I recently sat down with Mathew Kerbis to kick off our new series on How to Run a Law Firm in 2025!
In this first conversation, we dove into a topic that trips up a lot of new solo attorneys: choosing the right business entity for your firm. We shared our own experiences—how I used Google to figure it out nine years ago (yep, really!) and how Mathew followed the lead of the firms he’d worked for and checked with his state’s Supreme Court. Spoiler: neither approach was perfect, but they got the job done.
Our message is simple: don’t let the hunt for the “perfect” entity stop you from getting started. Both of us began as single-member LLCs with pass-through taxation. I later switched to S corp taxation when it made financial sense, and Mathew is planning to make that move soon.
We also talked about some practical financial tips—like why it’s critical to work with a CPA, keep your business and personal finances separate, and build a financial cushion before you start taking regular payments from your firm.
The big takeaway? You don’t have to figure out everything upfront. You can start as an LLC and decide on S corp status later when it’s right for you (with advice from your CPA, of course).
