Equity Incentive Plan Lawyers for Joliet, Illinois

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.

Clear, strategic legal guidance when you need it most—whether you're planning ahead or defending a position. Legal challenges shouldn't feel confusing or overwhelming. Whether you're building an estate plan, structuring a business, or navigating a dispute, my practice is built on clarity, care, and practical strategy. I work with clients who want real solutions—not just paperwork—through planning and advice that truly fits their goals, families, and businesses. Planning & Structure I focus on estate planning, asset protection, and business succession, helping individuals and entrepreneurs organize their assets, reduce risk, and prepare for every stage of life. Whether you're setting up your first living trust, shielding your business from liability, or updating an existing estate plan, you'll receive clear guidance, fixed-fee pricing, and responsive support from start to finish. Each plan I design is tailored to your real-world priorities: preserving wealth, avoiding unnecessary taxes and probate, and ensuring the people you love are protected when it matters most. I also focus on general business matters outlined below. Disputes & Defense When legal conflicts arise—disputed contracts, demand letters, settlement negotiations, or litigation decisions—I provide realistic risk assessment and strategic guidance. I help clients understand their actual exposure (not just best-case scenarios), identify leverage points, and navigate toward efficient resolution. If you're facing a legal claim or need to evaluate your position before responding, I can walk you through the realistic options and their costs. Services: Estate Planning & Asset Protection --Simple wills and powers of attorney --Living trusts for small estates --Buy-sell agreements for family businesses Business Formation & Agreements --LLC or S-Corp formation filings --Operating Agreements / Shareholder Agreements --Founder or Investor Agreements --Bylaws and Minutes templates --Registered agent setup guidance Contracts & Commercial Matters --Service Agreements (consulting, marketing, software, design, etc.) --Independent Contractor Agreements --Employment contracts and offer letters --Non-compete, non-solicitation, or confidentiality agreements --Employee handbooks or HR policy updates --Termination or severance agreements --NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements) --Partnership or Joint Venture Agreements --Sales or Vendor Contracts --Licensing or IP Agreements Terms and conditions SaaS Platforms --Terms of Service --Privacy Policy --Independent Contractor Agreements --Customer/User Agreements --Liability Waivers --Cancellation & Refund Policy --Non-Solicitation Clauses --Marketplace compliance documents Real Estate --Commercial lease drafting or review --Residential lease review --Purchase & sale agreements --Short-term rental (Airbnb) contracts --Property management agreements Professional Approach: I leverage modern legal research and writing technologies—including AI-assisted tools—to enhance the quality, speed, and clarity of my analysis. Like many legal professionals today, I use these tools to organize research, improve communication, and catch errors. On research tools: case law and statutory verification runs through a vLex/Fastcase subscription, and drafting and first-pass review is AI-assisted. Every analysis I provide is thoroughly reviewed and reflects my independent professional judgment as a licensed attorney. AI is a tool that supports my work; it does not replace it.

Creative, results driven business & technology executive with 27 years of experience (17+ as a business/corporate lawyer). A problem solver with a passion for business, technology, and law. I bring a thorough understanding of the intersection of the law and business needs to any endeavor, having founded multiple startups myself with successful exits. I provide professional business and legal consulting. Throughout my career I've represented a number large corporations (including some of the top Fortune 500 companies) but the vast majority of my clients these days are startups and small businesses. Having represented hundreds of successful crowdfunded startups, I'm one of the most well known attorneys for startups seeking CF funds. I hold a Juris Doctor degree with a focus on Business/Corporate Law, a Master of Business Administration degree in Entrepreneurship, A Master of Education degree and dual Bachelor of Science degrees. I look forward to working with any parties that have a need for my skill sets.

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.

Equity Investments, Agreements & Transactions | Securities & Lending | Corporate Governance | Complex Commercial Contracts | Outside General Counsel & Compliance

A seasoned attorney with deep General Counsel experience and a flexible, business-minded approach to legal leadership. Skilled in collaborating with product, sales, operations, finance, and executive teams — not just to mitigate risk or ensure compliance, but to enable growth, innovation, and efficient deal execution. In my current practice at GCBench, I offer scalable, on-demand counsel tailored to organizations’ changing needs. Legal rigor is combined with operational sensibility, making guidance a facilitator rather than a hurdle. Whether structuring transactions, advising on regulatory matters, or shaping policies, legal strategy is aligned tightly with business objectives.

Experienced business advisor and in-house counsel with extensive litigation experience, representing parties in a variety of complex commercial disputes, including securities, financial fraud, contract, and antitrust litigation.

Walid J. Tamari, founder and named member of Tamari Law Group, LLC, is widely recognized as one of the nation's top litigators. In 2018, Mr. Tamari was one of only 25 attorneys in the United States to be recognized by the prestigious National Law Journal as a Trailblazer Lawyer. The publication features lawyers who have “shown a deep passion and perseverance of their mission, having achieved remarkable successes along the way.” In addition, America's Top 100 Attorneys® and the National Trial Lawyers have included Mr. Tamari in their top 100 Illinois attorneys lists and the Business Tort Trial Lawyers Association has also selected Mr. Tamari in its “Illinois Top 10” list. Further, for several years, Benchmark Litigation: The Definitive Guide to America's Leading Litigation Firms has chosen Tamari Law Group as one of approximately 25 ranked litigation firms in Illinois. Mr. Tamari is also the past national chair of the Commercial Law League of America's complex commercial litigation committee, a committee comprised of attorneys throughout the nation who practice complex litigation. A distinguished litigator, Mr. Tamari represents clients in high-stakes and high profile civil litigation. He provides clients with result-oriented legal advice and representation in a wide-range of disputes, including claims relating to breach of contract, negligence, business tort and pharmaceutical liability litigation. Mr. Tamari has appeared on CBS News, NBC News, WGN News and Fox News and has been quoted in, among other publications, Forbes, Crain's Chicago Business, Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times. Mr. Tamari also teaches entrepreneurship law at Loyola University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business. Committed to giving back to the community, Mr. Tamari has established scholarships at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and Loyola University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business. He has served on national advisory boards at Loyola University of Chicago, the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation's Neurosurgery Council.

I am a corporate lawyer with extensive experience assisting clients of all sizes, from solo practitioners to enterprise-level international corporations. Over the course of my career, I have negotiated, drafted, and reviewed thousands of contracts spanning a wide range of industries and complexities. My practice is focused on delivering practical, business-oriented legal solutions that help clients protect their interests and achieve their goals.

Hi, I’m Kevin Flaherty, an Illinois-licensed attorney with extensive experience negotiating and drafting complex commercial agreements for engineering firms, technology companies, public agencies, and small-to-mid-sized businesses. Over the course of my career, I’ve: Led negotiations on domestic and international contracts, including engineering services agreements, EPC arrangements, SaaS licensing, MSAs, purchase/supply agreements, NDAs, and other mission-critical commercial documents. Developed risk-allocation strategies around indemnities, liability limits, flow-downs, multi-party contracting structures, and high-stakes project frameworks. Built contract playbooks, drafting standards, review matrices, and workflows designed to help clients understand their risks clearly and move deals forward with confidence. Provided training and guidance to internal teams and leadership on contract strategy, compliance considerations, and best practices. I bring not only legal expertise, but also a practical, problem-solving mindset—translating dense legal terms into actionable business decisions and helping clients protect their interests without losing momentum.