Capabilities

Business Counseling
This practice area provides services to small- and medium-sized businesses that do not want or cannot afford in-house counsel. This service covers the kinds of legal work a client would get from an in-house lawyer, at about a third the cost. Rather than billing on an hourly basis, a flat annual retainer is charged for these services, payable monthly, that allows a business owner the freedom to pick up the phone and call, or ask Andy to come to his or her office, without being worried that the meter is ticking.

The scope of services provided includes sitting in on Board of Directors meetings and advising the Board, participating in senior management meetings, providing advice on the setting of strategic goals of the business, regular telephone advice and contract review, and similar legal services. In essence, the business owner is able to retain a member of his or her senior management team who can also address legal, regulatory and political concerns, without also having to provide a new office, secretary and support hardware.

This aspect of Andy’s practice also includes advising business owners as to the most effective ways to structure their business entities in order to meet their business goals, how best to structure financing options and how to protect their business and personal assets.

In cases where it is necessary, Andy will advise business owners as to litigation strategy, and oversee the handling of litigated files by attorneys assigned by a business owner’s insurance carrier.

Strategic Counseling
This portion of Andy’s practice consists of assisting and advising business owners in crafting their business strategies, including assistance with business plans for early-stage businesses, identification of financing alternatives and opportunities, consultation on potential business alliances to be developed, and similar issues.

Political Counseling
Many larger businesses are so closely regulated, or are engaged in businesses so directly affected by legislative changes, that they have regularly employed lobbyists or government relations counsel in-house. However, virtually every business of every size is at risk of regulatory or legislative changes, and most do not have counsel to advise them through the maze of potentially devastating government actions. Andy’s practical experience at the highest levels of state government and in his own contract lobbying business have provided him with a unique set of skills and expertise that can be brought to bear on behalf of his firm’s clients.

Although he is not accepting employment as a registered lobbyist, Andy does regularly manage major legislative lobbying efforts by selecting and overseeing the team on the ground in the Capitol building. Additionally, he has extensive experience in administrative rule-making, and in successfully defending clients in adversarial regulatory hearings and trials.