Maryland Qualifed Attorney for Long-Term Counsel

Maryland-Licensed Small Business Attorney / Outside General Counsel – Long-Term Relationship

F&A Group Inc. is a Maryland corporation currently developing a multi-unit restaurant franchise in the DMV area. We are looking to establish a long-term relationship with a Maryland-licensed attorney or small law firm that can serve as outside counsel to the company on an as-needed basis.

We are looking for practical, responsive counsel who can become familiar with our business and existing agreements and assist us as legal needs arise.

Areas where we expect to need support include:

* General corporate and small-business matters
* Commercial contract review and negotiation
* Franchise agreements and franchise-related matters
* Commercial leases and real estate matters
* Corporate governance, shareholder matters, resolutions, and amendments
* SBA/lender and financing-related documents
* Vendor and service agreements
* Employment/business operational matters
* General legal advice as the company grows
* Disputes or other matters that may arise in the ordinary course of business

Our immediate objective is to onboard counsel and provide our existing corporate and franchise documentation so that the attorney understands F&A Group's structure, existing contractual obligations, and current business position for review and adjustments where necessary.

We want counsel to understand the existing FDD, Franchise Agreement, and Multi-Unit Development Agreement sufficiently to advise us on future matters involving those agreements.

Requirements

* Must be an attorney in good standing and actively licensed to practice law in Maryland
* DMV-area practice or experience strongly preferred
* Experience representing small and privately held businesses
* Strong commercial contract experience
* Franchise experience preferred
* Commercial leasing experience preferred
* Comfortable representing F&A Group Inc. as corporate counsel
* Available for an ongoing, as-needed relationship
* Reasonable hourly or project-based billing suitable for a growing small business
* Must be willing to enter into a formal attorney-client engagement with F&A Group Inc.

We prefer a solo attorney or small/midsize firm where we can develop a direct, long-term relationship rather than being passed between attorneys.

When responding, please provide:

1. State(s) where you are currently licensed and your bar number.
2. Your experience representing small businesses.
3. Any franchise and commercial leasing experience.
4. Your normal hourly rate.
5. Whether you offer flat-fee arrangements for defined matters.
6. Whether you require a retainer and, if so, the amount.
7. Whether you currently represent any restaurant franchisors or franchisees that could create a potential conflict.
8. A brief description of how you normally structure ongoing outside-counsel relationships with small businesses.

This is intended to be a long-term legal relationship, not simply a one-time document-review project.