toronto small business owners get free legal advice from oba project

• The OBA's new project connects volunteer lawyers with small business owners in need of free legal advice.
• Applicants must have legal needs falling into one of five categories: starting or structuring a business, partnership and shareholder agreements, commercial lease review, employment documentation, or licensing and regulatory requirements.
• Volunteer lawyers will provide guidance on specific issues, but not ongoing support or litigation advice.
• The project aims to expand beyond Toronto, making free legal advice available to small businesses across Ontario.

The Ontario Bar Association's new project aims to bridge the gap between small businesses in need of legal advice and volunteer lawyers willing to provide it. By connecting these two groups, the initiative has the potential to not only support local economic development but also help lawyers grow their practices. According to Louis Frapporti, a partner at Gowling WLG who proposed the project, making legal support more accessible to small business owners is crucial for strengthening Toronto's commercial districts. He believes that by helping entrepreneurs overcome legal barriers, lawyers can create new clients and opportunities for growth.

Frapporti's vision is to expand this initiative beyond Toronto, so that small businesses across Ontario can benefit from free legal advice through the OBA. This would not only provide much-needed support to local businesses but also demonstrate the potential of pro bono work in driving economic development.

Starting this week, small business owners and entrepreneurs can apply for free legal advice through the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas' website. The OBA's pro bono portal will be used to match volunteer lawyers with applicants in need. TABIA will assess applications for eligibility, determining whether an applicant's legal needs fall into one of five categories: starting or structuring a business, partnership and shareholder agreements, commercial lease review, employment documentation, and licensing and regulatory requirements.

Volunteer lawyers will not advise on litigation or provide ongoing support, but rather offer guidance on specific issues. This initiative is currently operating as a pilot project, with no definitive end date in sight.

For volunteer lawyers, this project offers an opportunity to gain experience and build their client base. Frapporti notes that early-career lawyers often struggle to find new clients, but by helping small businesses navigate legal issues, they can create potential paying clients. He believes that this initiative has the potential to model how pro bono work can drive business growth.

OBA president Katy Commisso echoed this sentiment in a statement, saying that Ontario lawyers care deeply about their communities and want meaningful opportunities to give back. Through this partnership with TABIA, lawyers can use their expertise to support local economic development and strengthen the businesses that help their communities thrive.

Lawyers should watch for the potential to attract new clients through this initiative, and consider applying to participate in the OBA's pro bono portal to help small businesses in Toronto.

Source: Original reporting via Law Times Canada