TESTIMONIALS

“Charlie is the highest value-to-cost attorney we have on the outside [of our Law Department].”

“You should have been their lawyer the first time [and your client would not have had this IP problem].”

“I had the privilege of working with Mr. Brown while setting up a company with some fairly complex requirements. From day one of our interactions, a few things stood out that made my experience very different from my earlier legal endeavors: Mr. Brown’s competence is one of the best I’ve come across in the field. He was very, very fast in turning around on several items in our work. Communication and responsiveness were beyond my expectations – the best I’ve seen so far. The complexity of our work required a fair bit of research and expertise and Mr.Brown was able to maneuver us through it with a great deal of care and clarity while taking a lot of time out to ensure we (the client) were aware of the process and on the same page. Above all, Mr. Brown is one of the nicest human beings I’ve met – which makes it very pleasant to do business and work with him. I would wholeheartedly recommend working with him to my friends and colleagues.”

“Charlie Brown is our attorney and trusted adviser. His firm CorpLaw Associates LLC attends to our overall legal issues and Charlie’s special expertise is Intellectual Property.

As a highly experienced attorney, Charlie is a true specialist in IP Law. This area is critical to the success of my company so we greatly appreciate his expertise in this area. For example, he has suggested ideas to us that will ensure that our IP portfolio is well protected.

We can count on him to support us in the many diverse areas of IP. As a sporting goods company, we really appreciate Charlie’s in-depth knowledge of the sporting goods industry. He has a business background, which has taught him the important lessons of business operations. Combining his high-quality legal expertise and his interest in knowing our business goals absolutely results in better outcomes for us. Charlie’s service ethic is extraordinary.

His work is always on-budget and on-time, with a smile. In addition, he truly cares about me as a business owner, which can be a rare trait among service providers. In my opinion, he is smart, intuitive and practical.”

“We’ve had the good fortune to work closely with Charlie Brown during the past few years, and we’ve found Charlie’s expertise and professionalism to be exceptional.

Charlie quickly learned our business and has been instrumental in helping us with legal and strategic decisions. His knowledge of standards and practices beyond our own expertise has given us insight into the strategies of customers and associates. In complex negotiations with Fortune 100 companies, his contributions led us to hold our ground and acquire important liability protections. He’s ensured that we have implemented required legal protections that are critical for the health of a growing business.

Although legal issues can be complex and challenging, Charlie himself is always pleasant, sensitive to our deadlines, and flexible. He stays within quoted budgets, and he consistently demonstrates keen business acumen.

Charlie not only captured exactly our thoughts from the conversation the three of us recently had but also that again…he explained/broke-down the situation so well in his email to their procurement chief, so clearly and in a way that we feel we are best likely to get the response we want from this potential customer. Thank you very much!

Any business owner knows that having a good legal advisor is essential. Charlie’s work goes far beyond “good.” We look forward to working with Charlie as our business continues to grow.

Charlie’s candor allows me personally to understand & make decisions quickly that I feel are in our best interest.”

“I met Charlie Brown as a fellow member of the board of a charitable giving organization. His energy and commitment and organizational leadership impressed me initially as he took charge of our annual fund raising efforts and eventually chaired the board. I first engaged CorpLaw Associates professionally on a matter involving my partnership in a technology consulting firm. Most recently, CorpLaw Associates worked with me to help one of my professional services clients form a limited liability company. Charlie’s services included helping us to determine the structure, funding, and operation of the LLC; drafting the operating agreement; filing the certificate of formation; and advising, from a legal point of view, on a variety of issues we faced. Charlie not only had a very good grasp of best practice in these areas, he was very patient and a good teacher when it came to explaining the legal and business reasons behind his recommendations. Formation of the LLC required building consensus among several US offices of this client and ultimately the approval of its global board of directors and that would not have been possible without Charlie’s help.”

“Charlie Brown is an invaluable resource to my firm. He has helped me identify key areas of intellectual property protection that my previous large downtown firm had not addressed. He spent real time with me, walking through the key issues and clearly explaining my options. Through his plain-speaking, highly personalized approach, I understood the impact each option would have on my business and my budget. This was an outstanding experience! My intellectual property is vital to my firm. Through Charlie, after many years, I’m getting the quality advice I need and the personal attention I prefer.”

“When we were launching our new company, Charlie was referred to us by a partner of a white-shoe law firm who had done work with him in the past. Having started several new ventures previously, I knew the role we wanted our corporate attorney to play, and Charlie fit the bill precisely. At the outset, he listened carefully to the objectives of each of our capital partners and then laid out an organizational roadmap for us that was balanced, concise and on point. Throughout the process of negotiating our partnership agreement, Charlie offered both highly professional advice and considered recommendations based on his past experience, which allowed us to quickly reach a consensus on matters that otherwise might have become contentious. He is a practical, commonsense legal practitioner who delivers high-quality, cost-conscious work product. Charlie receives our highest endorsement.”

“As President of [co. name] of Indiana and [co. name] of the Northeast I have been working with Charlie Brown of CorpLaw Associates since 2004. The relationship has been an excellent one for the following reasons.

1. Trademark Application and Protection

Charlie has guided the company through the process of protecting its trademarks as well as enhancing the areas of their uses on an on-going basis. This process has included enlarging the trademark portfolio to include more areas that are consistent with the business as well as enforcing our trademarks against infringers. Charlie has been successful in all cases of forcing the infringing company to cease using our trademark.

2. Protection of Legal Interests

Charlie has the best interest of [co. name] in mind at all times. He pursued the acquisition of [co. name].com through a WIPO proceeding in Geneva, Switzerland which involved dealing with a company located in California that had executive officers located in China. Charlie was able to obtain [co. name].com with minimal expense to our company because of his expertise in the area while dealing outside the United States.

3. Intellectual Property Support

Charlie is well-informed on the uses of the internet and has provided excellent counsel on the best course of to follow to secure the appropriate domain names for the [co. name] companies. He has also guided [co. name] toward appropriate vendors to provide additional help.

Charlie responds quickly and proactively to [co. name] requests. He is very knowledgeable in the field of trademarks and I rely on his expertise to protect the [co. name] trademark portfolio. He and I have recently been working on a trademark Terms Sheet and Trademark Style Guide which will make clear the proper uses of the trademark.

He is a heavy duty lawyer who can do anything.”

“CorpLaw Associates provided outstanding service drafting the licensing agreement that will serve as a basis for an extensive network of automated, demand-responsive, cost-effective light-rail transit within the State of Illinois. Intellectual property is the essential foundation for any enterprise debuting new technology, so protection of the IP is critical to safeguard its most important asset.

CorpLaw took into account the complexities of an agreement necessarily conformed to California choice-of-law where the technology was incepted to build in the necessary protections that would be respected in Illinois. The attorney was sensitive to my relationship with the Licensor and gave wise counsel for no additional charge at how to avoid conflict-of-interest during the negotiations and afterwards.

I felt Charlie and his firm went above and beyond the agreed services under its fixed-cost project legal fee. The attorney seemed genuinely interested in CyberTran and performed the first and most important step towards bringing this new system to the Land of Lincoln.

You are the greatest.”

“I have my own consulting business and have been using CorpLaw for my legal services for several years. Charlie is uniquely qualified to advise consultants, having been the GC at a major consulting firm, and his approach is very practical for the small firm. He takes the time to understand my unique business needs, so I feel like I’m getting a real advisor and not an off-the-shelf answer to my issues. I get great advice, personal attention, and most importantly I get no surprises on fees. Charlie is great about flagging issues in advance, and working creatively to protect my interests without creating unnecessary paperwork. And his annual LLC maintenance plan keeps all my documents in order for a low flat fee. I would recommend Charlie to any consultant without hesitation.”

“Charlie Brown was an absolute pleasure to work with!

Being an Artist & extremely creative, I struggled to comprehend how to best protect my ideas and my company. Charlie explained everything in great detail so I could understand the legal process of protecting the exclusive ownership of my idea and IP while I was developing it with a group of potential partners. His obvious knowledge and experience in this area offered great solutions and by the end of our first meeting, I knew I found the right person for the job!

I have had some experience with Attorneys, who generally speak in “legal code” which makes it difficult to understand the full picture. Charlie was crystal clear on every phase of the project, without intimidating me. I was able to ask many questions and attain all the information I needed to make the decision to move forward.

Charlie was very prompt to return calls and emails. He was extremely respectful of my legal budget & very clear about his fees. Charlie was always positive & never seemed to have a bad day!!”

“As a consultant, it was important to personally understand the trademark process and objectives. Charlie thoroughly walked me through the procedures, answered all of my questions in understandable terms, and kept me apprised of developments culminating in the award of the trademark. I recommend Charlie as an outstanding resource for trademark legal services.

I believe we have received very thorough advice. Thanks again.”

“As a result of a legal department oversight at our parent company, our 85-year trademark expired…I believed this event to be a disaster with major consequences, but your counsel suggested that in the end, we would be in a stronger position with a ‘new’ trademark filing.

Your advice…was excellent. There were many obstacles during the process, but we overcame them and achieved the best possible registrations for our business today and in the future.

On a personal note, your integrity, judgment, and advice were extremely valuable to me. I would recommend your services without reservation.”

“I have found Charlie to be well informed, attentive and insightful in his counsel to us. We have learned to rely on him as a legal expert, strategic counsel, and trusted advisor for our clients’ trademark and copyright work, and make referrals often. But perhaps our trust in Charlie is most evident in our relationship with him on behalf of [my Company] and our own IP issues. Frankly, Charlie is our “go-to” IP guy, hands down. I highly recommend him.”

“Retaining CorpLaw Associates to handle our corporate legal matters proved to be a wise decision. CorpLaw, led by Charlie Brown, assessed our situation, investigated applicable laws and formulated a strategy. The complicated laws and strategy were effectively communicated to us so that we understood our options and potential outcomes. CorpLaw designed a strategy that protected us in a worse-case scenario, which eventually occurred. Ultimately, we had to exercise our rights and the CorpLaw strategy produced a full judgment in our favor.”

“When setting up my consulting firm and structuring contracts with clients and other firms, I needed legal support for traditional reasons (e.g., operating agreements, contracts) as well as understanding the legal arena relating to professional services and more specifically, consulting services.

Charlie’s deep experience in providing counsel to consulting firms was particularly helpful to my colleagues and me. He balanced a refreshing level of pragmatism with keen insight into potential issues and opportunity areas, and offered alternative courses of action. He helped me to understand the business implications of these actions. Given his expertise in advising both consulting firms as well as corporations (my client base), he was able to see both sides of a legal position and help me to negotiate a reasonable outcome for both parties. In addition, Charlie was particularly effective at working with many stakeholders with different personalities and objectives, including client executives, attorneys, and members of my firm.

I would not hesitate to recommend Charlie to other consulting firms.”

“Our company needed to review its intellectual portfolio to ensure we were properly identifying and using all potentially patentable subject matter. Our employees and contractors expend thousands of person-hours per year developing software code for the telecommunications industry. Since Intellectual Property is important to our long-term prosperity and competitiveness, we needed someone who has significant experience in patents and IP systems to help us maximize the value of our intellectual property.

We engaged CorpLaw Associates and Charles Brown to review our intellectual property assets and procedures. They assessed our procedures for identifying, generating, and using intellectual property, both offensively and defensively. CorpLaw Associates created a system to identify existing IP assets. They also generated a number of other effective recommendations for our consideration. These recommendations improve the ways we take advantage of our intellectual property assets.

Management and my legal team were satisfied with the execution of this important engagement and the positive impact CorpLaw’s recommendations have had on the company. We appreciate their insight into intellectual property law and their ability to work with company executives. They learned our business quickly and as a result produced recommendations optimally related to important strategic goals. CorpLaw’s work will have a positive impact on the company’s intellectually property assets and processes. We would use them again is such a project were needed in the future. You make feel free to contact me to discuss my experience with CorpLaw Associates and Charles Brown.”

“Thank you for all of your help and guidance with my trademark and [the process to acquire the trademark]. I had no idea what went into the trademark application process but was interested in getting one for my product line. You were thorough, patient, and informative in all aspects. Now that I have my trademark, with your help, I am even more pleased. Thank you.”

“Charlie has assisted me on several occasions involving the start-up and continued operation of my business. For example, Charlie was instrumental in the determination of the right corporate structure for my company. He thoroughly explained the pros and cons of the relevant options and assisted me with making the right decision. On an on-going basis, Charlie has routinely ensured that my company is in full compliance with state and federal regulations. It is a great comfort knowing that Charlie is overseeing many of the legal aspects of running my business, and it is one less thing for me to worry about. In short, Charlie’s knowledge of business law and his depth of experience, coupled with the responsive and personal service he provides, all contribute to a strong and valued business relationship. I highly recommend Charlie and his firm for your legal needs.”

“I find Charlie’s approach down to earth. He relates to us as people and not just clients. This puts us at ease and helps us to trust his legal advice. He is a competent and caring advocate.”

“I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate your service and valuable advice over these past several years. It’s been my pleasure working with you and I hope to continue working together for years to come. I don’t know if I ever told you, but one of the things that I appreciate about CorpLaw the most is the availability of your services. You and your staff are only a phone call away and always ready to help. I’ve had experiences in the past with other attorneys who would call me back a week or two later, after my phone call to them, or not return my call at all. From talking with other business owners, I’ve been aware that this is typical. With Charlie Brown and CorpLaw, I feel like I have my own legal department. It really does put my mind at ease to know that I can call you whenever I want and get the advice and help I need. That is one of the reasons I always say to you half-jokingly, that you are the “president of [our company’s] legal department”. In a very real sense, you are.”

“While I’ve known Charlie since 2001, it is only the last year that he has provided me with corporate and personal legal counsel. His thoughtfulness, business insight, and legal knowledge continue to be of great value.”

Carla [on the other side] went out of her way to let me know that you did the most thorough and thoughtful review of the contract she’s ever had an attorney do – also thought you were very reasonable in all your feedback. So, thank you!”

“I have worked with Charlie Brown and CorpLaw Associates for several years and have always considered Charlie to be the most detail oriented and value-added attorney I have worked with. First off, he always returns my calls and emails promptly. I never feel that he is “looking at the clock” when he is speaking with me and he often will ask the extra questions to better understand my issues with the problem, not just from the legal perspective. CorpLaw’s Corporate Maintenance Plan is wonderful. Not only do they handle my corporate minutes and annual report, but they are always there to answer small legal questions that many attorneys leave you feeling like you bothered them by asking.”

“Let me also take this opportunity to thank you and your firm, CorpLaw Associates, for your assistance over the last two years. It has been a pleasure working with you in my capacity as both a President of [client name], and in the acquisition of [company name]. In particular, I would be honored to provide a complete endorsement as needed of your capabilities across a broad range of corporate and legal issues.

Your assistance with the due diligence on the acquisition of [company name] by [company name] allowed us to expedite the process in a fair and equitable manner for both parties. In addition, your legal and business guidance on the potential strategic alliance between [company name] and [company name] was both timely and thorough. My most sincere thanks however for your counsel and expertise in my transition to entrepreneurship via my acquisition of [company name].

This is, I believe, representative of the real value offered by CorpLaw Associates: large company legal expertise tailored to individual and unique opportunities of any size. As is often the case, a great deal of fitness and experience is required to get two parties to move beyond the infatuation state to the real nuts and bolts of a fair and balanced agreement, especially when primarily intangible assets are involved. In this case, the results are obvious – a fair agreement, beneficial to both parties, that meets both the contemplated and potential outcomes. My partner and I thank you for your hard work and both the professional and personal attention given to each one of us throughout the process.”

“This is a note to thank you for providing outstanding legal counsel to [company name] during a very difficult period for us. You were able to step in, assimilate an awful lot of information in a short time, assist leadership by clearly delineating our options, and then made sure our arrangements were legally sound. Given the breadth of business we’re in, and this myriad of challenges we can pose, it is a comfort to know we have you watching our back. Our counsel must be versatile, as we require solid contractual law, intellectual property, e-commerce issues, even shareholder agreements! We look forward to many years of working together!”

“Mr. Brown brings a wide breadth of legal skills that [company name] has come to rely on. Prior to engaging Mr. Brown as our attorney, on an independent contractor basis, [company name] relied and was entirely satisfied utilizing outside counsel but the fact that he is in our offices is a clear-cut advantage. Not only do we have the opportunity for quick access and response but also consider him to be a regular member of our team in addressing the various legal issues that confront a corporation the size of [company name]. I find him to be personable and a quick study in the understanding of our very complicated reprographic business. Mr. Brown also has extensive legal experience as a member of the Law Department of a major local company and constantly draws on that experience to integrate into our corporate modus operandi. It is with genuine gratitude that I write this letter of reference for Charlie Brown. He has made my corporate life and those of my colleagues outstandingly smoother.”

“Please allow me a moment to state very sincerely how pleased I am with the services you/your colleagues have provided [company name], during our 6 month start-up period. You have a rare ability to offer deeply analytical legal guidance in a best-of-class manner. Additionally, you provide strong strategic guidance regarding the desired-future-state of our emerging company.

This combination of legal, and strategic service, is a rare commodity, and much appreciated by all of us at [company name]. You have assisted us immensely, and we look forward to a long and mutually rewarding business alliance with you and your colleagues and CorpLaw Associates. Please pass along our compliments to the entire team.”

You guys provide excellent insight. We have received very thorough advice. Thanks again.”

“I am general counsel to a $1.3B corporation comprised of ten North American operating companies. Like many legal department managers, I have been asked to keep costs and headcount down while continuing to provide competent legal advice and services. This is easier said than done. At one of our largest operating companies located in Chicago, CorpLaw Associates, and Charlie Brown in particular, has been the solution since 2000.

CorpLaw’s operating model is to provide on-site, experiences counsel to you business on the schedule you desire. Importantly, CorpLaw’s legal experience was primarily garnered with corporate law departments, not firms. This business experience translates into a rewarding client benefit. CorpLaw is unruffled by requests to re-prioritize legal work due to response is always professional and understanding.

CorpLaw has become and integral part of the [company name] legal team by appearing on-site three days per week. This gave the business clients access to face-to-face legal advice thereby increasing the value because the advice is based on a discussion of all relevant facts. On-site service allows the business team to become comfortable with counsel and to bring concerns to the legal department’s attention early enough to all preventative measures to be taken. On-site service has allowed CorpLaw to become intimately involved in [company name]’s business operation resulting in the added value of anticipating the legal implications of changes in [Company Name]’s business practices. This value is very difficult to achieve with an outside law firm.”

“Inevitably, if it isn’t documented in the contract, it is going to be a problem later on in the implementation or maintenance of the software. My advice – get it writing. Get it all in writing up front. Your lawyer will be much less expensive to you in the framing of the agreement than litigating your differences with a vendor later.”

“I wanted to thank you and your associate for diligently trying to get back with me the other week when I had left a voice mail. I realize you were in South Africa and that would be quite the award for best response of any partner we’ve worked with to actually arrange time across the globe to make sure you returned our call.”

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for your assistance in helping to resolve the settlement issues related to my previous employment. All of my previous attempts to resolve this issue myself were in vain.

While the settlement was, in the end, resolve by me and my former employer, this dialogue would have never taken place without your firm’s assistance in laying out the facts to them and forcing them to recognize that this was a legitimate claim that they had to deal with. Obviously, once the facts and the legal ramifications were laid out to them by you, they were willing to negotiate a settlement.

I sincerely believe that without your firm’s assistance, I wouldn’t have been able to even have a dialogue with my former employer, let alone negotiate a satisfactory settlement agreement.

Thanks again for your help in resolving this.”

“I want to thank you for your timely and professional response to my needs for my recent real estate dilemma. Your attention to the details from all perspectives was instrumental in a very positive outcome. I was originally apprehensive of any success but you brought insights to the situation and were able to quickly propose solutions that were most useful.

Please feel free to use me as a reference at any time. I wish you well and continued success in your practice.”

“Your understanding of contracts and the methods to structure risk and expectations was outstanding. Your ability to provide contractual support was critical to the success of my consulting firm.” Thanks for your help, generosity and timely advice.”

“Securing the rights to that name and all its potential is essential. Thanks for the offer to [provide additional services] at no charge. I really do appreciate that, and everything you do for me and my business.

I really do appreciate that, and everything you do for me and my business.”

Thank you also for your superb assistance and expertise.”

“I am honored by your request and could truthfully testify to your services and how satisfied I have been with the results.

You are personable and knowledgeable.”

“As I have mentioned before, I really appreciate all your help at our company. You could always be counted on.”

“Again, Sean and I both feel that your after-hours accommodations for us, at no charge, speak volumes about your character.”

“I used him to set up my LLC, and he is great to work with. His sense of the amount of work that I would need matched well with the actual number of hours I paid him for.”

“Overall this is a thorough review for which I consider my [money] wisely spent.

And again I thank you for your openness, candor, and professionalism.”

“After over 20 years of working for bigger firms and other people, I elected to establish my own consulting firm and needed help all the relevant and necessary organizing documents. Importantly, Charlie helped me separate cleanly from my prior organization and, as is usually the case these days, this separation contained several challenges with important and large financial consequences. Charlie helped advise and negotiate a successful split and helped me focus on moving forward. Further, Charlie helped advise me on the ongoing tasks in the successful operation of my firm.

Charlie is a very good listener and has a wonderful personal style which put me at ease and gave me great comfort. He is highly credible, has been around the block and is fully engaged. He is my go-to guy for all legal issues.”

“I’m glad you’re on my side. Thank you so much for your competence, thoroughness, and kindness. It is always nice to know I am in good hands. Thank you so much for your great work on my behalf. I have enjoyed your knowledge, communication, thoroughness, and professionalism.

Thank you for your patience and fine work.”

“You were always a straight shooter.”

“I was a partner in a technology consulting company and I engaged Charlie Brown to help me research a potential business issue with my partners. Accomplishing the project promptly was crucial and the outcome was highly important to me personally. Charlie quickly assessed the relevant issues in the documents and enabled me to make an informed decision.”