Who Gets You Public? Why Lawyers & Auditors Alone Aren’t Enough?

The biggest mistake most entrepreneurs make when thinking about going public is assuming they can just hire a law firm, an audit firm, or a market maker — and the process will take care of itself. It won’t. Each of these professionals is essential, but none of them will actually get you public on their own. Unless someone is coordinating the entire process, your company will end up with fragmented work, stalled progress, and wasted money.


This article breaks down what each professional does, why their role is limited, and why a “quarterback” — someone who acts as the air-traffic controller of the process — is the missing piece almost every entrepreneur overlooks.


Lawyers: They File, But Don’t Coordinate

A securities attorney is critical. They draft and file your SEC documents — such as a Form S-1, Form 10, or in OTC cases, materials for Form 211. They also prepare corporate governance documents, update bylaws, and make sure your disclosures comply with regulations.


But here’s the problem: once the lawyer completes their drafting, they hand it back to you. They don’t manage your auditors, chase down your market maker, or ensure the exchange reviews are moving forward. They are excellent at their role, but their role is only one piece of the puzzle.


Auditors: They Validate, But Don’t Advance You

PCAOB-registered auditors provide something no company can go public without — audited financial statements. These audits prove to regulators and investors that your financials can be trusted.


Yet the audit itself is only a foundation. Auditors don’t prepare SEC filings, don’t manage shareholder communications, and don’t initiate trading. An audit is necessary, but it doesn’t move you down the runway toward a public listing unless someone integrates it into the broader process.


Transfer Agents: They Record, But Don’t Launch

A transfer agent manages shareholder records, issues stock certificates, and ensures your shares can trade electronically once you are public. Their role comes late in the process.


The problem? Many entrepreneurs mistakenly call transfer agents early, only to find out the agent can’t do anything until filings and audits are finished. Transfer agents enable trading — but they don’t get you listed.


Market Makers: They Sponsor, But Don’t Build

If you’re pursuing an OTC listing, you’ll need a sponsoring market maker to file Form 211 with FINRA. Without this sponsor, your stock can’t trade.


But market makers won’t engage until everything else is ready: the audits, the legal filings, the transfer agent. They don’t project manage your filings. They simply take your completed package and submit it. If you try to start with them, you’ll be sent back to square one.


The Real Problem: Professionals Work in Silos

Each of these specialists is like a skilled musician — but there’s no orchestra without a conductor. Auditors don’t coordinate with lawyers. Market makers won’t talk to auditors. Transfer agents don’t manage SEC deadlines. And exchanges don’t guide you until your package is already complete.


When entrepreneurs attempt to “do it themselves” by calling each professional separately, the process usually grinds to a halt. Everyone is waiting on someone else, and no one is accountable for the end-to-end outcome.


The Missing Piece: A Quarterback

What actually gets you public isn’t the lawyer, the auditor, the market maker, or the transfer agent, it’s the coordination between all of them. That’s why you need a “quarterback” (or air-traffic controller) who:

  • Knows which professionals to engage, in what order, and at what time.
  • Ensures that documents flow correctly from one party to the next.
  • Manages timelines so audits, filings, and approvals don’t stall.
  • Keeps budget and compliance aligned across the process.


Without this role, the entire go-public effort risks collapsing under its own complexity.


Bottom Line

No single professional “takes you public.” Each plays an important but limited role. The real difference between companies that succeed and companies that stall is whether they have someone orchestrating the entire process.



If you’re considering going public, don’t make the mistake of thinking one firm will do it all. Success requires a quarterback who brings together lawyers, auditors, transfer agents, market makers, and exchanges into a coordinated, sequenced process that moves your company from private to public.