Not Just a Lawyer — An Entrepreneur

After leaving an in-house legal position with a technology company, I chose to be entrepreneurial myself by starting my own law practice rather than being a cog in someone else's machine. Knowing first hand the needs of startup and emerging growth companies, I recognized a clear market opportunity: providing superior, cost-effective legal services for business clients that need sophisticated counsel at a reasonable rate. More recently, and again in response to market needs, I enhanced my offerings with products such as my flat-fee Startup Legal Kit_SM, which provides an economical solution for budding entrepreneurs' basic legal needs.

Inside Experience

During my tenure as general counsel for LaunchCyte LLC, a biotechnology acquisition and development firm, I was intimately involved in the creation and development of three technology startups and handled issues ranging from corporate formation to executive compensation to intellectual property licensing. Since leaving my in-house position, I continue to act as outside counsel to LaunchCyte and have been involved in the founding of two additional LaunchCyte startups. I also represent information technology and other entrepreneurial companies and individuals.

Striking a Balance

Choosing a lawyer is one of the most important decisions an entrepreneur, especially a first-timer, will make. Because legal expense often can be an entrepreneurial company's largest non-salary line item, selecting a lawyer not calibrated to the needs of new ventures can drain your finances as well as your emotions. For instance, a lawyer's having the knowledge and judgment to put in place just enough, but not too many, legal safeguards for any particular business interaction can help to ensure that the client gets the protection and peace of mind it needs without paying for unnecessary or even obstructive legal services. The ability to strike that balance is one of the chief benefits I offer my clients.

Other Obligatory Information

If you are thinking of hiring me to be your lawyer, you probably want to know some other basic information about me, such as where I went to school (Princeton, '87, A.B.; Pitt, '96, J.D., magna cum laude and Editor in Chief of the Law Review); what I've done since law school (Buchanan Ingersoll associate from '96-'00; LaunchCyte LLC general counsel, '00-'03; and on my own since then); and whether I've won any impressive-sounding awards (not yet, but there's still plenty of time). If you'd like to know more, here are some representative clients and transactions.