What is NextGen Counsel
NextGen Counsel is a virtual law firm (based out of Morristown, NJ) dedicated to serving small businesses, freelancers, and independent contractors in NY & NJ.
Our Mission
NextGen Counsel’s mission is to provide NY & NJ small businesses, freelancers, and independent contractors with access to quality legal representation through a combination of monthly subscription plans and flat fee services. We aim to build a relationship with our clients, help them protect their business, and enable them to be better prepared for what’s ahead.
Our Services
Our monthly subscription plans provide clients with access to a suite of services each month as well as a menu of additional flat fee services. The subscription plan is meant to provide our clients with the most bang for their buck. Our first level subscription plan is $250/month, totaling $3000 for the year. For that you get 1.5 hours of consultation and research time, review of a contract or document up to 15 pages, and access to a discounted flat fee menu of services. To retain another attorney to simply review and discuss a contract or document once, a small business would likely have to pay a minimum up-front retainer fee of about $2500 and then be subject to the uncertainty of how many hours will be billed. Thus, we designed our subscription plan to be worth it even if our monthly services are only used once.
Our Difference
While traditional law firms rely on hourly billing that is expensive and uncertain, we pride ourselves on transparency and flexibility in pricing by utilizing a monthly subscription model which allows clients to plan for legal expenses within their budget. The subscription plan gives clients access to regular legal advice with an attorney who knows them and their business. Additionally, we aim to take a proactive approach with our clients, getting ahead of and avoiding legal issues instead of waiting for problems to occur. Not to worry, we can fight for you and your business should bigger legal issues arise.
About Us
After working at law firms for ten years, Michael saw how the upfront retainer fee, hourly rates, and uncertainty of overall costs kept many small businesses from getting the representation they need and deserve. The pandemic only further laid bare how disadvantaged small businesses are, in part, by not having had access to legal services from their earliest stages of development. After becoming further disillusioned by the status quo, Michael and Stephanie embarked on the journey to create their own small business, with the goal of being a resource for others.
Michael comes from a family of attorneys. He previously worked at two law firms that handled a wide variety of legal work in both New Jersey and New York. As a result, he handled almost every type of case there was. Michael focused his efforts on employment law, business litigation, consumer law, and construction. However, he never felt that the traditional law firm was where he belonged and wanted to find a way to live well and do good.
Stephanie is not an attorney. She worked in the fashion business for 18 years, earning a reputation as a master of all trades and essentially running a $500 million business. Her priorities shifted, and she knew that her experiences were transferable to any business. Using her business background, Stephanie oversees all aspects of operating NextGen Counsel.
Don’t Wait to Get Started
You may think you don’t need a lawyer now, but by helping you get ahead of issues, we can save you and your business a lot of money and headaches. When starting or running your own small business there are so many things that may be insignificant in the moment but tremendously important down the road. Or other things you just wouldn’t even know to think about. At NextGen Counsel, we desire to build lasting relationships with our clients by being transparent about our pricing, approachable and responsive, and practical. From inception to expansion, NextGen Counsel will be a resource for you.