Questions You May Have Before Your Business Law Consultation

Whether you have already scheduled a free consultation with our team, or are thinking about doing so, you may have questions about what to expect and how to move forward. We hope these frequently asked questions/concerns will be helpful, and we look forward to seeing you at your appointment!

Who will I be meeting with?

In most cases, you will be meeting with one of our consultants, who specialize in the initial intake and onboarding for new and prospective clients. Their role is to gather the relevant facts from you, make sure that what you need is something we can help you with, and help you understand your options moving forward. If you decide to retain the firm, they have a continuing role transitioning your matter to the assigned attorney, so that everyone has the information they need to proceed.

Is there any cost to the consult?

Absolutely not. There are never any fees due to our firm unless and until you decide to retain us and agree on the fees applicable to your case.

Is the information I provide confidential?

Yes- we treat the initial consultation as protected by the attorney-client privilege, even if you do not decide to become a client. This means, subject to some limited exceptions that have literally never applied in our estate planning practice, we are not permitted to share information you give to us outside of the firm without your consent. Please do let us know if there is anyone in your immediate family who does not know you are consulting with us, so we can be sure to avoid sending correspondence to a shared address.

What if I just need the answers to a few simple questions?

We understand that- the truth is, most of these one or two questions turn out to be part of a larger story, and a larger range of options, than you might think. For example, it is one thing to explain to you the rules around employee compensation or termination, but another to explore with you the facts about your employees and how those rules apply to them.

How quickly can I speak to an attorney if I hire the firm?

The short answer is as quickly as the needs of your case require. Even though the attorneys are not in the consultation itself, we are in daily communication with our consultants, and every morning discuss new cases, assignments, and any imminent deadlines. Usually you will have an onboarding meeting with a paralegal within two business days, and your attorney meeting will be scheduled at that point, but if there is a need to accelerate that process, we absolutely will.

Why is the attorney not involved in the consultation?

We have found over the years that our clients (including you if you choose to hire the firm) are best served if our attorneys are focused exclusively on being attorneys and handling our clients' legal matters.

What if I want an in-person consultation?

No problem- we have found over the last two and a half years that zoom is a real timesaver for clients, and allows us to have the face to face contact we need to serve you the best. If you prefer an in person meeting, however, just let our phone staff know and they will schedule you accordingly.

Call (781) 784-2322

Can I get information about cost before doing a consultation?

This is always a hard question to answer, because the cost to you is going to depend on what exactly you are facing and how we can help. We can say the following:

You will never have to pay for the consultation.
In almost all cases, our first engagement with you is an assessment of your needs by the attorney. This is done on a flat fee basis, at a rate that assumes 1-2 hours of attorney time. Sometimes the assessment is all you need to answer your questions and give you a plan of action. If further help is needed, you and the attorney will talk about fee options, and it will be your decision whether to continue with an additional engagement.

Meet Our Business Attorneys

Emily Smith-Lee is the owner and founder of slnlaw. She is a 1996 graduate of Boston College Law School. She was previously a partner at the Boston office of a large international firm, where she worked for thirteen years with a focus on business litigation. In 2009, she started the firm that since became slnlaw, and has grown it from a solo practice to a five-attorney firm with multiple practice areas. She has been recognized as Massachusetts Superlawyer each year since 2013, and in 2018 earned recognition as one of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly's Lawyers of the Year. She has written a book on employment law: Rules of the Road, What You Need to Know About Employment Laws in Massachusetts, and helped hundreds of small business owners with contracts, business transactions, employment law advice, business incorporation, and risk management. She has also litigated business disputes in state and federal courts.

Rebecca Rogers: Rebecca is a 2006 graduate of Boston College Law School, and has worked with slnlaw since 2013. She previously worked as an intellectual property litigation attorney for Fish & Richardson in Boston, Massachusetts, and clerked for the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Rebecca has helped clients with business contracts, employment contracts, and employment law advice.

Jenna Ordway: Jenna is a 2013 graduate of Quinnipiac Law School, and also earned an LLM in Taxation from Boston University in 2015. She has been affiliated with slnlaw since 2011, first as a law clerk and then as an attorney. Jenna has been recognized since 2019 as a "Rising Star" by Massachusetts Superlawyers. Jenna has helped many small business owners with business incorporation, contract review, advice and analysis regarding business disputes, employment law advice, and advice to business owners about succession planning as part of their estate plans.

Elijah Bresley: Eli is a 2014 graduate of Seton Hall Law school, and has worked with slnlaw since 2020. He previously worked for a boutique employment law firm outside of Boston, and then for the Labor and Employment department of a large Boston firm. He also spent a year clerking for the judges of the Superior Court in Hartford, Connecticut. Eli has helped our small business clients with employment law advice and defense of employment-related lawsuits in MCAD and state and federal courts.

Sharleen Tinnin: Sharleen is a 2010 graduate of Northeastern University School of Law, and has been with slnlaw since 2023. Prior to joining slnlaw, she worked with King, Tilden, McEttrick & Brink, P.C. on complex civil litigation matters. She previously worked for the United States Department of Justice, and received an "Excellence in Justice" award in 2017. Sharleen has helped clients litigate business disputes in state and federal courts, and advised business owners about succession considerations as part of their estate planning.