Legal counsel for founders who need an operator’s perspective
I’ve been the first general counsel at entrepreneurial firms, worked in Big Law, and served as in-house counsel at a Fortune 500 company. I know what founders need, how investors think, what matters to corporate partners… and where deals break down.
- Harvard B.A., NYU Law J.D.
- NJBIZ Leader in Law 2023 & 2026
- Chair, NJSBA VC & Emerging Growth Technology Companies Committee
- Published in Law360, New Jersey Lawyer, ABA Deal Points
RECENT WORK
- Law360, “Musk-OpenAI Verdict Shows Value of Early-Stage Governance” — May 2026
- NJ Lawyer, “Justice in the Shadow of Power” — Apr 2026, p. 44
- ABA Deal Points, “AI-Powered Contract Analysis in M&A” — Fall 2024
PRACTICE AREAS (more complete list of services)
| AI & emerging technology Compliance frameworks, AI use policies and tech licensing. | Startup & venture Formation, founders agreements, SAFE notes and venture financing. | Outside general counsel Ongoing legal partnership for companies w/o in-house counsel. | Corporate & securities M&A, private placements, joint ventures and capital raises. |
RECENT INSIGHTS
| AI · LAW360 Musk-OpenAI Verdict Shows Value of Early-Stage Governance A federal jury cleared OpenAI on statute-of-limitations grounds. The lessons for mission-driven founders are immediate. | INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Good Grief: Peanuts Music Owner Sues the Feds for Copyright Infringement Lee Mendelson Film Productions filed four federal suits over unauthorized use of Vince Guaraldi’s holiday catalog. | AI · GOVERNANCE Two Visions of AI: The Pope and the President Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical and Trump’s Executive Order 14365 represent sharply different frameworks for AI governance. |
Ready to talk?
New matters, referrals and initial consultations. I’m responsive and direct. If we’re not the right fit, I’ll tell you who is.
alan@waltercounsel.com • 973-937-8636