Joseph Robert Waala

With almost 20 years of legal experience, I have broad and deep expertise in business formation and governance, investor matters, technology and intellectual property, commercial contracts and business disputes, as well as energy marketing and trading and renewable energy. I currently advise dozens of startups and mature businesses across industries, and have negotiated and documented countless commercial agreements ranging from physical and financial energy transactions to software licenses and other technology transfers, equity and debt financings, stock and asset acquisitions, employment and contractor arrangements, and many others.

I earned my law degree in 1999 at Georgetown Law, where I was an editor on the Georgetown Environmental Law Review and graduated cum laude, and my Bachelor’s degree in 1996 at Brockport College in New York, where I graduated summa cum laude.

While at Georgetown, I learned to wear many hats, working on an international environmental journal, clerking for a U.S. Federal judge, coaching an appellate moot court team, teaching test-taking skills to future lawyers at Princeton Review, volunteering for a legal aid organization, and interning for both a prominent New York law firm and the New York State Attorney General.

After graduating, I practiced tax and corporate law, commercial transactions, intellectual property, and business litigation for over 10 years at large, international law firms, before working in-house for over 6 years for a publicly-traded, Fortune 500 international hybrid energy company, and later a newly-formed, publicly-traded independent power producer. Working directly with senior management, marketing and operations personnel, and other stakeholders across diverse companies, I provided legal support for all supply-chain/procurement matters, sales and marketing businesses, and trading operations, as well as the tax, risk and treasury groups. I have taken on everything from law department development to corporate risk assessment and compliance, management, mentoring and process improvements.

I now serve as a high-quality, low-cost “outside general counsel” and trusted legal and business advisor for technology startups, energy companies, and a variety of small to mid-size businesses.

I am admitted to practice law in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., as well as the U.S. Tax Court, U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and several other state and Federal courts.​

I try to give back to the community by providing pro bono legal services through Philly VIP and volunteering through other aid organizations.

When I'm not working, you can usually find me traveling, exploring Philly, biking... and watching the Eagles win Superbowls!