Practice Areas
Four practice areas, three ways to work with us. Clear scope, clear fees, and a senior lawyer accountable for the outcome.
How we think about the work
We do not try to be a full-service firm. We practice in four areas, we practice them at a high level, and we refer out the rest to lawyers we trust.
Large firms grow by adding practice groups. We have grown by staying focused. Over nearly three decades we have concentrated on four areas that genuinely reinforce one another — a deal that anticipates the dispute, a dispute informed by how the deal was struck, intellectual property protected with an eye to its value on a sale. When that knowledge lives in one firm, it does not merely coexist. It compounds into better advice.
The way we bill reflects the way we work. There are no surprise invoices and no charges you cannot trace to a task. Where a matter can be scoped, we quote a fixed fee. Where it cannot, we bill by the hour against a written estimate and tell you the moment the shape of the work changes — before it does, never after. The figures below are starting points; the real number comes once we understand exactly what you need.
Practices
Most engagements draw on more than one of these. We'll tell you which after our first conversation.
The transactions that move a company forward.
From formation to exit, we structure, negotiate, and close the deals that define a business. We handle mergers, acquisitions, venture and debt financings, joint ventures, and the governance that holds them together — always with an eye to how the documents will read years later, in a boardroom or a courtroom.
Prepared for trial, positioned to settle.
Commercial disputes, contract and partnership breakups, arbitration, and crisis response. We prepare every matter as though it will be tried — because thorough preparation is what produces favorable settlements and, when necessary, wins at trial. You will always know the strategy, the odds, and the cost.
Protecting what a business is built on.
Patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and technology licensing. We secure the rights behind your products and enforce them decisively when they are infringed — and we build the licensing structures that turn intellectual property into revenue rather than risk.
From first option to certificate of occupancy.
Acquisitions and dispositions, commercial leasing, financing, zoning, and development. We guide owners, investors, and developers through complex projects — anticipating the entitlement fight, the title defect, and the lender's condition before they become the reason a deal stalls.
Engagements
Fees are indicative — every matter is quoted precisely once we understand its scope.
| Engagement | Consultation | Engagement | Outside Counsel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fees | from $450 | Hourly or fixed | Retainer |
| Best for | A single question that needs a clear, senior answer | A defined matter — a deal, a filing, a dispute | Ongoing counsel for a company without in-house lawyers |
| What's included |
|
|
|
Process
Every engagement follows the same four movements. There are no black boxes and no surprises — just steady, visible progress you are part of the whole way through.
A confidential conversation about your situation, your objectives, and the risks as you see them. We ask more than we tell, because sound advice depends entirely on getting the facts right first.
We put the matter in writing — the strategy, the plan, and the fee. This engagement letter becomes the reference we return to whenever a decision gets hard, and it keeps everyone, including us, accountable.
We do the work — negotiating, drafting, filing, and appearing. You see the strategy unfold and are consulted on every decision that carries real weight. Nothing important happens without your sign-off.
We bring the matter to a close — the deal signed, the case settled or won, the project cleared to build. Then we stay available, because the best client relationships outlast any single engagement.
Questions
A consultation starts at $450 for a 60 to 90 minute session directly with a partner, followed by a written summary of our advice. If you go on to retain us for the matter, that fee is credited against your first invoice. We will always tell you the cost before you commit to anything.
Tell us the shape of your matter and we'll come back with clear next steps and a fee.