Business Law in Montana
Don’t settle for a lawyer in Montana who lacks the experience and deep knowledge of commercial law that your business deserves. We can connect you with an experienced business law attorney to handle your case.
What Is Business Law?
Business law regulates the conduct of merchants, persons, and businesses who engage in commerce, trade, and sales. Business law is also commonly referred to as commercial law. It covers a broad area, such as real estate laws, safety laws, food laws, and environmental regulations.
Montana businesses are subject to broad consumer protection laws. The laws prohibit unfair methods of competition and deceptive acts or practices. This language covers numerous areas, such as advertising, sales practices, and selling below cost. In addition, the laws prohibit tampering with vehicle odometers and using harassing telemarketing techniques.
Staying abreast of current commercial laws can be extremely overwhelming, especially as you’re trying to run a business. Keeping an experienced Montana business law attorney on retainer or at least a simple phone call away can help ensure your business remains compliant. Compliance issues can lead to costly damages, so a proactive approach is always best.
How a Qualified Montana Business Law Attorney Can Help
Montana Business laws are often associated with unique legal issues. One of the most substantial parts of business law is contract violations. When transactions occur between customers and businesses, this usually involves a contract. Still, some legal concerns and problems happen more often than others. Here are some additional aspects of commercial law that a business attorney can help with:
- Starting a new business
- Protecting intellectual property
- Protecting trade secrets
- Terminating a business
- Transferring a business
- Tackling unfair competition
- Addressing consumer complaints
- Handling marketing and advertising disputes and violations
Costly commercial disputes often cover multiple areas of business law. This is why hiring experienced commercial law lawyers in Montana is essential to the legal compliance and sustainability of your business.
Areas of Business Law
There are business attorneys who specialize in Montana that offer their services to businesses in unique situations. Following are some of the many areas of business law that they tackle.
Organization
If you are developing your business in Montana, a lawyer can help you decide whether you list your company as a limited liability company or a corporation. They will also assist with the paperwork you need to file for your business.
Contracts
When it’s time to create contracts for suppliers, clients, customers, or employees, a business attorney can ensure the paperwork is prepared accurately and efficiently. They can also assist in reviewing and responding to contracts presented by other organizations or individuals, protecting your business interests every step of the way.
Licenses and Taxes
While the accountant that your business has will prepare and file the tax returns with your business, your business attorney will also let you know how to register your business in Montana for state tax identification and federal tax identification numbers. They also provide you with the knowledge that you need to understand any tax consequences and defend you in court, if necessary.
According to the Montana Department of Commerce, all business licensing in Montana is done at the city and county level. However, businesses must still register their name and incorporation information with the Montana Secretary of State. In addition, some types of businesses must obtain professional licenses. The Montana Department of Revenue maintains a list of included industries with links to licensing information.
Intellectual Property Rights
When an individual creates something, they have some automatic rights to their ideas. However, if someone steals the idea, they may have a difficult time proving the idea or creation was theirs, to begin with. Attorneys can help with the process of protecting IP rights through trademarking and copyright. A business lawyer in Montana can also help you seek reparations from companies that infringe on your IP rights or defend you against accusations.
Property Law
Physical properties also need protection. In Montana in most instances, this refers to immovable property, such as real estate. Property law governs the use, sale, transfer, or rental of this type of property. Some business attorneys may include premises liability in this area, such as slip-and-fall accidents. Property law may cover moveable assets as well. For instance, companies that rent products would fall into this category.
Consumer Protection
When most people picture Montana businesses going to court, they imagine businesses or business people suing each other. This certainly happens quite often, but companies and consumers sue each other too. Consumers often sue companies for defective products or false advertising. Companies, in turn, may sue consumers for libel or slander.
The Montana Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Office enforces the state’s business and trade practices laws. The Office investigates consumer complaints and can prosecute civil complaints against businesses. In addition, you can sue a business yourself. But, only if you are within the 2 year statute of limitations.
Lobbying
A qualified Montana company and agents that lobby on its behalf can advocate for changes to laws. However, first, they must have a deep understanding of the following:
- What the current laws are
- How the current laws affect the business
- What changes might provide better opportunities for the business
This is an especially common hurdle in the world of tech and engineering. For instance, the tech and transportation industries have banded together to lobby governments to consider allowing autonomous vehicles on public roads for testing and eventual official use.
Lobbyists in Montana must be registered with the Commissioner of Political Practices. The Montana Code contains several sections relating to lobbying, including campaign financing, election practices, and ethics. Lobbyists are prohibited from engaging in nepotism, unprofessional conduct, and making campaign contributions.
There are many other types of business attorneys that your organization in Montana may benefit from using. If you’re not sure about what type of business attorney your company needs, use the form below to get connected with the best legal help in your area.
Work With an Experienced Montana Business Law Lawyer
Hiring a business law attorney near you can help you to resolve many commercial issues that may emerge. In addition to this, commercial law attorneys in Montana can provide you with legal research, legal advice, and any other types of services that your business needs to protect itself or to fight a claim.
A commercial law attorney is also beneficial if your business needs to file a lawsuit or if you’re ever in a situation where you have to attend a court hearing. Additionally, a business law attorney in Montana will help you determine the best course of action for your business if you are ever in violation of any laws.
Most importantly, a business attorney helps your Montana business stay out of trouble. Steering clear of legal disputes is always less costly than trying to find your way out of one. While it is not always possible to avoid business litigation, doing all you can to avoid one can go a long way to protecting your business.
Are you looking for a business attorney in Montana to defend your business interests? We can connect you with an experienced and passionate lawyer at no cost to you. We can even help you connect with an attorney across Montana state lines.
Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an experienced lawyer in your area!
About the Author
Aaron is a professional legal writer with a B.S. in English Education from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. He has written, published, and edited thousands of legal articles for RequestLegalHelp, which has connected over 5 million people to legal help in the United States.
With over five years of experience writing thousands of legal articles for law firms across the U.S. and Canada, Aaron specializes in covering federal, state, and city-level legal issues ranging from auto accidents to wrongful terminations.
There are still other areas of law in Montana that could affect your case. Check out more details on the other articles on our site.
