Equity Incentive Plan Lawyers for Aurora, Illinois

I am a solo-practitioner with a practice mostly consisting of serving as a fractional general counsel to growth stage companies. With a practical business background, I aim to bring real-world, economically driven solutions to my client's legal problems and pride myself on efficient yet effective work.

15 years for legal experience; expertise in contracts, healthcare, ERISA, physicians, financial services, commercial contracts, employment agreements, etc. I am adept at all contracts and can provide you with efficient and quality services. I have worked at a law firm, financial services company, consulting ,and non-profit.

Corporate, M&A & Securities Lawyer | Managing Attorney, DP Counsel PLLC Practice Areas: Business Formation | Commercial Contracts | Contract Drafting & Review | Mergers & Acquisitions | Venture Capital | Securities Offerings | Franchise Law | Employment & Equity Compensation | Intellectual Property | Cross-Border Transactions About/Bio: I represent companies, investors, and fund sponsors in corporate transactions, commercial contracting, and private securities matters, from entity formation and early-stage financings to acquisitions, exits, and ongoing strategic counsel. As Managing Attorney of DP Counsel PLLC, I help clients structure transactions clearly, allocate risk thoughtfully, and move deals forward with documentation that is practical, enforceable, and aligned with business objectives. My practice includes both day-to-day commercial matters and more complex transactional work, including venture financings, private offerings, M&A deals, fund-related documents, and cross-border structuring. What I Do: Corporate & Commercial • Entity formation and structuring for corporations, LLCs, and limited partnerships • Operating agreements, shareholder agreements, and governance documents • Commercial contract drafting, review, and negotiation • Vendor, distribution, manufacturing, SaaS, and licensing agreements • Employment, consulting, confidentiality, and equity compensation agreements • Outside general counsel support for growing companies Securities & Private Capital • Private offerings under Regulation D and Regulation S • Private placement memoranda, subscription agreements, and investor documents • SAFE, convertible note, and priced equity financings • Venture capital and private fund formation matters • Fund governing documents and offering document packages • Securities law analysis for private capital raising transactions Mergers & Acquisitions • Letters of intent and term sheets • Stock purchase, asset purchase, and merger agreements • Due diligence coordination and transaction support • Disclosure schedules, closing documents, and post-closing matters • Earnouts, rollover equity, indemnity structures, and related deal terms • HSR, CFIUS, and related regulatory issue spotting for qualifying transactions Digital Assets & Emerging Technologies • Federal-law digital asset and token securities analysis • Entity structuring for blockchain and Web3 ventures • Digital asset fund and operating structures • AML/KYC documentation support and regulatory issue spotting Franchising • Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs) • Franchise agreements • Master franchise and area development agreements • Franchise structuring and registration coordination Real Estate Transactions • Commercial real estate acquisitions and dispositions • Real estate joint ventures and syndications • Commercial lease drafting and negotiation • Real estate investment structures and related offering documents Cross-Border & International • U.S. market entry and entity structuring for international clients • Delaware and multi-entity holding structures • Cross-border transaction planning and documentation • Coordination with foreign counsel and tax advisors on cross-border matters Why Clients Hire Me: • Big-law-level drafting with boutique responsiveness • Practical, business-focused advice grounded in execution reality • Clear scoping and transparent fee arrangements • Experience across financings, acquisitions, fund formations, and cross-border transactions Typical Projects: • Contract drafting and negotiation • Entity formation and governance packages • Private offering document suites • Venture financing documentation • M&A transactions from LOI through closing • Fractional or outside general counsel support Industries Technology | SaaS | FinTech | Digital Assets | E-commerce | Healthcare | Real Estate | Food & Beverage | Professional Services

I am a U.S.-licensed attorney with more than a decade of experience in complex litigation and intellectual property matters. I have practiced at leading Am Law firms including Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, Arent Fox, and Sughrue Mion, and I currently operate my own law practice. I have extensive experience handling high-stakes patent litigation, drafting pleadings and briefs, managing large-scale discovery, preparing and defending depositions, and appearing before federal courts and administrative bodies such as the PTAB and ITC. I hold a J.D., cum laude, from The George Washington University Law School and advanced technical degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering, which allow me to efficiently handle technically complex matters. I am admitted in multiple jurisdictions, including New York, Virginia, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia, and I regularly provide high-quality remote legal support to clients nationwide.

Having overseen over $1.2 billion in transaction value, we are able to provide top-tier service at affordable rates, with much more personalized attention and fast turnarounds. After working for a AM Law Top 100 firm, I started my own firm and have been lucky enough to represent numerous conglomerates (FOX, Endeavor, etc.), promising startups, small businesses and private individuals. Our areas of expertise - Business Formations and Operating Agreements; Capital Raises and Debt Financing; Commercial Transactions; M&A; Real Estate; Intellectual Property; Employment and Hiring; Outside General Counsel; Corporate Agreements and Governance; Litigation and Dispute Resolution. We have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Marketwatch, Yahoo Finance, Variety, Business Insider, Los Angeles Magazine, the LA Times, and others. We are driven by an unwavering commitment to our clients, going above and beyond to deliver results.

Marcia is an experienced business litigation and transactional attorney providing general counsel to individuals and small businesses owners in transactions and business disputes. Marcia's law practice focuses primarily on commercial litigation and transactional law. She represents and defends individuals, partnerships, limited liability companies, corporations, and not-for-profit corporations in a variety of commercial and employment disputes including partnership disputes, shareholder disputes, member disputes, and contract disputes. Additionally, she advises clients on transactional matters including contract creation, review, and negotiation, real estate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, donations, corporate governance, municipal governance, policy formation, and various compliance issues.

Attorney licensed in Texas & Illinois

Licensed to practice Law in Illinois since 2009. Family Law and Real Estate Law Attorney.

Illinois-licensed attorney with 9 years of experience in public interest work utilizing advanced skills in contract & project management, compliance, investigation, risk management, & training. Proven record developing and managing partnerships to deliver exceptional results in government agencies, non-profits, law firms, and broad community networks leading to multi-million dollar recoveries, risk management, and execution of large-scale program initiatives. Skills include: 1. Project & Contract Management: 9 years in project & contract management tracking project and contract goals, stages, budgets, and deliverables to lead and support program and department initiatives. 2. Compliance, Investigation, & Risk Management: 9 years in law, policy, & programs conducting investigation, research, writing, analysis, and education in administrative agency and court matters relating to: compliance, financial regulation, contracts, employment, workforce development, healthcare, retirement assets, mental health, disability, taxes, immigration, civil rights, grants, benefits, social services, & criminal defense. 3. Training/Teaching: 4 years training co-workers & community partners; 3 years teaching in U.S. & Ecuador (7 total). 4. Technology: Microsoft Office (including Excel), Contract Express, DocuSign, SharePoint, Westlaw, Lexis Nexis, Concordance, GoldFynch, Clio, Smokeball, Qualtrics, Google Forms, Slack, Zoom, Teams, Webex, & Adobe. 5. Spanish: Advanced Spanish skills from 1 year of teaching, studying, & travel in Ecuador, Peru, & Mexico.

As a resident of the Chicago Southside, Attorney Carissa Essex is a dedicated mother, wife, and attorney. Carissa graduated from the Illustrious Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. She then returned to Chicago to obtain her Juris Doctorate in 2016 from DePaul University College of Law. After working in Corporate America for several years as a full-time Legal Project Manager practicing law part-time, Carissa decided to devote all of her time to her legal practice and founded Essex Law in early 2024. Focusing on Family Law and Real Estate Law matters, Essex Law provides exceptional and affordable services to all throughout the Chicagoland Area.