Outside General Counsel
for Growing Companies
Commercial contracts, technology and IP transactions, corporate matters, and business sales.
Work directly with Umar Farooq—from the first conversation through the engagement.
What we do
Practical legal counsel for growing businesses.
For founders, owners, operators, and teams in technology, consumer products, professional services, and other industries.
Outside General Counsel
Senior legal judgment for growing companies that need experienced counsel without the cost of a full-time legal department.
Explore ongoing counsel →Commercial Contracts & SaaS
MSAs, subscription agreements, order forms, vendor agreements, and strategic commercial relationships.
Explore technology contracts →Technology Transactions & IP
Software licensing, technology transfers, joint development and IP ownership, channel and reseller agreements, white-label and OEM licensing, and trade secret and brand protection strategy. Specialist trademark and patent filings are handled by outside counsel.
Explore technology contracts →Data Privacy & AI
Data processing agreements, privacy notices, AI vendor terms, and information security provisions, with HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and COPPA considerations where applicable. Foreign-law and specialist advice is coordinated separately.
Explore privacy and AI →Fintech & Regulated Tech
Commercial agreements for fintech, healthtech, and edtech businesses: partnerships, vendor diligence preparation, data-use terms, risk allocation, and transition rights. Specialist regulatory advice is handled by separately engaged counsel.
Explore fintech and regulated tech →Mergers, Acquisitions & Business Sales
Buying and selling founder-owned businesses, from deals below $1 million to approximately $50 million. Preparation for sale, deal structure, diligence, negotiation, and closing.
Explore M&A and exit readiness →Corporate & Strategic
Formation, founder roles and ownership, governance, equity documentation, financing rounds, cap table cleanup, and diligence readiness. Employment and contractor agreements and equity compensation, with local employment and tax advice coordinated separately.
Explore corporate and strategic counsel →Commercial & IP Dispute Resolution
Out-of-court advice and negotiated resolution for commercial, founder, investor, and IP disputes, including contract disagreements, ownership and financing rights, licensing, and trademark demand letters. Representation is subject to conflict review; formal proceedings and specialist matters are handled by separately engaged counsel.
Explore dispute resolution →About
A direct relationship with your counsel.
- 19
- Years in practice
- 1,000+
- Companies advised
- 2012
- CounselX founded
Umar advises founders and closely held businesses on contracts, technology and IP, corporate decisions, and business sales up to approximately $50 million. He leads every matter, so the lawyer you speak with at the start is the lawyer responsible for the work.
Before founding CounselX, he trained at Dentons on cross-border M&A and commercial agreements and served as Head of Legal at Al Rayan Investment, building its legal function and advising senior management and the board.
Legal advice should help you make a decision—not leave you with a longer list of questions.
Credentials
- New York Bar
- District of Columbia Bar
- J.D., University at Buffalo School of Law, cum laude
- B.A., Georgia State University
Representative
Experience.
Selected matters, described in general terms to protect client confidentiality.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Payments SaaS business sale
Represented a payments and subscription-billing SaaS company in the sale of its business to a publicly traded technology company. Work included purchase-agreement negotiations, purchaser diligence, and IP and trademark assignments.
Healthcare technology acquisition
Represented a healthcare technology company in an asset acquisition and subsequent Series A financing. Work included asset purchase documents, stock issuance, capitalization records, and financing negotiations.
Technology partnerships and licensing
Negotiated channel-partner, reseller, distribution, white-label, and OEM licensing arrangements for technology clients.
Outside counsel from seed to exit
Served as ongoing outside general counsel to businesses for years at a time, including relationships spanning seed stage through exit.
Manufacturing business sale
Advised an equipment manufacturing and distribution business over several years, then represented its owner on the sale and exit.
Seller-financed ownership exit
Represented a seller on a seller-financed ownership exit, including the purchase agreement, promissory note, personal guaranty, and security agreement for the deferred purchase price.
Clients
Trusted by founders, owners, operators, and teams.
What clients say about working with CounselX.
For us, CounselX perfectly blends accurate and detailed legal knowledge on trademark law, copyright law and intellectual property law with clear interpretations and guidance on the best ways our nimble, fast growing business can proceed. They make navigating a complex world less stressful for our company.
Umar and team are fantastic to work with and I highly recommend anyone work with them. Umar helped me expertly navigate the complete sale of my last company to a large public company. And I'm working with him again at my new business. He is the best!
I have used CounselX for multiple ventures. Their monthly subscription is brilliant. If I have a legal question, I can check-in with them at any time of the day. Their startup legal advice and drafting is top-tier.
CounselX has supported us on many complex and legal issues from seed to growth phase. CounselX handles every legal need we have, including employment law, partnership agreements for customer referrals and technology development, investment, and M&A. They respond quickly and are very efficient, helping keep costs down while providing the exact support needed.
How we work
Two ways to work together.
Project
A defined deliverable or transaction, with the scope and fees agreed before work begins. Later phases can be scoped separately as the work develops. Hourly pricing may be agreed when the scope cannot be fixed.
Outside General Counsel
Ongoing legal support through a scope-based flat monthly subscription. Continuity for recurring commercial, contract, and corporate questions, with larger projects and bespoke negotiations scoped separately.
Explore monthly counsel →Umar is admitted in New York and the District of Columbia. Foreign-law opinions, local-law compliance, specialist filings, and formal litigation, arbitration, or mediation are handled by appropriate separately engaged counsel. CounselX coordinates where needed.
Contact
Let's talk about your business.
CounselX supports companies on a project basis or as ongoing outside general counsel, delivered as a flat monthly subscription.
- umar@counselx.legal
- Phone
- (646) 484-8512
- Mailing Address
- 1 Seneca Street, Floor 29
Buffalo, NY 14203 - Admitted
- New York · District of Columbia