Business law · Morristown

You should know what it costs before you decide.

We are a small firm working with small and mid-sized companies. The first meeting is free, and you get a cost estimate before we start, even when we bill by the hour.

Estimate your matter Book a first meeting

The firm's meeting room, with bookshelves and a tall window — Our meeting room on South Street, where we go through your matter the first time.

Since 1998Same firm, same focus
Three attorneysYou always know who has your file
$310Hourly rate. The same for all three
45 minutesFirst meeting. Free, with no commitment

I Practice areas

Five practice areas,
and nothing else.

If you call about something else, we tell you right away, and usually point you to someone who can help.

Contracts

Review and drafting of commercial contracts. Supplier, partnership, licensing and NDAs.

Corporate

Formation, shareholder agreements, financing rounds, ownership changes and succession.

Employment

Employment agreements, restructuring, terminations and union negotiations. We represent employers.

Disputes

From the first demand letter to trial. If settling makes more sense, we say so.

Real estate

Transfers, commercial leases, premises and construction disputes.

II What it costs

Estimate your matter.

Most law firms say nothing about price. We think you should not have to book a meeting just to find out if you can afford it.

The number next to this is a rough range and not a quote. It is based on what similar matters have cost with us.
After the first meeting you get a written cost estimate for your matter, and we tell you if it starts to run over.
A flat fee is what we offer on anything with a clear scope. On a lawsuit that is not possible, and we tell you so.

Step 1 · What is it about?

Step 2 · How big is it?

Rough cost

–

The range is not a quote and does not bind either of us. It is here so you know roughly what you are looking at before you call.

III Our lawyers

Three attorneys,
and you work with one.

Your matter goes to one of us and stays there. You get a direct line and an email address for that person.

Ingrid Alm

Attorney · partner

Admitted to the New Jersey bar in 2004. Contracts and corporate law, with a focus on ownership changes and succession in family businesses.

(973) 555-0162

Per Roos

Attorney · partner

Admitted in 1996 and founder of the firm. Disputes and construction law. Has handled about a hundred and fifty lawsuits, and settled more of them than he has taken all the way to a verdict.

(973) 555-0161

David Sundell

Associate

J.D., Rutgers Law School, 2018. Employment law and commercial contracts. Handled ninety-two matters last year, most of them for companies with fewer than fifty employees.

(973) 555-0165

IV How we work

Four steps.

There is nothing unusual about how we work, but it is rarely written down anywhere you can read it before you call.

First meeting
Forty-five minutes, free of charge, at our office or over video. You tell us what happened and we ask questions. Before you leave, we tell you what we think of your chances.
Engagement letter
You get in writing what we will do, who will do it, what it costs and what happens if the estimate runs over.
The work
You hear from us at least every other week, even in weeks when nothing has happened. Hourly bills are itemized line by line.
Wrap-up
We go through what was done and what it cost. If it came in under the estimate, you pay the lower amount.

V FAQ

What clients usually ask about money.

Does it cost anything to call and ask?

No. A short call and a forty-five minute first meeting are free. We only bill once you have said yes to an engagement and have it in writing.

What is the difference between a flat fee and hourly billing?

A flat fee is set in advance and does not change. We offer flat fees on anything with a clear scope, such as a shareholder agreement, forming a company or reviewing a contract. Hourly billing means we bill for the time we spend. We use it when we cannot know how much work it will take, mostly in disputes, because the other side has as much say as we do in how long it lasts.

Will insurance cover a dispute?

Sometimes, in part. Some business policies cover part of the legal costs for certain claims, usually with a deductible and a cap. We read your policy before we start and tell you what it covers. Do not count on it to pay for everything.

What happens if we lose?

In the US, each side usually pays its own legal fees, win or lose, unless a contract or a statute says otherwise. So even a win can cost a lot. That is why we bring up settlement early, and why we tell you if we think a lawsuit is a bad deal, even when you are right on the merits.

Do you take small matters?

Yes. Reading through a contract and calling back with comments usually takes two to three hours. That is a perfectly reasonable job, and we are glad to take it.

How soon can you start?

We can usually set up a first meeting within a week. If it is urgent, for example a demand letter with a short deadline, say so when you call. Then we take it the same day if we can.

Desk with documents, a pen and reading glasses

Ⅵ Contact

42 South Street, Morristown.

Call, email or stop by. During office hours, we answer the phone ourselves.

Phone

(973) 555-0160
Weekdays 8:30 AM–5 PM

Email

[email protected]
We reply the same business day

Visit

42 South Street, 3rd floor
Morristown, NJ 07960

Getting here

A short walk from the Morristown Green
Elevator inside, two steps at the entrance