What clients first notice and appreciate about Kristen is that she listens attentively and asks questions first, then collaborates with her clients to devise strategies and reach optimal results, while always looking for opportunities to add unexpected value. She talks with her clients, not at them, putting them at ease quickly, enabling them to discuss their concerns openly. This allows her clients to receive the best representation and to move forward with confidence and clarity. She is well-respected among her colleagues. Most importantly, Kristen’s clients know she will advocate for them effectively and collegially, tenaciously if needed, and has the necessary intellect, determination, integrity, and intensity to pursue the goals they have set together.
Her clients include:
- executives negotiating transitions and those needing individual representation
- business entities, whether starting up or winding down
- individuals and companies needing contracts drafted and negotiated
- individuals and companies looking to protect and monetize their intellectual property.
Kristen counsels C-suite and senior level executives in transition – preparing, reviewing, and negotiating their employment, retention, and separation agreements. These clients routinely face unique and complex challenges: Kristen helps them assess the landscape, set priorities, and implement sound strategies. When advising her business clients, they work together to identify and leverage competitive advantages and use those to negotiate the best terms and outcomes for the company. Her experience helps them avoid pitfalls when drafting operating or shareholder agreements, consulting agreements, master service agreements, statements of work, and non-disclosure agreements. When representing clients who own valuable intellectual property, she guides them through the processes of registering their trademarks and implementing best practices in protecting trade secrets and proprietary/confidential information. When clients are entering into commercial leases or contracts for real estate purchases and sales, they rely upon her extensive experience to protect their interests. Areas of representation also encompass form-of-entity selection and formation, preparation of governing documents, and providing advice regarding changes in entity structure or dissolution.
Companies and individuals who retain Kristen are varied in their roles and in the markets they serve. A representative sample of clients includes C-suite and senior executives of publicly traded and privately held companies; entrepreneurs; entities whose products are distributed in the largest box stores and outlets nationwide; collegiate licensees; consultants and consulting companies; software programmers; documentary filmmakers; “green” household products manufacturers; optical companies; independent contractors; specialty food providers; real estate developers; and companies providing varied niche goods and services. She represents existing or referred clients in need of estate planning advice as well.
She considers each opportunity to work with her clients a privilege. She welcomes and encourages all individuals to make an appointment to discuss their legal concerns. In most instances, the first step will be to schedule a fifteen-minute call to see whether the firm is the best fit for the potential client, and she does not bill for this initial conversation.
Prior to forming the practice in May 2003, Kristen was a Technology and Intellectual Property Practice associate in the New Jersey office of an AmLaw 100 law firm, Boston-based Goodwin Procter, LLP. While there, she counseled clients in the protection and exploitation of intellectual property assets and rights. As part of this group, Kristen prepared a wide range of commercial and technology contracts, including outsourcing agreements, software licenses and non-disclosure agreements, as well as conducted licensing review and due diligence in relation to venture capital investment, private financing, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, and joint ventures.
Kristen graduated cum laude from Seton Hall Law School and is an Order of the Coif member. She graduated with Highest Honors (summa cum laude) from Rutgers University. She is a member of the New Jersey and Hunterdon County Bar Associations and is admitted to practice law in New Jersey and New York and in the District Court of New Jersey.