Michelle Bomberger

michelle@equinoxbusinesslaw.com

Michelle Bomberger, founder of Equinox Business Law Group is an experienced businesswoman, entrepreneur, and attorney. Her practice focuses on helping companies create the right infrastructure, secure financing, protect assets, and develop and execute exit strategies.

Michelle’s desire to work with small businesses and entrepreneurs began at Northwestern University, while she was pursuing dual graduate degrees in law and business. A founding member of the Small Business Opportunity Center at Northwestern University School of Law, Michelle served as president of the organization and provided both legal and business advice to nonprofit and for-profit small businesses.

Before attending graduate school, Michelle was a business operations and technology consultant with Ernst & Young LLP, where she often found her smaller clients most rewarding. Michelle also worked at Cingular Wireless as senior manager of auditing services, where she worked directly with C-level executives to implement process improvements across business functions.

After graduate school, Michelle moved to Seattle to join Venture Law Group, a law firm focused on high tech startups. In 2005, Michelle launched Equinox Business Law to put her legal and business prowess to use for growing businesses. An experienced entrepreneur herself, Michelle knows what it’s like to walk in her clients’ shoes firsthand. In addition to launching and growing Equinox Business Law Group, she and her husband owned and managed two restaurants in the Seattle area.

Michelle is an active member of the King County Bar Association and the Washington State Bar Association, where speaks regularly about law office management. In 2009, Michelle was voted “Best Lawyer” by the readers of 425 Magazine. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Center for Advanced Manufacturing Puget Sound (CAMPS). For more information on CAMPS go to www.camps-us.com.

Outside the office, Michelle offers pro-bono legal services to local businesses and non-profits through Seattle University’s Community Development and Entrepreneurship Clinic and Washington Attorneys Assisting Community Organizations. She is also the Seattle Chapter Manager for Help a Mother Out, which holds diaper drives for local organizations that support needy families. A current member of Women Business Owners in Seattle, Michelle previously served on the Board of Directors.

In addition to her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law (cum laude) and M.B.A. from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Michelle also holds a B.S. in Finance and Computer Applications from the University of Notre Dame (cum laude).

Born and raised in Panama, Michelle paddled in the annual Ocean-to-Ocean Cayuco Race through the Panama Canal during her sophomore year in high school, winning the women’s category of the race. If you want to know more about the race, check out this video.

When she is not advising small business owners and entrepreneurs, Michelle is the mother of two young children, who keep her very busy, especially on the weekends. She also enjoys cooking, entertaining friends, and playing chess with her 7-year-old, who plays competitively.

“I love learning about what companies are doing and helping them do it right. The ability to give clients another set of metrics and tools to help evaluate opportunities and understand risks is incredibly rewarding.”
—Michelle Bomberger, Founder

Lauren Burgon

lauren@equinoxbusinesslaw.com

Lauren Burgon is an associate at Equinox Business Law Group, working closely with business owners to ensure they are minimizing risk and protecting assets by using well-written, comprehensive contracts and agreements; properly maintaining their corporate structures; and responding quickly and effectively to diffuse potential issues with employees, contractors, customers and vendors.

While she especially enjoys working with business owners in planning ahead to avoid litigation, other areas of Lauren’s practice include protecting clients’ intellectual property rights via trademark and copyright registrations, as well as assisting them in drafting carefully written nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements.

Lauren’s prior work experience gives her additional insight into the needs of business owners, having worked for several small businesses, including restaurants, a personal services business, veterinary clinics, and nonprofit organizations. She also advised the Woodland Park Zoo in its transition from an independent 501(c) (3) organization into part of the Woodland Park Zoo Society.

More recently, Lauren’s practice has developed in Internet and online issues, advising her clients on their online presence, retail activity, social media, and the ramifications of virtual work with customers worldwide.

Lauren holds a J.D. from the University of Washington Law School and B.A. in English (cum laude) from Middlebury College. Having lived in Seattle since law school, Lauren resides in West Seattle with her two children, with whom she enjoys cooking, playing Farkle, and practicing the Korean martial art form Tang Soo Do, in which the entire family holds “Cho Dan Bo” (black belt candidate) belt rank. Lauren is also an avid indoor and beach volleyball player, having played the sport for 31 years…and still counting.

“The best part of my job is working with clients to craft solutions that work for their businesses as well as their personal risk tolerances. I particularly enjoy helping clients realize that a ‘contract’ is not a dirty word, but rather it is protection and clarity for them, their employees, and their customers.”
—Lauren Burgon, Associate

 

KEIL LARSEN

keil@equinoxbusinesslaw.com

Keil Larsen, Attorney at Equinox Business Law Group, is an experienced businessman with an emphasis in the biotechnology and environmental fields.  His practice focuses on counseling entrepreneurial and start-up clients with business formation, securing financial backing, protecting business and personal assets, managing employee concerns, and identifying the proper exit strategies.

Keil’s business background includes a breadth of professional experience including facility operations, project management, personnel management, business development/sales, consultative client negotiations, and regulatory compliance.  Prior to law school, Keil’s work involved managing a thirty million dollar business unit for a large multi-national environmental services firm owned by Suez.  In this role, Keil was responsible for top line growth and profitability of the business segment, day-to-day operations for four west coast facilities, and management supervision for over eighty-five employees.  In addition, Keil successfully integrated a second vertical business segment following a corporate acquisition.  Keil’s experience working within the environmental field has provided him with an intimate knowledge of most aspects of running a service based business which allows him the ability to quickly provide sage advice to his clients.

Keil has demonstrated a strong work ethic when supporting clients in the biotechnology industry. His client portfolio has included several large local life science entities, as well as a number of small to mid-sized startups.  Keil is cognizant of the quick pace of startups and their concern over the financial “burn rate” of grant money.

Keil was both a founding member and associate technical editor of the Environmental Law Journal, and also participated on the faculty hiring committee at Seattle University.

Most recently, Keil has been advising healthcare clients about the recent implications of changes in the regulatory landscape of pharmaceutical waste in order to bring them into compliance with the myriad of state and federal regulations while still maintaining patient confidentiality.

Keil is an active member in the King County Bar Association where he was both a founding and executive member of the King County Bar Association Business Law Section.

Keil and his family reside in the small town of Lake Forest Park where he, his wife, and two children, are active in the community, local schools, and non-profit organizations.  When not in the office, Keil enjoys the activities of sailing, golfing and fly fishing among others.

DAWN NELSON

dawn@equinoxbusinesslaw.com

Dawn Nelson, Client Services Manager/Paralegal. Dawn joined Equinox Business Law Group in June 2010. Prior to Equinox, Dawn spent more than 4 years as Administrator for a nonprofit organization that focuses primarily on resourcing low income families. In this role, Dawn planned large scale community events as well as developed strategic plans to aid in resourcing low income families in Federal Way. Dawn became the Community Director for the organization and led efforts to focus the organization on fund raising and marketing. In 2009 Dawn began work as a Paralegal with the Home Foreclosure Legal Aid clinic helping to give legal support and direction for individuals facing financial crisis. Dawn quickly moved into the position of Litigation Paralegal and was highlighted for her ability to research and analyze critical legal issues.

Dawn has an Associate of Applied Sciences degree and Paralegal Certificate from Highline Community College.

KELLY SVIHUS

kelly@equinoxbusinesslaw.com

Born in Northridge, California, Kelly was raised in Everett, WA from the age of eight.

She currently holds associate’s degrees in business administration and accounting and is looking forward to completing a bachelor’s degree in accounting within the next few years. She has ten years of experience in customer service, the last four in a management position which positively demonstrated her passion for problem solving, organization and business growth.

From a young age, Kelly has realized the importance of community support and has been a member of the Everett Thanksgiving Drive, volunteer volleyball coach for the YMCA, Community Leader in her previous position, as well as a Bountiful Basket volunteer every Saturday.  Both an avid sports player and fan, she played tennis, soccer and volleyball throughout middle school and high school.

Loyal to the Seattle Mariners and Seahawks, she enjoys going to weekend games with her husband of three years, Jeff. Among her many hobbies, she greatly enjoys making crafts and cooking.

She and her husband are loving “pet parents” to their eight year old Russian Blue cat which they have raised together since he was a tiny kitten.

Other Legal Counselors

As our services emphasize business transactions, we leverage business lawyers and other legal counselors in the Bellevue, Seattle and Western Washington regions, as necessary and appropriate, to ensure our clients receive the highest quality of legal service to meet any needs we elect not to offer within our office. This structure allows us to pick those attorneys who have experience and expertise to serve you in areas we elect not to emphasize our practice such as estate planning, litigation, tax and real estate transactions.