesses find themselves facing questions from regulatory and law enforcement bureaus, working with NYC internet law attorneys can serve as a safety net.
Sources:
http://cohenschneider.com/practice/internet-law/
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/gpsolo.html
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