People often ask me:  What is your legal specialty?

For entrepreneurs, I help them plan, prepare, and protect their businesses and their families.  I advise on business strategy and growth. I assist with entity formations, partnership agreements, commercial leases, trademarks, accounts receivable, estate matters, and provide legal counsel for businesses.

The best way to exemplify my practice areas-

is perhaps by example:

BUSINESS COUNSEL

I work with micropreneurs who own and operate small businesses with anywhere from 0-25 employees.  I am their “in house counsel,” just like a large corporation would have, only I know and understand that the needs of a micropreneur are vastly different from the needs of a business with 250 employees.  

The work I do ranges from advising on lawsuits in a very efficient and economic way, to:  collecting accounts receivables, getting and defending trademarks, forming entities, partnerships, business sales and liquidations, and finally - all types of contracts, commercial leases, waivers, disclaimers and legal documents.

Through all of this, I become the trusted legal advisor outside of business by advising on topics from protecting personal assets with advice on an estate planning, to guiding one through a complicated divorce.

Beyond legal help, it is always my goal to watch my clients grow and expand their businesses in ways that work for them - connecting them with new business opportunities and new revenue all along the way.  I have connected many of my clients with work, clients, and projects that have earned them money well above the investment they made in me.

Here are some things my client’s have shared with me:

I appreciate you and what you do for me.  After being in business for ten years and running the entire operation by myself, I grew tired of not knowing what I don’t know.  All it does is cost me time, resources, and aggravation. With you Raef, I don’t have to worry about that anymore. You see things I don’t see, you see things differently, you know different things, and I really appreciate those differences as it helps balance my knowledge base.  Thank you.

 ~Jim Materkowski, Owner of the Green Cocoon, Inc.;

9 employees

Owning a business is stressful at times, and I really like how you just listen to me and not try to rush me along.  You provide me with good solid insights and advice, and I always feel much better after we talk.

~ Dean Clegg, Owner of Clegg Sound Associates, LLC &

Co - Owner of Wireless That Works, LLC; 3 Employees.

I also advise and protect individuals and families.  
Not all legal matters fall on businesses; sometimes “regular” people need an attorney’s help.  If you are trapped in bureaucratic red tape, an emotionally taxing divorce, probating an Estate, or a legal problem that has trapped you and does not seem to fit into any box or specialty- I’m here to help.  I often assist people when the legal problem is out of the ordinary and someone needs help to find the clear path to the solution.

COMPREHENSIVE CONSULTING

Most people don’t seek a lawyer, because they don’t want to pay for or need all their potential legal items to be addressed- they just have one burning legal issue or question and are unsure if a lawyer will even talk to them without demanding a large retainer.  

 I often tell people, law can be like a home renovation.  Sometimes, we know we may need and may even want a whole new remodeled kitchen.  But a lot of the time, we just want the rotted front step to be fixed, because we are tired of tripping over it time and time again.  We just want a skilled carpenter to come in and fix a few items- not the whole house.

 You don’t have to keep tripping over the front step.  

 Let me be the One that helps you fix it.

I help many people with legal issues that do not fit into any kind of "traditional" legal category or bucket, yet are legally troubling and serious, nonetheless.  One client needed someone to listen, advise, and save her sanity on her high end divorce against an unreasonable spouse. Another needed defense against a large collection claim from a large bank.  Another could see "the writing on the wall" and knew they needed debt workout and a new business. Yet, another, had a closing error that occurred five years ago, and was wrecking his credit report and his ability to get a loan to fix his house.  All of these had real consequences. All of these cases needed the right amount of time spent focused on the case, with the right legal and practical advice, and with the right communication to third parties. This is what occurred and all clients stated how happy they were to have someone they could talk to that was focused on them and their legal concerns.

If you’re looking for legal consulting of any kind, I am here to help you through the process, find the right people to help and get you the right information to give to your family or other business attorneys...

 Whatever it is- it pays to have someone on your side whose only interest is you seeking and finding the resolution that serves you best.