MARTIN JANELLO

 

 

The Business Challenge

 

Hiring in-house counsel has decisive advantages. These relate to cost and availability. They further pertain to an attorney's familiarity with a business and its personnel and integration into a team approach. They also derive from the management of law-related matters by a legal professional on behalf of a company. These factors reduce the legal concerns to be shouldered by business executives and uniquely permit the tailored, efficient, and forward-looking management of legal issues facing an enterprise.

 

However, in today's dynamic and often uncertain and fluctuating business environment, a company's demand for counsel may change quickly. Circumstances may force a company to reduce overhead and cut full-time in-house counsel. An enterprise may be at a level where its legal needs do not warrant its entering into a full-time employment commitment with a lawyer. A business may require part-time assistance to supplement the efforts of its legal department. A company may be suddenly left without in-house counsel and need assistance to bridge the gap until a successor can be hired.

 

The Solution

 

My representation model endeavors to harmonize these aspects for Arizona businesses by affording them a flexible experience that approximates the benefits of working with in-house counsel.

 

Clients can choose between two representation options:

 

a) standard  hourly consultation only, or

 

b) a regular part-time commitment covering whole or half days every week or every other week that is supplemented by standard hourly consultation if needed.

 

Standard hourly charges already occur at very competitive rates because I keep overhead to a minimum and can pass such savings on to my clients. Regular part-time commitments are offered at even better rates because they allow me advance allocation. They are also of added value to clients who can reserve my systematic availability and can count on my personal attendance at their business premises in fixed intervals.

 

Under either representation option, I work in the following ways to approach an in-house experience:

 

1. Focus. I pursue clients' legal interests with the same focus as if they were mine while providing the objective detachment that is required for competent legal representation. Although I am detail-oriented, I keep business purposes in mind and gear my work with the objective of supporting and safeguarding an enterprise without unnecessarily interfering.

 

2. Initial Meeting. I conduct an extensive initial meeting on a prospective client's premises free of charge to familiarize myself with a company's structures and processes and to assess how I might be of service. This meeting also gives prospective clients a good opportunity to get to know me and to evaluate what I can do for them and how I can become a part of their  operations.

 

3. Legal Affairs Management. I closely consult with clients about effective and efficient solutions to their legal issues. I am skilled to personally address a broad range of business transactions and corporate work. If the services of third-party counsel are desired by a client or otherwise indicated, I  manage the relationship with such counsel on behalf of a client, including billing review.

 

4. Accessibility. I respond to calls and messages as soon as possible, but  usually no  later than 24 hours after receiving them. Clients can reach me on evenings, weekends, and holidays if they deem necessary.

 

5. Travel Charges. Because I want clients to feel free to request my personal presence, I do not charge for travel costs or travel time between or within the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas.

 

6. Long-Term Relationship. Because the benefits of representation for a business grow with a stable, long-term relationship, I strive toward establishing and nurturing such a relationship. I am not out to make a quick buck, but to prove the value of my contributions and to earn clients' trust  and appreciation through the reliable high quality of my work, my sincerity, and my loyal dedication to their enterprise's legal protection and success.

 

Who I Am

 

I am originally from Germany where I studied law and philosophy before I came to Arizona. After graduating with a JD from the University of Arizona College of Law, I worked for over 10 years in private practice with av-rated law firms in Tucson and Phoenix. During that time, I acquired a broad-based skill set for the representation of commercial enterprises. My subsequent in-house career included positions as Senior Counsel at FINOVA, a NYSE-traded business lender headquartered in Scottsdale, as General Counsel for the Town West companies that are active in real estate investment, development, and management in Tucson and Phoenix, and as General Counsel for Miller Holdings, one of the largest developers in the Phoenix area at the time. Although real estate related transactions have formed an increasingly prominent part of my practice for many years, I have continued to counsel companies on a wide spectrum of legal issues.

 

Extensive references regarding me and my work are available upon request. You may also consult my profile on Linkedin.

 

Contact

 

If you would like to explore how we might work together, please let me know by using this Contact form. I look forward to hearing from you. Existing clients may log in at this link.