About

I am a versatile legal strategist and legal operator empowering scalability, enterprise value, and risk tolerance for growth-stage companies (including CPG, food, technology, and others) by leveraging my in-house and law firm background. I have advised companies with various risk tolerances, adapting legal strategies to each company’s unique growth stage to provide clarity during times of uncertainty. {split} With a talent for building legal infrastructure, high-performing teams, risk frameworks, compliance programs, and operational processes aligned with strategic business goals, I prepare organizations for funding and investment rounds, as well as exit and acquisition readiness.

EXPERTISE AREAS:
◉ Corporate/Commercial Law
◉ Emerging Companies
◉ Legal Operations
◉ Intellectual Property (IP)
◉ Crisis Management
◉ Risk Management
◉ Marketing & Branding Review
◉ Brand Protection
◉ Food Industry Legal Issues
◉ Emerging Companies & Venture Capital (EC/VC) | Private Equity (PE)

Throughout my career, I’ve led high-impact legal initiatives at the intersection of growth, innovation, and business transformation.

At Simple Mills, I built and scaled the legal function from the ground up, guiding the company’s legal evolution from a founder-led startup to private equity-backed growth and ultimately through its acquisition by a Fortune 1000 public company. I then led complex post-merger legal integration efforts on Simple Mills’ side, navigating change management and aligning legal operations with the standards and governance of a publicly traded parent company.

My passion for entrepreneurship also led me to pioneer an innovative legal clinic at Chicago-Kent College of Law, designed to bridge academia and real-world practice by providing legal services to startups. This clinic was the foundation for Harper Legal, a boutique EC/VC law practice I founded, grew to seven figures, and eventually integrated into the national law firm Thompson Hine.

COMPETENCIES: Legal Policy • Exit Strategy Attainment • Post Merger Integration (PMI) • Corporate Governance & ESG • Legal Due Diligence • Regulatory Compliance • Legal Department Buildout • Organizational Development • Mergers & Acquisitions • Commercialization Strategy • Entrepreneurial Law • Food Law: Prop 65, Consumer Class Actions, and Cross-Functional Risk Assessment for Production, Packaging, Labeling, Food Safety.