Legal Services

This office represents entrepreneurs, owners, investors, inventors and buyers of high-technology products and services, with emphasis on the strategic aspects of the following areas:

Corporate
Corporate formation, capitalization, organization of stock and minute books, stock option plans, personnel and other operational legal issues, negotiation of venture capital and other financing agreements, special counsel to the CEO and Directors for legal oversight.

Supervision of Litigation
George C. McKinnis has supervised the conduct of trial counsel in commercial, human resources and intellectual property litigation.  This Office is a bridge between the client and the trial lawyer with respect to understanding the client's case, objectives, budget and pretrial discovery.  This Office will audit the trial lawyer's fees against budget and conduct of the case and, if appropriate, the crafting of a settlement that accomplishes the client's objectives.

Participation in Financial Planning and Preparation
Structuring and documenting a client's strategy for acquiring operating funds as part of a team composed of the client's CEO and financial officer. In addition, this firm will prepare a company for an IPO and organize and execute the company's response to the underwriter's due diligence requirements.

Intellectual Property/Information Technology
The purchasing and licensing of technology, establishing ground rules for handling proprietary information, non-disclosure agreements tailored to specific disclosures and uses; establishing an Intellectual Property Committee for the review, capture and protection of a client’s intellectual property and for review of intellectual property infringement claims against the client.

Human Resources
Handling legal issues that arise in connection with a client's human resources. This includes drafting, negotiating and interpreting and enforcing employment and consultancy agreements, terminations, reductions in force and establishing and enforcing HR policies and investigations of breaches of HR policies, including harassment and hostile workplace claims.

Corporate Governance
Advising a client as to all aspects of corporate governance, including drafting governance charters for the Board of Directors and each of its committees, acting as a focal point for whistle blower investigations and advising management and its Board of Directors regarding statutory corporate governance requirements and investigations of breaches of applicable governance requirements or policies.

Training
Providing training of a client's appropriate employees in the client's policies and in the protection of the company's intellectual property and the intellectual property of the client's licensors.

Startups
Structuring and nurturing startup companies with emphasis on long term legal and financial planning for future growth.

Contracts
Negotiation and documentation of strategic alliances, joint ventures, semiconductor manufacture, purchase of components and services, technical assistance and design, programming services, software licenses and sales transactions, including distribution, sales representation and supply agreements.

General Counsel Services
Provision of outside General Counsel's services to a limited number of appropriate technology companies which do not have an inside managing counsel. As a company's implant General Counsel, this Firm will work on a fixed monthly retainer and will be pleased to work with a client's full services law firm or founding attorney.