I am a single-mom with an amazing 8 year old daughter who is the light of my life. I believe I am on this planet to live an extraordinary life and to be of service to other women by helping them realize their dreams. I am particularly passionate about helping women launch wealth-building businesses that support their ideal lives. As I say: Brilliant Business. Brilliant Life. :-)
I am a seasoned business lawyer, advisor and coach for business owners and entrepreneurs. I am also a multi-passionate entrepreneur myself, having launched a number of successful ventures of my own throughout the past 15 years.
I have spent my career representing businesses and business owners, from s...
I am a single-mom with an amazing 8 year old daughter who is the light of my life. I believe I am on this planet to live an extraordinary life and to be of service to other women by helping them realize their dreams. I am particularly passionate about helping women launch wealth-building businesses that support their ideal lives. As I say: Brilliant Business. Brilliant Life. :-)
I am a seasoned business lawyer, advisor and coach for business owners and entrepreneurs. I am also a multi-passionate entrepreneur myself, having launched a number of successful ventures of my own throughout the past 15 years.
I have spent my career representing businesses and business owners, from solopreneurs, to mom and pop stores and restaurants, to professional service-providers to Fortune 500 companies. I have even represented some of the most successful and most wealthy entrepreneurs in the world. I have been there in every phase of the business life cycle from start-up on.
However, I always suffered from entrepreneurial ADD because I never wanted to be defined as “just a lawyer.” My heart has always been drawn to creating businesses out of my creativity and passions. And over the years, I found that my clients, friends and family regularly sought me out for advice, support and guidance on how to launch and run their own businesses. As a result, I finally shed her role as “just a lawyer” and have been happily realizing my own dream of devoting my time and energies to helping women business owners reach their own dreams and goals through their own businesses.
I am a seasoned business lawyer, advisor and advocate for business owners and entrepreneurs. I'm also a published author and speaker (look for me at several events for women entrepreneurs in 2012). I am also a multi-passionate entrepreneur myself, having launched a number of successful ventures of my own throughout the past 16 years. I started practicing law in Seattle in 1995, and through the years have developed a practice that focuses on the needs of entrepreneurs and business owners, from startup to litigation.
I have spent my legal career representing businesses and business owners, from solopreneurs, to mom and pop stores and restaurants, to professional service-providers, to Fortune 500 companies and more than one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world, including being the head of litigation and compliance for Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft. I have been there in every phase of the business life cycle from start-up on, and my passion is helping business owners protect themselves and their hard work.
In 2001 and 2002, I was chosen by my peers as a Washington Law and Politics "Rising Star," which honors the top 5% of attorneys in the State of Washington under the age of 40. And from 2001-2003 and 2007-09, I was a professor of law at Seattle University Law School. Oh, and I just learned this week that I won an honorable mention in the Albuquerque Magazine Best of the City, Favorite Business Person award! Very excited about that one.
Anyway, from 2002-2006, I co-owned a family construction firm in Seattle and not only handled business development, but was the General Counsel for the company. One of the greatest experiences I gained from this position was being the client. We routinely hired an outside lawyer to advise us on contracts or business opportunities, and for the first time I got to experience what it was like to sit on the other side of the conference table and to receive a $500 invoice for a 15 minute phone conversation with my lawyer. That experience left an impact that would eventually influence my career path enormously.
My second experience with hiring lawyers was as the head of litigation and compliance for Paul Allen’s company, Vulcan. In that position, I routinely hired outside lawyers (mainly from big firms in NYC and Los Angeles) to handle the legal work for our company. Imagine having 5 big-firm, New York lawyers on one conference call, all charging you $900/hour! Yes, that was my world and it also had a huge influence on the direction my career would take.
I eventually launched my own law firm, Eaves Mathews PLLC, where I have routinely advised businesses on a variety of matters, including entity formation, trademark and copyright, IP, Internet Law, employment issues and contracts. I have served as virtual General Counsel for small and mid-sized businesses each month, advising them on a myriad of legal issues that arise from daily operations. I also spent many years as a business litigator (although I am not handling disputes any longer).
After spending so much time through the years representing businesses and business owners, and handling many business disputes as a business litigator, I began to realize that there was a need for excellent legal help for business owners that wasn’t unpredictable, intimidating or frustrating for the client. I began crafting a solution that would provide predictable pricing, awesome customer service and excellent legal services in a way that has never been done before. The result is my new firm, Leverage-a-Lawyer,™ which is the first national, virtual law firm in the United States for small to mid-sized companies. Our team of exceptional, experienced attorneys provide world-class, flat fee legal services and virtual general counsel. Our work includes Trademarks, Copyrights, Internet Law, Business and Corporate Law, Employment Law, and really anything that comes up for our clients in the course of operating their businesses. And, for lean startups with no legal budget, we provide self-help legal guidance through excellent contract templates and information. I believe strongly that everyone should have access to excellent legal help, not just big companies with big legal budgets. I’m very proud and excited about Leverage-a-Lawyer because I know it is going to provide a solution for small and mid-sized companies and give them the protection they need without leaving them broke or cursing their lawyer.
These days, my professional activities include:
· Contributing writer for Today’s Innovative Woman magazine.
http://todaysinnovativewoman.com/
· Expert blogger for StartupNation.
http://www.startupnation.com/blogs/index.php/author/jmathews/
· Radio/podcast host on Entrepreneurial Podcast Network, Foundations for Business Brilliance.
http://epodcastnetworkd.com/category/legal-corner
· Adjunct faculty member for the Smart Women’s Institute of Entrepreneurial Learning
http://www.sherimcconnell.com/faculty
· Blogger for Savor the Success.
http://www.savorthesuccess.com/member/jessica-mathews/blog
· Contributing writer and speaker for Success On Your Terms Magazine, the magazine dedicated to providing a community for heart-centered female entrepreneurs seeking work-life balance while remaining true to their values.
http://www.starleecommunity.com/business/2010/10/1745/
· A business and start-up expert on the reality life makeover show for women that aired on the Oxygen network, 180: Life and Style Makeovers.
http://www.180lifeandstylemakeovers.com/180-experts
· Author of the soon-to-be-released book, Brilliant Business, Brilliant Life: A Woman’s Handbook to Having it All! (release date: Summer 2012)
· Author of the soon-to-be-released book, The 7 Legal Disasters Hidden in Your Business and Easy Solutions to Put In Place Today (release date: Spring 2012)
· Co-Author of the soon-to-be-released book, The Conscious Business Revolution: How Western Women Will Save the World (release date: January 2011)
Last but in no way least, in my other life, I am also the Founder and CEO of Grace & Game, the only luxury American lifestyle brand for both golf and for the sophisticated, feminine, modern women. This company is my baby and something that I have been slowly building for several years. Grace & Game designs are made in the USA with sustainable fabrics and are designed to perform beautifully both on and off the course. Grace & Game takes its cues from the runways, so that women don’t have to sacrifice fashion and style for comfort and performance. If you golf, or love the country club look, then you can find us
http://www.graceandgame.com.