Mark R. Sullivan

I launched my technology start-up in 2011. I had yet to discover exactly how much I did not know – including how to identify appropriate counsel. My first stop for legal advice was with a big name legal firm. They certainly knew their trade, but they also treated my account no differently than US ...Steel. The large legal organization was accustomed to ‘taking care of business,’ and then sending the bill. I learned my lesson via a bill for $10,000 to review a contract (the contract was for $35,000). Mark was recommended to me by someone who was a few years ahead of me on the tech start-up timeline, and who was successfully emerging from his first priced round. Like me, his start-up began on a shoestring budget. In those early days it is imperative to focus your limited budget on ‘core’ issues. It would be wonderful if there was enough cash from the start to address everything from contract development to shareholders agreements, but the reality is there is not. So how does the new entrepreneur decide which issues are ‘core’ and which can evolve over time? And exactly how will the legal terrain evolve as the organization matures? Mark has been nothing short of a godsend in these regards. At the end of the day the decision is always mine, but he is completely candid regarding the pros and cons of prioritizing one legal action over another. This alone would win him a high recommendation, but he also takes it to another level. He has made it a point to get to know the vision of my company, and to get to know me personally. As a result, his legal advice is tailored to my organization and to my temperament. I recently took a moment to consider the significance of this approach – He would never ask me to implement a strategy that stands in contrast to my personal strengths, and as a result my business strategy has evolved in a way that plays to my strengths. My start-up is now sitting at the threshold of entering its first priced round, and if I had it to do all over again, I would again pick Mark Sullivan.