Limited Liability Partnerships: How They Work

I am a lawyer who helps small businesses, nonprofits, and startups with a wide variety of agreements, corporate formation, and corporate governance. ​ I earned my BA from Tulane University and my JD from the University of Chicago Law School. Before starting my own practice, I worked at an international law firm in New York City. ​ Outside of work, I am on the board of the nonprofit Seattle REconomy (which runs the NE Seattle and Shoreline tool libraries) and I enjoy gardening, baking bread, and outdoor activities with my spouse and two dogs.

My name is Ryenne Shaw and I help business owners build businesses that operate as assets instead of liabilities, increase in value over time and build wealth. My areas of expertise include corporate formation and business structure, contract law, employment/labor law, business risk and compliance and intellectual property. I also serve as outside general counsel to several businesses across various industries nationally. I spent most of my early legal career assisting C.E.O.s, General Counsel, and in-house legal counsel of both large and smaller corporations in minimizing liability, protecting business assets and maximizing profits. While working with many of these entities, I realized that smaller entities are often underserved. I saw that smaller business owners weren’t receiving the same level of legal support larger corporations relied upon to grow and sustain. I knew this was a major contributor to the ceiling that most small businesses hit before they’ve even scratched the surface of their potential. And I knew at that moment that all of this lack of knowledge and support was creating a huge wealth gap. After over ten years of legal experience, I started my law firm to provide the legal support small to mid-sized business owners and entrepreneurs need to grow and protect their brands, businesses, and assets. I have a passion for helping small to mid-sized businesses and startups grow into wealth-building assets by leveraging the same legal strategies large corporations have used for years to create real wealth. I enjoy connecting with my clients, learning about their visions and identifying ways to protect and maximize the reach, value and impact of their businesses. I am a strong legal writer with extensive litigation experience, including both federal and state (and administratively), which brings another element to every contract I prepare and the overall counsel and value I provide. Some of my recent projects include: - Negotiating & Drafting Commercial Lease Agreements - Drafting Trademark Licensing Agreements - Drafting Ambassador and Influencer Agreements - Drafting Collaboration Agreements - Drafting Service Agreements for service-providers, coaches and consultants - Drafting Master Service Agreements and SOWs - Drafting Terms of Service and Privacy Policies - Preparing policies and procedures for businesses in highly regulated industries - Drafting Employee Handbooks, Standard Operations and Procedures (SOPs) manuals, employment agreements - Creating Employer-employee infrastructure to ensure business compliance with employment and labor laws - Drafting Independent Contractor Agreements and Non-Disclosure/Non-Competition/Non-Solicitation Agreements - Conducting Federal Trademark Searches and filing trademark applications - Preparing Trademark Opinion Letters after conducting appropriate legal research - Drafting Letters of Opinion for Small Business Loans - Drafting and Responding to Cease and Desist Letters I service clients throughout the United States across a broad range of industries.

Forest is a general practice lawyer. He provides legal advice regarding small business law, contracts, estates and trusts, administrative law, corporate governance and compliance. Forest practiced complex commercial litigation in Florida for eight years, representing clients such as Host Marriott, Kellogg School of Business, and Toyota. Since moving to Nashville in 2005, he has provided legal advice to clients forming new businesses, planning for the future, and seeking funding through the use of equity and/or debt in their businesses. This advice has included the selection of business type, assistance in drafting and editing their business plans and offering material, reviewing proposed term sheets, and conducting due diligence. Forest is a member of the Florida, Tennessee, and Texas Bars; in addition. Forest has held a Series 7, General Securities Representative Exam, Series 24, General Securities Principal, and Series 63, Uniform Securities Agent State Law.

G'day, my name is Michele! I work with startups, entrepreneurs and small/medium-sized businesses across the country in a wide array of industries. I help them with all of their ongoing, daily legal needs. This includes entity formation, M&A, contract drafting and review, employment, asset sale & acquisition, and business sales or shareholder exits. I'm half-Australian, half-Italian, and I've lived the last 20+ years of my life in America. I've lived all over the USA, completing high school in the deep south, graduating cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis, and then cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center. After law school I worked for the Los Angeles office of Latham & Watkins, LLP. After four intense and rewarding years there, I left to become General Counsel and VP of an incredible, industry-changing start-up called Urban Mining Company (UMC) that manufactures rare earth permanent magnets. I now work for Phocus Law where I help run our practice focused on entrepreneurs, startups, and SMEs. I love what I do, and I'd love to be of help! My focus is on providing stress-free, enjoyable, and high-quality legal service to all of my clients. Being a good lawyer isn't enough: the client experience should also be great. But work isn't everything, and I love my free time. I've been an avid traveler since my parents put me on a plane to Italy at 9-months old. I'm also a music nut, and am still looking for that perfect client that will engage me to explain why Dark Side Of The Moon is the greatest album of all time. Having grown up in a remote, and gorgeous corner of Australia, I feel a strong connection to nature, and love being in the elements.

Benjamin is an attorney specializing in Business, Intellectual Property, Employment and Real Estate.

I represent a diverse mix in a vast array of specialties, including litigation, contracts, compliance, business and financial strategies, and emerging industries. Credit for this foundation of strength goes to those who taught me. Skilled professors and professionals fostered my powerful educational and professional background. Prior to law school, I earned dual Bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration & Accounting from Peru State College. I received a Master of Business Administration degree from Chadron State College. My ambitions did not stop there. While working full time as a Senior Accountant for the University of Missouri, Columbia, I achieved the lifelong goal of becoming a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Mizzo provided excellent opportunities and amazing experiences. Managing over $50M in government and private research funding was a gift. As a high ranking professional in the Department of Research, I was given priceless insight into the greatest scientific, journalistic, medical, and legal minds in the world. My passion for successful growth did not, and has not stopped. I graduated summa cum laude (top 3%) with a Doctorate in Law, emphasizing in urban, land use and environmental/toxic tort law from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. This success lead to invaluable experiences of serving as Hon. Brian C. Wimes' judicial clerk for the U.S. District Court for the W. D. of Missouri, as a staff editor/writer for UMKC Law Review, and as a litigation and transactional attorney with Lathrop GPM (fka Lathrop & Gage). My professional and personal network is expansive, with established relationships throughout the U.S. and overseas. Although I engage in legal practice all over the country, I maintain law licenses in Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska. Federally, I hold licenses in the W.D. and E.D. of Missouri and the District of Nebraska. To offer extra value, efficiency, and options, I maintain a CPA license and am obtaining a real-estate brokerage license.

During my tenure as VP & Division General Counsel of PepsiCo Inc. in Chicago, I built upon my diverse career overseeing legal matters for both the domestic and international businesses of PepsiCo and The Quaker Oats Co. My extensive practice areas included M&A, contracts, competition, NDAs, regulatory compliance, consumer product & protection, environmental, patents, and advertising regulations. Throughout my professional journey, I navigated legal complexities associated with an eclectic range of products, spanning juices, sports drinks, cereals, snacks, needlepoint kits, canned goods, eyeglasses, men's suits, car seats and toys. For further information, see my LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/karen-hunter-a700179