Business & Corporate Law Attorney Fees by State
Business formation, contracts, M&A, compliance, and corporate governance. Fee ranges below are based on Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024 wage data for lawyers (SOC 23-1011), adjusted by practice area market data.
How business & corporate law fees really work
Nationally, business & corporate law attorneys charge a median of $85/hour, with a working range of $51–$149/hour that spans solo practitioners in smaller markets at the low end and senior partners at full-service firms in high-cost metros at the top end. The multiplier applied to baseline BLS wage data (1.20×) reflects market demand and complexity premium specific to business & corporate law work — a signal that this practice area commands above-baseline fees due to the specialized knowledge, risk, or time intensity involved. Retainer agreements typically start at $5,000 for business & corporate law engagements — an upfront deposit held in trust and billed against as work is performed.
The spread across all 50 states is wide. Fee data calculated from BLS lawyer wage data shows state medians ranging from roughly $60/hour in the lowest-wage states to over $122/hour in the highest — a premium of 2.0× between markets. Geography is one of the largest drivers of attorney fees, followed by firm size, attorney experience, and case complexity. State-level medians presented in the table below are starting points, not ceilings; within any state, specific attorneys may charge substantially above or below the median based on reputation, specialty, and firm overhead.
These ranges are benchmarks for budgeting and comparison — not quotes. Any attorney you consider should provide a written fee agreement that spells out the hourly rate or flat fee, scope of work, costs passed through to you, billing cadence, and termination terms. Before signing, ask specifically what is included versus billed separately (expert witnesses, filing fees, travel), whether paralegal time is billed at a lower rate, and whether fees are negotiable for your matter — many business & corporate law attorneys will adjust quoted rates for clear-scope engagements or long-term clients. Always verify the attorney's bar status and discipline history through your state bar before hiring, regardless of their fee schedule.
Fees by State — Business & Corporate Law
Click any state for a detailed cost breakdown including what drives fees up or down in that market.
| State | Low | Median | High | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $40/hr | $67/hr | $117/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Alaska | $49/hr | $82/hr | $144/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Arizona | $46/hr | $77/hr | $135/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Arkansas | $37/hr | $62/hr | $109/hr | Full breakdown → |
| California | $61/hr | $102/hr | $179/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Colorado | $50/hr | $84/hr | $147/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Connecticut | $53/hr | $89/hr | $156/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Delaware | $52/hr | $86/hr | $151/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Florida | $43/hr | $72/hr | $126/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Georgia | $46/hr | $76/hr | $133/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Hawaii | $50/hr | $84/hr | $147/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Idaho | $42/hr | $70/hr | $123/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Illinois | $52/hr | $86/hr | $151/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Indiana | $42/hr | $70/hr | $123/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Iowa | $41/hr | $68/hr | $119/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Kansas | $42/hr | $70/hr | $123/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Kentucky | $40/hr | $66/hr | $116/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Louisiana | $42/hr | $70/hr | $123/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Maine | $43/hr | $72/hr | $126/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Maryland | $55/hr | $91/hr | $159/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Massachusetts | $56/hr | $94/hr | $165/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Michigan | $44/hr | $74/hr | $130/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Minnesota | $48/hr | $80/hr | $140/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Mississippi | $36/hr | $60/hr | $105/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Missouri | $43/hr | $72/hr | $126/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Montana | $41/hr | $68/hr | $119/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Nebraska | $43/hr | $71/hr | $124/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Nevada | $47/hr | $78/hr | $137/hr | Full breakdown → |
| New Hampshire | $48/hr | $80/hr | $140/hr | Full breakdown → |
| New Jersey | $58/hr | $96/hr | $168/hr | Full breakdown → |
| New Mexico | $41/hr | $68/hr | $119/hr | Full breakdown → |
| New York | $64/hr | $107/hr | $187/hr | Full breakdown → |
| North Carolina | $44/hr | $73/hr | $128/hr | Full breakdown → |
| North Dakota | $42/hr | $70/hr | $123/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Ohio | $44/hr | $73/hr | $128/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Oklahoma | $41/hr | $68/hr | $119/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Oregon | $49/hr | $82/hr | $144/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Pennsylvania | $49/hr | $82/hr | $144/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Rhode Island | $48/hr | $80/hr | $140/hr | Full breakdown → |
| South Carolina | $41/hr | $68/hr | $119/hr | Full breakdown → |
| South Dakota | $40/hr | $66/hr | $116/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Tennessee | $42/hr | $70/hr | $123/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Texas | $49/hr | $82/hr | $144/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Utah | $46/hr | $76/hr | $133/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Vermont | $43/hr | $72/hr | $126/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Virginia | $53/hr | $89/hr | $156/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Washington | $54/hr | $90/hr | $158/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Washington D.C. | $73/hr | $122/hr | $214/hr | Full breakdown → |
| West Virginia | $37/hr | $62/hr | $109/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Wisconsin | $43/hr | $72/hr | $126/hr | Full breakdown → |
| Wyoming | $40/hr | $67/hr | $117/hr | Full breakdown → |
Related Practice Areas
Compare business & corporate law fees with other practice areas in this directory.
Compare practice areas side-by-side
Compare business & corporate law fees with related practice areas to understand relative market pricing.
Compare areas →Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Lawyers (SOC 23-1011).
Secondary: American Bar Association fee surveys.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.