Vermont Small Business Law Center outlines 2024 legal needs, referral program and emerging industries

Nicole Colloren, director of the Vermont Small Business Law Center and Clinic at Vermont Law and Graduate School, told the Vermont House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development on Jan. 31 that her program provides statewide legal assistance and education to small businesses and has seen several recurring legal trends in 2024.

The Small Business Law Center provides three core services: educational consults, a paid attorney-referral program run with the Vermont Bar Association, and public educational events. “We provide access to legal services for small businesses,” Colloren said, adding that the center also uses a low-bono panel of about 40 firms and “we pay for up to 10 hours of services, no cost to the business.”

Colloren said the center received intake requests from almost 300 businesses in 2024, completed educational consults with 149, and placed or began placing 168 businesses with attorneys through the referral system. Another 39 were signed up for educational consults through April 15, and the center delivered more than 80 educational presentations and flood clinics last year.

Why it matters: Committee members pressed for details about the program’s reach and how quickly businesses can get help. The center’s services aim to reduce legal barriers for small-business owners statewide, particularly those affected by disasters or planning new ventures.

Key trends and needs Colloren described included:

- Strong interest in forming nonprofits and use of fiscal sponsorships. Colloren said she has seen many sole proprietors and LLCs consider nonprofit structures or operating a nonprofit arm alongside a for‑profit business.

- Flood-related commercial lease problems and landlord disputes. Colloren described numerous commercial leases that lacked disaster provisions and said relocations and landlord disputes were a major fallout from 2023–24 floods.

- Data privacy concerns and uncertainty. Colloren said many small-business owners are “fearful” and unsure what policies or steps are required when conducting online sales or retaining customer data.

- Beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting at the federal level. Colloren said BOI reporting “applies to almost every business in the state” and that the center is trying to inform owners of basic compliance requirements.

- Intellectual property issues concentrated in copyright and trademark infringement (including third‑party takedown or settlement demands), but little evidence of patent‑troll claims in the center’s caseload.

- Contract drafting and disputes: “Big, big topic,” Colloren said, including how to negotiate and resolve vendor disputes and how to write enforceable contracts.

- Emerging and niche business activity, including growth in gluten‑free and vegan food production, agritourism and on‑farm tourism, accessory dwelling unit (ADU) projects and small health‑coaching or counseling practices. Colloren also described an emerging local industry around services for out‑of‑state residents seeking medical‑assistance‑in‑dying, noting she had spoken with nonprofits, “death doulas” and some motel owners confronting the issue.

How the referral program works: Colloren said the center operates under a congressionally directed spending grant administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Qualifying businesses generally must have fewer than 20 employees to be eligible for the paid referral that covers up to 10 hours. The Vermont Bar Association maintains the attorney panel; firms bill the bar association, the bar association bills the center, and the center pays from the grant. Colloren said educational consult scheduling typically looks out about three months; attorney referrals can take roughly two to eight weeks depending on need and geography, while a limited “timely need” bucket is available for urgent reviews within one to two weeks.

Public education: Colloren outlined ongoing public events and a planned “startup legal basics” webinar series the center intends to run twice a month to address common formation, contract and compliance questions. She provided the center’s web contact: sblcforsmallbusinesslawcenter.vermontlaw.edu.

Committee questions and clarifications: Committee member Herb Wilson asked about eligibility and who ultimately pays attorney fees; Colloren explained the <20‑employee eligibility threshold and the billing flow described above. Other committee members asked about data privacy, noncompete clauses and events; Colloren recommended more education on data privacy and noted the Federal Trade Commission has been scrutinizing noncompete clauses.

The session concluded without formal committee actions; Colloren closed her presentation by saying, “That is actually the end of my presentation,” and invited further questions.