Business and Company Research for Lawyers

The first place to look for information about a company is its website. Look for sections, usually located near the bottom of the homepage, such as "Investor Relations," "About," or "Corporate." A public company will typically provide current financial information, such as quarterly and annual reports, stockholder meeting notices, and corporate governance information.

Keep in mind!

1. It is much easier to find information about public companies (companies with publicly traded stock) than privately-held companies. The law requires much more in the way of disclosure for publicly-traded companies in order to protect the investing public.

2. The larger the company, the easier it is to find information about it.

3. There is generally more information available for U.S. based companies than for non-U.S. companies.

EDGAR is the SEC's database that collects filings from publicly-traded companies. Both the federal and state governments play a role in regulating business and provide access to a rich amount of information on companies from 1996 forward. The most important filings of a public company are the 10-K annual reports, 10-Q quarterly reports, annual Proxy Statements (DEF 14A), and 8-K current reports.

EDGAR is a freely available database. (You can also search for EDGAR filings through Bloomberg Law, Lexis, and Westlaw.)

Start by typing the company name or ticker into the EDGAR full-text search page. For additional filters, click "more search options."

This allows you to filter by filing type, date, and location of principal executive offices:

The SEC provides additional search tools. You can access these from the SEC homepage by clicking the "Search Filings" tab or from the EDGAR search page by clicking "Other Search Tools" in the upper right corner. These tools include a Latest Filings search and an SIC Code list.

The Business Programs section of the California Secretary of State's Office provides basic information on domestic stock, domestic nonprofit and qualified foreign corporations, limited liability company and limited partnerships. For a fee, the Secretary of State will provides copies of documents filed by a business entity.

On the bizfile Online homepage, you can find a listing of the services provided, which include a free business entity search, UCC search, and trademark search. To access the business entity search, click the "Search" button on the left or "Free Business Search & Copies" under the Business Entities tab.

When using the Business Search, be sure to click on the "Advanced Search" option if you are looking for publicly traded disclosure information. 

Corporate law is primarily controlled by state law. Typically state governments have a particular department or division that handles matters relating to corporations and other business entities. Often this department or division falls under the purview of a state's Secretary of State. More specifically, if you are starting a new company, dissolving an existing company, or trying to find information about a company, you will likely need to contact the relevant department in the applicable state. 

If you're looking for the department or division that handles business-related matters in a particular state, visit the National Association of Secretaries of States. Select Membership Roster to see a listing for each state. Clicking the state name will take you to that state's website. From there, look for business services, a division of corporations, or a similarly named department. 

Be aware that states vary in the amount of entity information that is freely available. For example, the Delaware Division of Corporations provides only a basic entity search. And the Texas Secretary of State charges a nominal fee for all searches.