Services

One attorney for every legal question. We engage fast, understand the full picture, and handle it or find the right person who can.


Does this sound like your situation?

Most of our clients are dealing with one of these when they first call.

You need a lawyer you can actually call.

You're signing contracts, making business decisions with legal angles, and navigating situations where getting it wrong is expensive, and you don't have an attorney who knows your business. You want one contact who picks up the phone and already understands what's going on.

Something just came up.

A contract dispute, an employee situation, a deal on the table, or a legal question with a deadline. You need an attorney who can engage quickly, get current on the facts, and help you understand and evaluate risks and motivations of the parties so you can make an informed decision or determine where you need to focus next.

You're buying or selling a business.

A business purchase or sale is the most legally complex thing most business owners ever do. You need someone to manage the process from planning, letter of intent through close: deal structure, due diligence, negotiations, and coordination with your accountant and broker. See how we handle transactions →

You're starting to think about what's next.

Who takes over when you're ready to step back? Whether you're five years out or twenty, the right time to build a plan is well before you need one. Family transfers, key employee buyouts, or a clean sale. All of it requires legal work that takes time to do right. Succession planning →


Ongoing support standing by.

An ongoing relationship with reliable access. One attorney who knows your business, answers your questions on short notice, and handles the day-to-day legal picture. A sounding board when you need one. A second opinion when it matters. Ongoing arrangements are structured around what you actually need.

  • Available for calls and quick questions on short notice
  • Contract review and negotiation: commercial agreements, leases, vendor and client contracts
  • Proactive risk reviews and legal checkups as the business grows
  • Specialist coordination when matters require it: litigation, tax, specialized real estate

Projects and Ad Hoc.

Not every engagement needs an ongoing relationship. For a transaction, a compliance question, or a specific contract, we scope the work, engage quickly, and handle or coordinate it. We'll tell you what it requires and help you to wrap around potential costs before we start.

  • Entity formation and restructuring: LLC, corporation, operating agreements
  • Contract drafting and review: one-time engagements, vendor agreements, NDAs
  • Business acquisitions and sales, letter of intent through close
  • Commercial lease review and purchase and sale transactions
  • Succession and exit planning: buy-sell agreements, transition structure

What we handle

Click through for detail on each area.


Common questions

What does outside general counsel mean for a small business?

It means we act as your in-house attorney without the in-house cost. One contact for every legal question: contracts, transactions, compliance, disputes, whatever comes up. We engage quickly, get current on your situation, and handle it directly or coordinate the right specialist. You're not explaining your business from scratch every time something comes up.

What size businesses do you work with?

Primarily small to mid-size Oregon businesses, from startups and professional practices to companies doing $25 million or more in revenue. If you need a business attorney and don't have one on staff, you're the right fit.

Do I need an ongoing relationship, or can you help with a specific matter?

Either works. We handle one-off projects (a transaction, a contract, a compliance question) at the same level of service as ongoing relationships. Many clients start with a specific matter and establish an ongoing relationship after the first engagement.

How quickly can you get involved when something comes up?

For established clients, quickly: typically same day or next day for urgent matters. New matters start with a free 15-minute call. We don't drag out the intake process, and for established clients we're often already current on the business context.

What do you handle directly vs. bring in someone else for?

We handle contracts, entity formation and governance, commercial leases, and most general business law directly. For complex disputes, real estate litigation, tax planning, or matters requiring deep specialization, we identify the right attorney, coordinate the engagement, and stay in the loop as necessary or desired. You don't lose continuity just because the matter requires a specialist.

Do you work with businesses outside the Portland area?

Yes. We're licensed in Oregon and serve businesses statewide: Portland metro, Salem, Eugene, Bend, Medford, and everywhere in between. Most work happens by phone and email, and we travel for matters that benefit from it.

How do you bill?

Flat fees for defined projects where we can scope the work. Hourly for ongoing relationships and open-ended matters.

Have a question that's not here? Send a message.


Start with a conversation.

15 minutes, no charge. Tell us what's going on and we'll tell you what we can do.