SAFE Note Lawyers for 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.

I am an attorney licensed in both California and Mexico. I offer a unique blend of 14 years of legal expertise that bridges the gap between diverse legal landscapes. My background is enriched by significant roles as in-house counsel for global powerhouses such as Anheuser-Busch, Campari Group, and Grupo Lala, alongside contributions to Tier 1 law firms. I specialize in navigating the complexities of two pivotal areas: AI/Tech Innovation: With a profound grasp of both cutting-edge transformer models and foundational machine learning technologies, I am your go-to advisor for integrating these advancements into your business. Whether it's B2B or B2C applications, I ensure that your company harnesses the power of AI in a manner that's not only enterprise-friendly but also fully compliant with regulatory standards. Cross-Border Excellence: My expertise extends beyond borders, with over a decade of experience facilitating cross-border operations for companies in more than 20 countries. I am particularly adept at enhancing US-Mexico operations, ensuring seamless and efficient business transactions across these territories.

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.

Over the course of the past 30 years, in both General Counsel roles (3 times) and in private practice, I have built a successful national real estate transaction, construction, and environmental law practice

Ethan specializes in preparing and structuring transactional deals and advising business owners as outside general counsel. Ethan enjoys working with business owners and entrepreneurs who strive to achieve growth through utilizing modern-day solutions and implementing business strategies that get results. Ethan is passionate about helping families and individuals with disabilities to design, form, and administer special needs trusts, ensuring individuals with disabilities remain eligible for federal and state benefit programs while living their best lives. Ethan has experience from previous firms in civil litigation, estate planning, and regulatory matters. Ethan holds a JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law, and a Masters of Law in Taxation (LLM) from Georgetown Law University Law Center. Prior to law practice, Ethan earned a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and was promoted to Chief Editor at a regional news publication.

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.