Business and Company Research for Lawyers

Business research is an increasingly important skill for attorneys. Being able to research particular companies or industries is helpful in at least two contexts:

• Client development: For most attorneys, it is important to pursue and land new clients. An understanding of the business environment in which you are competing for clients is crucial.
• Risk analysis: When representing existing clients, there are many types of transactions where you will need to do business research. For example, if your client is considering expanding into a new market, purchasing a rival, buying stock or merging with another company, you will need to provide information to your client about the potential risks and opportunities.

Business research can be generally divided into three categories:

• Company Research: Locating information about a specific company. This might include company history, financial health, corporate structure, principal players, and recent major transactions and competitors.

• Industry Information: Locating information about a specific industry. This could involve searching for information about products, the regulatory environment, industry standards, major players in the industry, and economic forecasts.

• Current awareness: It is good practice to be on top of current news and developments in industries of interest. This can be done either through news feeds or by reading websites and publications that cover areas of interest.

These resources may be helpful when you encounter terms, concepts, and abbreviations with which you are not familiar. 

Essential Concepts of Business for Lawyers, 3rd ed., by Robert J. Rhee, is available online through the library. A good primer for those without a business background. An earlier edition is available in hard copy in the law library at HF5636.R48 2012.

Investopedia is a free online resource. It offers a dictionary of financial and investment terms, as well as information on topics including investing, banking, and the economy. Scroll to the bottom of the homepage for the A-Z dictionary.

New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics is available online at the law library or at the LMU main library. An encyclopedia about all aspects of economics.

New Penguin Business Dictionary is available online at the law library or at the LMU main library. An all-purpose business dictionary that:  "...covers all aspects of business from accounting through marketing and organizational behaviour to human resource management."

SEC Resources for Small Businesses Glossary is a free online resource, which contains definitions of terms related to raising capital and links to further resources.