June 26, 2020
Miami Law Firm Provides Free Legal Help for Black Startups in Hospitality
As part of the current national movement toward racial equality, a Miami law firm is using its expertise to provide pro bono legal help to Black entrepreneurs.
AXS LAW Group, a full-service boutique law firm located in the Wynwood arts district of Miami, has created a new program to help Black-owned startups in the restaurant/hospitality industry overcome the barriers to entry.
“The time and expertise required to turn a concept and a dream into an actual restaurant can be insurmountable hurdles for many would-be entrepreneurs. These challenges are often magnified for Black entrepreneurs looking to step into the hospitality industry for the first time,” the firm states on its website.
“This is a time for our firm, our city, and our nation to open our hearts and our minds, to listen to the voices being raised in protest, and to respond with action! We stand in solidarity with the Black community and we are excited to use our platform to help make a change.”
Through the AXS LAW Roadmap Initiative, the firm will offer chosen clients pro bono legal help on a case by case basis, including quarterly follow-ups to assess ongoing legal needs.
It will start accepting applications from entrepreneurs across the country on July 1st, and a committee will select clients based on “financial need, business plan, prior experience, communities served” and other factors.
The legal services, such as obtaining an EIN in order to set up a bank account, negotiating a lease, and drafting confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements, are part of a package that includes:
- Entity formation and initial organization documents
- Lease review and consultation
- Intellectual property structuring and trademark filing
- Shareholder/partnership agreements
“The AXS LAW family, like so many others around the world, have been deeply saddened by the heinous killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks, and so many other Black Americans,” said Michelle White, attorney at AXS LAW Group, in a press release.
“As a firm we are committed to fight systemic racism and to support a community that has always supported us. We are working to make changes within Miami and the country at large, and from that introspection, the AXS LAW Roadmap Initiative was born.”
To receive information about the AXS LAW Roadmap Initiative or to submit an application, contact them at roadmap@axslawgroup.com.