Business Law in Vermont
Don’t settle for a lawyer who lacks the experience and deep knowledge of Vermont business law that you deserve. 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.
According to VTDigger, Vermont recently passed Act 70, authorizing retail alcohol sales via curbside pickup for another 24 months. Additionally, the state enacted Act 36 which will ban toxic PFA chemicals from consumer products in Vermont. This legislation took effect July 1, 2021 and restricts the use of PFAs in fire-extinguishing foam, food packaging, rugs and carpets, and ski wax.
Staying abreast of current commercial laws can be extremely overwhelming, especially as you’re trying to run a business. Keeping an experienced Vermont 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 Vermont Business Law Attorney Can Help
Vermont 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 Vermont is essential to the legal compliance and sustainability of your business.
Areas of Business Law
There are business attorneys who specialize in Vermont 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 Vermont, 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 you need to form contracts with your suppliers, clients, customers, and your employees, a Vermont business attorney will help you to prepare the necessary paperwork quickly and professionally. They also help you to respond to any contracts that other organizations or people want your business to sign.
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 Vermont 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.
The Vermont Secretary of State’s Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) issues licenses to a variety of professions, including land surveyors, midwives, and well drillers. The OPR also licenses dieticians, social workers, real estate brokers, and psychoanalysts.
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 Vermont 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 Vermont 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 Vermont 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 Consumer Protection Unit (CPU) of the Vermont Attorney General’s Office investigates and prosecutes violations of Vermont’s consumer laws. These laws prohibit businesses from engaging in unfair or deceptive acts. The CPU can use mediation to resolve individual consumer complaints. However, the CPU may also file suit against a business that has violated the Vermont Consumer Fraud Act or related laws.
Lobbying
A qualified Vermont 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 industry have banded together to lobby governments to consider allowing autonomous vehicles on public roads for testing and eventual official use.
Under Vermont law, all lobbyists must register and file reports with the Vermont Secretary of State through the Vermont Lobbying Information System. Additionally, the public can search the System for any information filed by lobbyists and lobbyist employers.
There are many other types of business attorneys that your organization in Vermont 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 Vermont 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 Vermont 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 Vermont 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 Vermont 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 Vermont 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 Vermont 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.
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