Crowley Law LLC provides General Counsel services to emerging and established companies, offering structured legal oversight for corporate operations, governance, and commercial transactions. We function as the primary legal point of contact for senior management and Boards of Directors, addressing the recurring legal demands of operating a business.
Our practice focuses on ensuring contractual clarity, maintaining corporate formalities, and executing commercial arrangements. We bridge the gap between ad-hoc outside counsel and the need for consistent legal stewardship.
Our approach as general counsel attorneys focuses on:
Crowley Law LLC serves as a strategic legal partner to businesses navigating the intersection of law and commerce. The firm delivers structured legal oversight, ensuring that daily operations and scaling strategies align seamlessly with long-term corporate objectives.
We help life sciences and other technology entrepreneurs avoid being taken advantage of as they pursue their dreams.
Weak corporate foundations and undocumented early decisions are a primary driver of costly downstream friction and delayed growth. A proactive General Counsel prioritises structural integrity from day one, anticipating friction points such as IP gaps, equity misalignments, and founder disputes before they become critical liabilities.
Key Area
Why It Matters
Without a clear IP assignment, founders, employees, or contractors may retain ownership of critical technology. This creates gaps that can delay funding, limit commercialisation, or block an acquisition.
When roles, voting rights, and exit scenarios are not defined early, internal disputes can escalate and distract leadership from growing the business.
Poorly structured equity arrangements can reward inactivity and misalign incentives. Vesting ensures ownership reflects ongoing contribution and protects the company if a founder leaves
Investors expect clean entity structures, clear ownership, and consistent documentation. Weak formation choices can slow diligence or cause investors to walk away.
Early formation decisions affect future financing, partnerships, and exit options. Thoughtful structuring preserves flexibility as the company scales and evolves.
Legal services designed to support investor readiness, protect intellectual property, and preserve long-term strategic flexibility.
Effective corporate operation requires the continuous assessment of contractual obligations and governance procedures. We review internal processes and external commercial relationships to identify potential liabilities before they materialise into disputes.
Our risk mitigation practice is focused on contractual enforceability, corporate governance, and operational liability. We analyse commercial agreements to ensure indemnity clauses, limitations of liability, and warranty disclaimers align with the company’s risk tolerance.
Furthermore, we oversee corporate housekeeping, including maintaining minute books, drafting board resolutions, and documenting shareholder actions to preserve the corporate veil and ensure organisational integrity.
Defining the relationship between the company and its founders or early key employees is critical for long-term stability. We structure and draft the governing documents that control equity ownership and management rights.
Our services include drafting Restricted Stock Purchase Agreements and implementing vesting schedules designed to align incentives with continued service. We adhere to corporate law principles governing equity issuance, repurchase rights, and rights of first refusal.
While we structure the legal mechanisms for equity grants and restrictive covenants, we do not provide personal tax advice, 409A valuations, or ERISA counsel. We work alongside the client’s tax professionals to legally document the selected structure.
Crowley Law LLC drafts and negotiates the definitive agreements that govern the workforce, clearly distinguishing between employment relationships and independent contractor engagements.
We prepare offer letters, executive employment agreements, and independent contractor agreements that protect the company’s intellectual property and confidential information. Our drafting emphasises at-will employment confirmations, invention assignment provisions, and, where enforceable, non-competition and non-solicitation covenants.
This scope is limited to the legal instrumentation of the relationship and does not include HR compliance outsourcing, payroll administration, or employee handbook design.
We advise Boards of Directors and Compensation Committees on the legal framework governing executive compensation packages and translate complex commercial terms into clear, enforceable contractual language.
This includes drafting executive employment agreements addressing base salary, bonus structures, and equity incentive grants. We carefully define severance terms, “Cause” definitions, and “Good Reason” resignations to avoid ambiguity upon separation.
We also structure Change of Control provisions and acceleration triggers. Our advisory role is limited to corporate governance and contract law and does not include benefits plan design or tax advice regarding Section 280G or Section 409A.
When a company requires specialised representation for litigation or patent prosecution, Crowley Law LLC acts as the strategic manager of those external legal resources.
We assist in the selection and retention of specialised litigation or intellectual property counsel. Once engaged, we oversee scope, monitor legal spend against budgets, and translate procedural developments into actionable business insight for the executive team.
We do not serve as counsel of record in litigation or prosecute patent applications. Instead, we provide oversight to ensure legal workstreams are managed efficiently and cost-effectively.
Crowley Law LLC combines decades of corporate legal experience with personalised, strategic counsel tailored to technology and life sciences startups. The firm is led by Philip P. Crowley, Founder and Managing Partner, with over 45 years of experience, including prior service as corporate counsel at Johnson & Johnson.
Unlike generalist firms, Crowley Law provides proactive legal guidance across every stage of a startup’s lifecycle, from entity formation and investor-ready structuring to intellectual property planning and financing.
With our knowledge in startup strategy, corporate governance, and legal risk management, the firm helps founders establish strong legal foundations that support investment readiness and long-term business success.
Before formally forming a company, founders should take key legal steps that protect value and position the business for growth. As General Counsel, we guide clients through these critical pre-formation considerations.
Build your company on a foundation of legal strength.
Testimonials
As someone that both teaches, invests in, and builds startups, trust me when I say...
Real Voices, Real Results “I’ve been working with Phil for a very long time; it’s...
A Gateway to U.S. Growth Eisner Advisory Group “As a partner of the Eisner Advisory...
Words on a Reciprocal Relationship “As attorneys, our reputation is one of our primary assets,...
Phil brings decades of big company executive experience combined with an entrepreneurial ability to think...
Phil responded to me quickly, identifying a variety of risk scenarios to consider and he...
“Phil has been of tremendous legal help to the progress of our early-stage biotech start-up....
Phil Crowley has been extremely helpful in providing quick and thoughtful counsel regarding our business...
Phil has been a trusted advisor to our company as we have expanded into the...
Phil has been a great partner in my consulting business. He is responsive and practical...
Phil helped me assess and modify a complex Master Services Agreement from a client. I...
“We are one of the leading accelerators of tech companies in NYC. Phil has helped...
“Calder Biosciences is exploring a new era in vaccines by developing a 3D shape-stabilizing technology...
Your loved one’s future is on the line. Call Crowley Law now at (214) 239-4702 for a free, confidential consultation. We’re available 24/7 to provide the immediate legal help you need.
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