What is a Virtual In-House Counsel?

Does my business need a Virtual In-House Counsel?

So how much legal exposure is your company looking at? What would happen to your business if just one of your customers filed suit against you? What would happen if someone filed a challenge to your domain name? How much money and business would you then lose? What if the signer of a $100,000 contract with you suddenly decided not to pay? Could you still make your payroll? How about a trademark suit? How much would it cost you to rename your product, your business, or your service?

Still think you can't afford a lawyer? Please read "Does My Start Up Need a Lawyer?"

Your business can't afford NOT to have an Internet or intellectual property attorney, especially if you own or run a small business. The very existence of your company may turn on whether or not an intellectual property attorney has caught and changed one small line of a contract, or a letter in a product name. Think of your legal costs are as you think of preventative medical care. A check up with a well rounded business attorney is much more cost effective than waiting for a catastrophe.

As a business owner, you want a business attorney who understands your day to day operations, your cash flow issues, and your desire to avoid conflicts. You want a business lawyer who has actually run a successful small business. You don't want a large litigation firm, whose job is to help you AFTER an issue arises. You want a business minded attorney who is an expert on prevention who will find and fix potential problems BEFORE they become too costly for your bottom line.

Mikki Barry brings nearly 15 years of experience as an attorney, and 9 additional years as an Internet consultant to legal and consulting work in the fields of Internet law, trademarks, copyrights, business law, and technology management. She is an efficient and cost effective alternative to higher priced firms.

Ms. Barry has been involved with Internet and high technology issues since 1982, and has had significant impact in formulating worldwide technology laws and policies through participation as a Steering Committee member of the IFWP (International Forum for the White Paper), the precursor to the formation of ICANN, and through testimony to House and Senate committees in the US. She is president of the Domain Name Rights Coalition, which protects consumer and small business interests in domain name, privacy, and speech issues. She has also served as counsel to various individuals testifying before Congress and the US Senate. Ms. Barry received a B.S. from Boston University's School of Public Communications in 1984, and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1991 where she was Editor in Chief of the Journal of Law and Technology.

Mikki Barry is also a WIPO trained and certificated mediator. Ms. Barry has been featured and/or quoted on business and technical legal issues in USAToday, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Washington Business Journal, Wired, Interactive Week, Scientific American, MSNBC, CNBC, and ZNet as well as several radio broadcasts. She has written pieces in the books "The Domain Name Handbook," and "Internet Secrets," and has published several papers on Internet Law.

Please contact Mikki Barry via email at mb@mikkibarry.com or by telephone at 703.349.6382 (no solicitors, please).