Frequently Asked Questions

Savvy Esquires is designed for the modern creative and entrepreneur. Unlike traditional law firms that might feel formal or reactive, we aim to be your proactive partner, blending approachable legal counsel with strategic business advice. Our focus is on being a "transactional" firm (including pre-litigation negotiation and mediation), meaning we help you build, protect, and grow your ventures through agreements, entity formation, IP strategy, and business consulting, rather than focusing on court-based litigation. We're also deeply integrated with technology to provide efficient, accessible services, and we offer flexible pricing like our Flexible Retainer Options because we understand the unique needs of creatives and startups. Our tagline sums it up: "Not Your Typical Law Firm. Your Creative Ally."

Our ideal clients are passionate innovators building the future. This includes startups, tech startups, and AI businesses, as well as creatives, artists, DJs, comedians, content creators, and entrepreneurs in technology, marketing, the cannabis industry, or other creative fields. Whether you're a founder launching a new SaaS platform, an artist formalizing your career, or a company navigating complex regulations, Savvy Esquires is here to provide both legal and business strategic support.

As a transactional law firm, Savvy Esquires focuses on the legal aspects of creating, managing, and growing businesses and ventures. This includes non-litigation matters such as contract drafting and negotiation, business entity formation, intellectual property registration and strategy, and general business counsel. Importantly, our services also extend to representing you in pre-litigation settlement negotiations and formal mediation proceedings when appropriate, aiming to resolve disputes amicably and efficiently before court action becomes necessary. Should a matter require court-based litigation, we will refer you to trusted litigation counsel.

Miakel D. Williams, the founder of Savvy Esquires, brings a unique blend of high-level legal expertise and real-world entrepreneurial insight. He has served as a strategic legal executive (de facto General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer) for global SaaS and technology companies, guiding them through complex regulatory landscapes and enabling growth. His experience includes architecting enterprise-wide data privacy programs (GDPR, CCPA) and achieving cybersecurity certifications (ISO 27001, SOC 2). Beyond corporate roles, Miakel earned an LL.M. in Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship from Cornell Tech. He has also directly advised tech startups and served as a Growth Strategist for a small business, significantly increasing its revenue. This diverse background provides a deep understanding of the challenges faced by creatives and entrepreneurs. You can learn more on our About Us page.

While Savvy Esquires is proudly based in New York City, our founder, Miakel D. Williams, is licensed to practice law in New York, New Jersey, and California. This means we can provide state-specific legal advice and services for matters directly concerning the laws of these three states. For our non-legal Business Consulting services and guidance on federal legal matters (such as U.S. trademarks or copyrights, which are federal), we can assist clients nationwide. We use technology to work efficiently with clients regardless of their location within these service areas.

Our Legal Services involve providing legal advice, preparing legal documents (like contracts or business formation papers), helping register intellectual property, representing you in pre-litigation negotiations and mediations, and ensuring your business complies with relevant laws and regulations. These services are provided by Miakel D. Williams in his capacity as an attorney and establish an attorney-client relationship with its associated privileges and protections. Our Business Consulting (Non-Legal) services, on the other hand, focus on strategic business advice. This can include areas like business strategy development, operational efficiency, brand protection strategies (from a non-legal perspective), growth planning, and tech/SaaS operational setup. These services provide guidance and recommendations based on business experience and best practices but do not constitute legal advice.

No, engaging Savvy Esquires for Business Consulting (Non-Legal) services does not create an attorney-client relationship or its associated privileges (like attorney-client privilege regarding communications). These services are purely advisory from a business perspective. We are very clear about this distinction. If, during a business consulting engagement, a need for legal advice or services arises, we would discuss that with you separately and, if you choose to engage us for legal services, would then enter into a distinct attorney-client relationship for those specific legal matters, typically with a separate engagement letter.

Certainly!
You would seek Legal Services if you need to: Formally set up your business (e.g., create an LLC or corporation); Draft or review a contract with a client, vendor, or partner; Register a trademark for your brand name or logo; Get legal advice on protecting your creative work through copyright; Have website legal policies (Terms of Service, Privacy Policy) created; or require representation in pre-litigation settlement talks or mediation.
You might seek Business Consulting (Non-Legal) services if you want to: Develop a comprehensive business plan or growth strategy; Identify ways to improve your operational efficiency or scale your business; Get advice on market positioning or non-legal aspects of brand strategy; Receive guidance on selecting and implementing technology for your business operations. Sometimes your needs might overlap, and we can help you determine the best course of action.

This is a great question! For those just starting out, a combination of foundational legal and business strategy support is often most beneficial. Legally: Business Formation to choose the right structure, basic Contract Drafting & Review (e.g., a simple client service agreement), and initial advice on Intellectual Property (like understanding trademark and copyright for your brand and creations) are often key. Our Website & App Legal Essentials are also crucial if you're launching online. Business-wise: Our Business Strategy & Development consulting can help you clarify your vision, define your offerings, and create an initial roadmap. We also have a helpful Needs Assessment Quiz on our website that can guide you, and our foundational blog post, "Stop Dreaming, Start Doing: The 5 Legal First Steps for Your Creative Business," is a great resource! Ultimately, an initial consultation can help us pinpoint your immediate priorities.

No, Savvy Esquires is primarily a transactional law firm. While we do represent clients in pre-litigation settlement negotiations and formal mediation proceedings to resolve disputes amicably, our focus is on proactive legal work to prevent disputes. We do not handle court-based litigation or contested adversarial proceedings. If a situation requires court representation, we will refer you to trusted litigation attorneys from our network.

Fractional Executive Services provide businesses with C-level expertise (like a Chief Legal Officer or Chief Privacy Officer) on a part-time, as-needed basis. It's for companies that need ongoing strategic leadership in these areas but aren't ready for a full-time executive. Learn more on our Fractional Executive Services page.

Growing startups, scale-ups, and SMBs, especially in tech, SaaS, e-commerce, or creative industries, that require expert legal or data privacy oversight but don't need a full-time hire. It's also for companies preparing for major transactions or needing interim leadership.

Our Fractional Executive Services are offered in tiered monthly retainer packages (10, 20, or 30 hours per month) with upfront payment, ensuring dedicated availability. Unused hours roll over for one month, and overage is billed at a preferred rate. Full details are on our Fractional CLO Services and Fractional CPO Services pages, and summarized on our Flexible Retainer Options page.

The Savvy Essentials Retainer ($1,500 for 5 hours) is designed for ad-hoc questions and smaller tasks. Fractional Executive retainers (starting at 10 hours for $4,000) are for businesses needing a more embedded, ongoing C-level strategic leadership role in legal or privacy, involving a more significant and dedicated time commitment per month.

Getting started is easy!
Schedule a Consultation: The first step is usually to book an initial paid consultation via our Website Scheduling Page. This allows us to understand your needs in detail.
Consultation: We'll discuss your venture, challenges, and goals during our 1-hour paid consultation.
Proposal & Engagement Letter: If we agree to move forward, we'll outline the scope of services and fees. You'll receive an engagement letter for e-signature, which clearly defines our relationship and the services to be provided.
Payment: For retainers or flat-fee services, payment is typically due after the engagement letter is signed and before services commence.
Let's Get to Work: Once the engagement letter is signed and initial payment is made, we'll begin working together!

Our initial 1-hour paid consultation ($250) is a working session designed for you to get specific insights and for us to understand your needs deeply. You can expect to discuss your creative venture or business, your specific questions or challenges, and your objectives. We'll provide initial thoughts and explain how Savvy Esquires might be able to assist you. It's also an opportunity for you to determine if our approach and expertise are a good fit for you. Please come prepared with your questions!

We offer a 1-hour paid consultation for $250. This is a substantive session where we aim to provide genuine value and initial guidance, not just a sales call. The fee is non-refundable and confirms your dedicated time with Miakel D. Williams. Reschedules are permitted if made at least 24 hours in advance.

Our Flexible Retainer Options, including the Savvy Essentials Monthly Retainer and the Fractional Executive Service tiers, are designed to secure Miakel D. Williams' availability. The monthly retainer fee is a non-refundable fee, earned upon receipt by Savvy Esquires, for this guaranteed availability and is deposited into the Firm's operating account. The included hours can then be used to offset the cost of services utilized during the month. Specific rollover and expiration policies apply, as detailed on our Retainer Options page and in your engagement letter.

Our standard hourly rate for legal services and business consulting is five hundred dollars ($500) per hour. For clients on our Savvy Essentials Monthly Retainer, the effective rate for the included five hours is three hundred dollars ($300) per hour, and any additional (overage) hours are billed at a preferred rate of four hundred seventy-five dollars ($475) per hour. Our Fractional Executive Services have their own tiered effective rates and specific overage rates detailed on their respective service pages and summarized on our Flexible Retainer Options page.

Yes, we do offer flat fees for certain well-defined services to provide predictability for our clients. These typically include: Business Formation (e.g., LLC or corporation setup); Drafting of new Contracts or Independent Contractor Agreements; Standard Intellectual Property filings like copyright applications and specific stages of trademark applications. The exact flat fee will be discussed and agreed upon after an initial consultation to understand the scope of your specific needs. For more complex or ongoing matters, services are generally provided at our hourly rate or via a retainer package.

We aim to make the onboarding process as smooth as possible using technology. After our initial consultation and your decision to proceed: We will prepare a digital engagement letter outlining the services and fees, tailored to your needs. This will be sent to you for e-signature via a secure digital platform (e.g., Dropbox Sign free tier, SignWell free tier). For retainers or flat-fee services, after the e-signature, Savvy Esquires will manually send a Stripe invoice or payment link. Services commence once the engagement letter is signed by both parties and the initial payment is received in full.

We accept major credit cards and electronic payments through secure online payment platforms, primarily via Stripe invoices/payment links.

We primarily use professional email and secure cloud storage for document sharing. You'll receive clear instructions for accessing documents. We anticipate implementing a dedicated secure client portal in the future.

If you have a legal or business need that you don't see explicitly listed under our services, please don't hesitate to ask during your initial consultation. If it falls within our expertise as a transactional law and business consulting firm for creatives and entrepreneurs, we'll be happy to discuss how we can help. If it's outside our scope (like court-based litigation or patent prosecution), we will gladly try to provide a referral to another trusted professional from our network.

As a creative professional, your work, your brand, and your ideas are your most valuable assets. Thinking about legal protection early on isn't about stifling creativity; it's about safeguarding it. Early legal steps like choosing the right Business Formation, using clear Contracts for gigs or collaborations, and understanding your Intellectual Property rights (like copyright for your material or trademarks for your brand name) can prevent costly disputes, protect you from liability, ensure you get paid fairly, and help you build a sustainable career or business on a solid foundation. It’s an investment in your future success and peace of mind.

Freelancers are entrepreneurs! Key legal considerations include: Clear Client Agreements: Always have a written Contract that outlines the scope of work, payment terms, deliverables, deadlines, ownership of intellectual property, and how revisions or changes will be handled. Business Structure: Consider if operating as a sole proprietor is still right for you, or if an LLC (Business Formation) would offer better liability protection. Intellectual Property: Understand who owns the IP you create for clients and ensure your agreements reflect this. Protect your own portfolio work and brand name. Payment & Invoicing: Have a clear process for invoicing and follow-up on payments. Data Privacy (if applicable): If you handle client data, be aware of your responsibilities. Savvy Esquires can help you with all of these aspects.

Protecting your brand involves both legal and strategic business actions, and Savvy Esquires can assist with both: Legally: We can help you secure legal ownership of your brand name, logos, and taglines through Trademark Strategy & Registration. This is crucial for preventing others from using your brand identity. We also ensure your contracts reinforce your brand rights. Business Consulting (Non-Legal): We offer Brand Protection Strategies (Non-Legal Aspects) consulting to help you develop consistent brand messaging, differentiate yourself in the market, and advise on strategic considerations for managing your online presence and reputation to complement your legal protections.

An online presence requires specific legal protections. Essential documents typically include: Terms of Service (or Terms of Use): These govern how users can interact with your website or app, outlining their rights and responsibilities, and yours. Privacy Policy: This is legally required if you collect any personal data from users (names, emails, IP addresses, etc.). It must clearly explain how you collect, use, store, and protect that data, aiming for compliance with all applicable data privacy laws. Disclaimers: To limit your liability for the information or services provided. Cookie Policy: If you use cookies or other tracking technologies, this policy explains their use to your visitors. Savvy Esquires specializes in drafting these custom Website & App Legal Essentials tailored to your specific online business or app.

Using Independent Contractor Agreements is vital when engaging freelancers or contractors for several reasons: Clarity: It clearly defines the scope of work, deliverables, deadlines, and payment terms, preventing misunderstandings. Worker Classification: It helps properly document the relationship as an independent contractor rather than an employee, which is important for tax and labor law compliance. Intellectual Property: It specifies who will own any intellectual property created during the project. Confidentiality: It can include clauses to protect your sensitive business information. Liability & Indemnification: It can outline responsibilities and protections for both parties. A well-drafted agreement protects both your business and the contractor, fostering a professional and clear working relationship.