Available now — CA & DC licensed

A lawyer who has
run a company.
Not just advised one.

A California and District of Columbia attorney. I co-founded a biotechnology company in 2008, became its full-time general counsel in 2010, and have been its CEO since 2020. Now available as your outside counsel, without big-firm overhead.

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California Bar No. 170952 DC Bar No. 90031069 J.D./M.P.A., Syracuse University Admitted 1994

Why outside general counsel

The best outcome is the one you never hear about

Most of what I do doesn't look like legal work in the usual sense — it's the indemnification clause flagged before a vendor meeting, the liability cap checked against the actual risk before a signature, the problem caught early enough that it never becomes one. I spent eleven years litigating those same clauses after they'd already failed, so I know what they cost when they're wrong. That's the case for having someone in your corner before a decision gets made, not just after — no guarantees, just fewer surprises.

Practice areas

What I can help you with

I work with technology startups and growing small businesses that need experienced outside counsel on commercial, IP, and contract matters — without big-firm rates or a full-time hire.

Technology licensing & IP agreements

IP and technology licensing, transfers, and assignments — from content licensing to patent sublicenses and research collaborations, including international deals, data usage rights, and confidentiality provisions. Drafted and negotiated hands-on as Xona's general counsel.

Commercial contracts

Master service agreements, vendor agreements, distribution and supply contracts, NDAs, contractor and employment agreements — the commercial paper a growing company runs on, including the indemnification and liability-allocation language that determines what those agreements are actually worth if something goes wrong. Drafted and negotiated across technology, internet, and biotech companies.

Pre-litigation counseling & dispute resolution

Early counsel when a dispute is brewing — contract disputes, demand letters, settlement strategy, and risk assessment. Eleven years in litigation means I can gauge how a matter would actually play out in court, often heading off a lawsuit before it starts. Advisory only; matters requiring court appearances are referred to litigation counsel.

Jurisdictional note: I advise on California, District of Columbia, and federal law within my practice areas. Not admitted in any other jurisdiction. Engagements are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

About

Available. Experienced.
Straightforward.

I co-founded Xona Microfluidics in 2008 — closing its first deals while still at a law firm — and took over as its full-time general counsel in 2010, then its CEO in 2020. I've negotiated technology licenses, research and manufacturing agreements, and IP assignments as an owner responsible for the outcome, not as outside counsel billing by the hour.

Before Xona, I spent more than a decade in litigation — business, real estate, construction, and insurance matters in California's state and federal courts — and, earlier, five years as counsel to the California Legislature. I've taken and defended depositions, sat through mediations, and argued in the courtroom. I don't take litigation matters today, but that's exactly why my contracts hold up: I've watched indemnification clauses, liability caps, and dispute-resolution provisions get tested under fire, and I draft them to survive it, not just to close the deal.

I work best with technology startups and small businesses — companies that need seasoned legal judgment from someone who has actually run one, but not a full-time hire or a big-firm invoice. I know what it's like to weigh legal risk against payroll, runway, and the deal on the table.

Years licensed in California
(since 1994)

Years as general counsel
(co-founder 2008 · CEO 2020)

11+

Years in litigation & trial practice

Years as Policy Consultant & Legal Analyst
California State Senate & Assembly

CA · DC

Licensed in California
& District of Columbia

Education

J.D., Syracuse University
M.P.A., Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University
B.A. English & Political Science — UCLA

Ways to work together

Pick the level of engagement that fits

Most relationships start small — a quick call or a single strategy session — and grow into ongoing counsel once there's a fit on both sides.

Free fit call — 30 min

A no-cost introductory call to see if we're a good match. Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 a.m.–noon ET.

Quick call — up to 20 min · $150 flat

For the pointed, single-issue question — is this indemnification clause a problem, does this liability cap match the risk — before you're in a meeting or about to sign. Flat fee, no clock-watching.

Legal strategy session

$250 for the first hour, $150 for a second hour if the conversation runs past 75 minutes. For matters that need more than a quick call — a contract review, a structuring decision, a dispute assessment.

Ongoing fractional GC counsel

Retainer, equity, or a combination — structured around your company's stage and needs. This is where the outside-GC relationship actually lives: context carried forward, questions answered before they become problems.

Client actions