IP & Business Law Counseling, LLC provides diverse services in Intellectual Property, Business, and Corporate Law*

We understand that choosing an attorney is an important decision. This website is designed to provide an overview of the firm’s philosophy, experience, areas of practice, types of clients and industries served, and other information to help you determine if we are the right fit for you and your business. However, this website should not be a substitute for meeting us in-person. We encourage you to contact us early in your decision-making process.

We focus on providing commonsense and businesslike approaches to the practice of law. The firm’s attorney entered law after a twenty year career in biomedical research and teaching. He became a lawyer to help bridge communication gaps he believed existed between scientists, lawyers, and businesspersons. His desire was to help scientist-entrepreneurs establish businesses and commercialize their inventions.

The firm understands that our clients think about their businesses all the time and we strive to become an integral part of their teams. That means being available 24/7 and taking ownership of our clients’ problems and concerns. We reply to all e-mails and telephone calls within two hours (or by the end of the day under extenuating circumstances). Further, to ensure we remain extremely close and “in-tune” throughout the year, we offer full-day complimentary conferences quarterly to all of our clients. We are confident that our clients will confirm our philosophy and dedication to client-centric service. Please feel free to ask for references from any of our clients who have provided comments on this website.

The firm represents individuals and companies in technology and non-technology businesses. Our clients are mostly entrepreneurs and small to medium-sized companies. Many of our clients are high-technology companies that require our real-world technical background to help them develop and commercialize biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and other life sciences products and services. However, we also work with many businesses that do not have a high-tech focus but instead market common consumer products or services and are in need of the firm’s core legal competencies.

The firm’s attorney is also an independent contract attorney for two large general practice law firms (comprising more than 600 attorneys) that value his experience in general business and corporate law as well as patent law. Our close relationship with these large law firms is a tremendous asset to our clients when there is a need for complementary services or guidance beyond our core practice areas.

Thank you for your interest in IP & Business Law Counseling, LLC. We hope that this website is a useful preliminary resource in helping you determine whether or not we are the right law firm for you and your business. We look forward to meeting with you to discuss your legal needs and concerns.

*Practice currently limited to U.S. Patent Law and not accepting new clients.

stock4“George is a consummate professional and a great resource. I don’t just consider him my lawyer, I consider him my business partner and confidant.”
Chris Marschner, MBA, Founder & Managing Member, Entrepreneur Resource Group, LLC

biotech3
“George has been Intelligent Substrates’ legal eagle for over five years. His scientific background and easy manner separated him from the pack, and he has been a steady legal guide for, and friend to, the company from day One. We’re very fortunate to have George and his firm on our team.”
Will Heinz, PhD, President & Chief Executive Officer Intelligent Substrates, Inc.

 

Representative Legal Services, Industries & Technology Sectors

  • stock6

    • Patent preparation, filing, and prosecution
    • Trademark registration
    • Copyright registration
    • Trade secret protection
    • Licensing and technology transfer transactions
    • Assignments and ownership issues
    • Portfolio management
    • Clearance of internal documents for presentations and journal publication
    • Implementation of employee, independent contractor, and company-wide security policies
    • Restrictive covenants (nondisclosure, confidentiality, noncompetition, and nonsolicitation)
    • Strategy implementation (acquisition, sale, protection, and commercialization)
    • Joint development agreements
    • Due diligence investigations in support of acquisition, investment, and financing transactions
    • Auditing of intellectual property assets (patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets)
    • Freedom to operate/noninfringement/clearance analysis and opinions
    • Patentability analysis and opinions
    • Patent validity analysis and opinions
    • Patent landscape analysis
    • Litigation support (discovery and expert witness selection/preparation)

  • corporate

    • Business entity selection and formation (including preparation of all related documents such as articles of incorporation/formation, stockholder agreements, and LLC operating agreements)
    • Business cessation, dissolution, and succession planning
    • Buy-sell agreements
    • Corporate governance and compliance (including, for example, board and stockholder resolutions)
    • Confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements
    • Executive and nonexecutive employment agreements
    • Employee separation and release agreements
    • Independent contractor agreements
    • Restricted stock award agreements
    • Manufacturing, distribution, and sales representative agreements
    • Consulting, professional, and master services agreements
    • Commercial and general business contracts (drafting and negotiating)
    • Contract research agreements
    • Noncompetition and nonsolicitation agreements
    • Management services agreements
    • Social media policies
    • Vendor agreements
    • Clinical trial and sponsored research agreements
    • Commercial lease agreements
    • Release and hold harmless agreements
    • Construction and subcontractor agreements
    • Website privacy policies
    • Website terms of use/service
    • Website terms and conditions
    • Website design, development, and hosting agreements
    • Website content licenses
    • Advising and structuring of joint ventures and strategic alliances
    • Advising and structuring of mergers and acquisitions
    • Letters of intent/memoranda of understanding/term sheets
    • Bills of sale
    • Promissory notes
    • Collaboration and joint development agreements
    • Asset purchase agreements
    • Stock purchase agreements
    • Membership interest purchase agreements
    • Due diligence for various business development and financing transactions

  • We provide services that are tailored to meet the needs of entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes. As an alternative to hiring a full-time, in-house corporate general counsel, the firm offers client-specific virtual general counseling and payment plan options that are available semi-annually and annually. Typical services may include the following:

    • Regularly scheduled hours of service at the client’s locationcorp
    • Systematic process for review of all incoming and outgoing agreements
    • Routine review of all written materials to be released to third parties
    • Routine review of presentations to be delivered at small meetings or large conferences
    • Oversight of outside professionals’ productivity and billing (attorneys, accountants, other advisors)
    • Implementation of company-specific template documents
    • Attendance at company executive committee and board meetings
    • Attendance at all teleconferences and in-person meetings with third parties as requested
    • Regularly scheduled on-site presentations and seminars on various legal matters
    • Review of business plans, presentations, and pitches for financing opportunities
    • Creative, cost-effective fee arrangements (fixed fees and/or tiered hourly rate schedules based on payment plan and service options)

    This area of the firm’s practice is meant to be highly creative, customizable, and client-driven. Therefore, we welcome client input and suggestions to make the Virtual General Counsel practice a welcome alternative to our, and other law firms’, typical billing arrangements.

  • We provide services to entrepreneurs and businesses in technology and non-technology industries.

    stock1Representative non-technology businesses include providers of consumer products and services, construction companies, farms, sports and athletic facilities, construction companies, and consulting companies. We also act as independent contract attorney to two large law firms.

    Representative technology businesses include life sciences and healthcare companies. Our technology business clients value our core scientific competencies and real-world experience in chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, immunology, and pharmacology.

    Representative technology sectors include the following:

    • Biotechnology and nanotechnology
    • Pharmaceuticalsstock5
    • Nutritionals
    • Medical devices
    • Medical diagnostics
    • Cosmetics
    • Target discovery and high-throughput screening
    • Drug-delivery systems
    • Therapeutic small molecules
    • Stem cells
    • Antibodies
    • Vaccines
    • Antimicrobials
    • Antisense oligonucleotides
    • Recombinant genes and proteins
    • Instrumentation