For the moments that actually matter.
Tailored legal counsel for founders: from formation to operations, and from financing to exit. A firm that acts as your seasoned general counsel and strategic deal counsel, on your side of the table.
Roped together, at every stage of the climb.
- General CounselAlbion Laboratories, May 2006 to 2016
- In-house CounselGroupe Laperrière & Verreault Inc., 2004 to 2006
- Special Counsel, Director of Strategic TransactionsBalchem, a NASDAQ-listed company, 2016 to 2021
- J.D., Business LawUniversity of San Diego, with international business law at the Sorbonne
- Past PresidentAssociation of Corporate Counsel, Mountain West
- Founder and Senior CounselPRESIVO, pllc, 2021 to now
We partner with founders over time, so the advice at each stage fits the decisions still ahead.
We would rather know the company you are actually trying to build, so the counsel on today’s contract already fits your next round and your exit.
PRESIVO is a fully distributed business law firm. We work online and across time zones, with companies from formation through exit.
Strategic Legal Advisory for Growing BusinessesSM (service mark)
Where are you right now?
The moments where equity, control and long-term outcomes are on the line. Choose one.
Get the structure right while it is still cheap to change.
The entity, the founders’ split and who owns the IP shape everything an investor or buyer will see later.
- Choosing the right type of company, and where to form it
- Founder agreements, vesting and equity
- Making sure the company owns its IP from day one
Raise money with your eyes open.
Valuation is one number. Control, dilution and the terms around them decide how much of the company is still yours.
- Term sheets, SAFEs (simple agreements for future equity) and priced rounds
- Private placements
- Cleaning up your cap table before investors look
Prepare for the exit you want, and protect what you have built.
An exit is where every earlier decision gets priced. We work to protect your equity position and help you see what you’re giving up, not just to close the deal.
- Mergers, acquisitions and buyouts, from letter of intent to closing
- Divestitures and strategic sales
- Planning with your endgame in view
When interests diverge, know where you stand.
Between founders, with investors, or inside the company, the ground can shift fast.
- Co-founder departures
- Board and investor dynamics
- Pre-litigation dispute strategy and sensitive personnel decisions
Deals that change the shape of the company.
A licensing deal, a strategic alliance or a new market can matter as much as a funding round.
- Licensing and strategic alliances
- Bringing an overseas business into the U.S. market
- Legal questions as you scale
Get the structure right while it is still cheap to change.
The entity, the founders’ split and who owns the IP shape everything an investor or buyer will see later.
- Choosing the right type of company, and where to form it
- Founder agreements, vesting and equity
- Making sure the company owns its IP from day one
Raise money with your eyes open.
Valuation is one number. Control, dilution and the terms around them decide how much of the company is still yours.
- Term sheets, SAFEs (simple agreements for future equity) and priced rounds
- Private placements
- Cleaning up your cap table before investors look
Prepare for the exit you want, and protect what you have built.
An exit is where every earlier decision gets priced. We work to protect your equity position and help you see what you’re giving up, not just to close the deal.
- Mergers, acquisitions and buyouts, from letter of intent to closing
- Divestitures and strategic sales
- Planning with your endgame in view
When interests diverge, know where you stand.
Between founders, with investors, or inside the company, the ground can shift fast.
- Co-founder departures
- Board and investor dynamics
- Pre-litigation dispute strategy and sensitive personnel decisions
Deals that change the shape of the company.
A licensing deal, a strategic alliance or a new market can matter as much as a funding round.
- Licensing and strategic alliances
- Bringing an overseas business into the U.S. market
- Legal questions as you scale
Counsel that knows the whole company.
Nine areas of business law, for founders and owners of growing private companies.
- Business formation and ownership
Helping founders select and establish the right entity, document ownership and management, and put founder and operating agreements in place.
- Contracts and commercial relationships
Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating customer and vendor agreements, service agreements, licensing arrangements, and strategic partnerships.
- Fractional General Counsel
Ongoing strategic legal advice for growing businesses that need experienced counsel without hiring a full-time legal executive.
- Fundraising and equity
Supporting startup financing, SAFEs, investor agreements, equity issuances, and equity compensation arrangements.
- Business sales and acquisitions
Guiding owners through purchases, sales, and exits, with a particular emphasis on representing sellers.
- Employment and workforce
Helping businesses with employment agreements, contractor relationships, workplace policies, and sensitive personnel decisions.
- Intellectual property and brand protection
Trademark applications, IP ownership and assignments, confidentiality agreements, and licensing.
- Business disputes and pre-litigation strategy
Assessing disputes, developing practical response strategies, and pursuing negotiated resolutions before litigation.
- U.S. market entry
Helping international founders and existing overseas businesses establish and organize a U.S. company and prepare for doing business here.
Founded on deal work. Strategic by temperament.
PRESIVO was founded by a former General Counsel who was in-house from 2004 to 2021: General Counsel at Albion Laboratories, then Special Counsel, Director of Strategic Transactions at Balchem, a NASDAQ-listed company, after it acquired Albion, working on M&A and licensing.
That background gives the firm its orientation: we see a legal question the way a company’s own counsel does, with the business and the deal in view. Today we work with founders at the moments that actually matter: formation, fundraising, exits, power shifts and inflection points.
Fluent in your industry.
The sectors we work in are many and varied, and in every one of them the job of protecting the founder’s equity and endgame stays the same.
- Technology and SaaS
- Biotech
- Pharmaceuticals
- Healthcare
- Defense
- Government
- Outdoor recreation
- Consumer products and ecommerce
- Professional and business services
- Food and beverage
- Wellness
- Education and youth-focused organizations
- Franchising and multi-location businesses
- Manufacturing and distribution
- Real estate and property-related businesses
- Media and creator businesses
- Startups and small businesses, including owner-operated and family-owned companies
Bring the question that’s keeping you up at night.
You don’t have to have it all figured out before you call. Bring us the business question, decision, or problem on your mind. Your first conversation with PRESIVO is free and brief: we’ll listen, talk through the main issues, and help you decide whether we’re the right firm to help. You’ll leave with a clearer sense of the path forward. It’s an introductory conversation, not legal advice, and there’s no pressure or obligation to work with us.
Book a free first consultation