Business Associate Agreement: A Basic Guide

I am a U.S.-licensed attorney with more than a decade of experience in complex litigation and intellectual property matters. I have practiced at leading Am Law firms including Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, Arent Fox, and Sughrue Mion, and I currently operate my own law practice. I have extensive experience handling high-stakes patent litigation, drafting pleadings and briefs, managing large-scale discovery, preparing and defending depositions, and appearing before federal courts and administrative bodies such as the PTAB and ITC. I hold a J.D., cum laude, from The George Washington University Law School and advanced technical degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering, which allow me to efficiently handle technically complex matters. I am admitted in multiple jurisdictions, including New York, Virginia, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia, and I regularly provide high-quality remote legal support to clients nationwide.

Corporate, M&A & Securities Lawyer | Managing Attorney, DP Counsel PLLC Practice Areas: Business Formation | Commercial Contracts | Contract Drafting & Review | Mergers & Acquisitions | Venture Capital | Securities Offerings | Franchise Law | Employment & Equity Compensation | Intellectual Property | Cross-Border Transactions About/Bio: I represent companies, investors, and fund sponsors in corporate transactions, commercial contracting, and private securities matters, from entity formation and early-stage financings to acquisitions, exits, and ongoing strategic counsel. As Managing Attorney of DP Counsel PLLC, I help clients structure transactions clearly, allocate risk thoughtfully, and move deals forward with documentation that is practical, enforceable, and aligned with business objectives. My practice includes both day-to-day commercial matters and more complex transactional work, including venture financings, private offerings, M&A deals, fund-related documents, and cross-border structuring. What I Do: Corporate & Commercial • Entity formation and structuring for corporations, LLCs, and limited partnerships • Operating agreements, shareholder agreements, and governance documents • Commercial contract drafting, review, and negotiation • Vendor, distribution, manufacturing, SaaS, and licensing agreements • Employment, consulting, confidentiality, and equity compensation agreements • Outside general counsel support for growing companies Securities & Private Capital • Private offerings under Regulation D and Regulation S • Private placement memoranda, subscription agreements, and investor documents • SAFE, convertible note, and priced equity financings • Venture capital and private fund formation matters • Fund governing documents and offering document packages • Securities law analysis for private capital raising transactions Mergers & Acquisitions • Letters of intent and term sheets • Stock purchase, asset purchase, and merger agreements • Due diligence coordination and transaction support • Disclosure schedules, closing documents, and post-closing matters • Earnouts, rollover equity, indemnity structures, and related deal terms • HSR, CFIUS, and related regulatory issue spotting for qualifying transactions Digital Assets & Emerging Technologies • Federal-law digital asset and token securities analysis • Entity structuring for blockchain and Web3 ventures • Digital asset fund and operating structures • AML/KYC documentation support and regulatory issue spotting Franchising • Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs) • Franchise agreements • Master franchise and area development agreements • Franchise structuring and registration coordination Real Estate Transactions • Commercial real estate acquisitions and dispositions • Real estate joint ventures and syndications • Commercial lease drafting and negotiation • Real estate investment structures and related offering documents Cross-Border & International • U.S. market entry and entity structuring for international clients • Delaware and multi-entity holding structures • Cross-border transaction planning and documentation • Coordination with foreign counsel and tax advisors on cross-border matters Why Clients Hire Me: • Big-law-level drafting with boutique responsiveness • Practical, business-focused advice grounded in execution reality • Clear scoping and transparent fee arrangements • Experience across financings, acquisitions, fund formations, and cross-border transactions Typical Projects: • Contract drafting and negotiation • Entity formation and governance packages • Private offering document suites • Venture financing documentation • M&A transactions from LOI through closing • Fractional or outside general counsel support Industries Technology | SaaS | FinTech | Digital Assets | E-commerce | Healthcare | Real Estate | Food & Beverage | Professional Services

I am an accomplished attorney with more than 19 years of experience and extensive expertise in business negotiations, commercial contracts, and technology transactions. With a proven track record of providing strategic legal advice and delivering exceptional results, I have successfully assisted numerous clients in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating various business arrangements. My experience encompasses a wide range of areas, including intellectual property, data privacy and security, SaaS agreements, and software licenses. I co-founded a reputable general corporate law firm with three offices in Aspen, Atlanta, and New York. As a partner and attorney, I represented diverse clients, including start-ups, public corporations, investors, financial institutions, educational institutions, and non-profit entities. With a focus on delivering comprehensive legal solutions, I provided general counsel, expert dispute resolution, efficient litigation management, and skillful contract drafting and negotiations for businesses across industries.

Michael has extensive experience advising companies from start-ups to established publicly-traded companies . He has represented businesses in a wide array of fields IT consulting, software solutions, web design/ development, financial services, SaaS, data storage, and others. Areas of expertise include contract drafting and negotiation, terms of use, business structuring and funding, company and employee policies, general transactional issues as well as licensing and regulatory compliance. His prior experience before entering private practice includes negotiating sales contracts for a Fortune 500 healthcare company, as well as regulatory compliance contracts for a publicly traded dental manufacturer. Mr. Brennan firmly believes that every business deserves a lawyer that is both responsive and dependable, and he strives to provide that type of service to every client.

I am an experienced technology contracts counsel that has worked with companies that are one-person startups, publicly-traded international corporations, and every size in between. I believe legal counsel should act as a seatbelt and an airbag, not a brake pedal!

John Daniel "J.D." Hawke is an experienced attorney with a law practice in Mobile, Alabama. He was born in Fairhope, Alabama and after earning his undergraduate degree at Auburn University, he received a law degree from Thomas Goode Jones School of Law in 2010. After law school, he formed the Law Office of J.D. Hawke LLC and over the last decade he has fought incredibly hard for each and everyone of his clients. His practice focuses on representing people facing criminal charges and clients dealing with family law matters. In addition to criminal defense and domestic relations cases, he also regularly handles contract disputes, personal injury cases, small business issues, landlord/tenant disputes, document drafting, and estate planning. He is licensed to practice law in the State of Alabama and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama.

Attorney of 6 years with experience evaluating and drafting contracts, formation document, and policies and procedures in multiple industries. Expanded to estate planning last year.