Small Businesses and Startups Fractional General Counsel Data Privacy and Security

Welcome to Summit Business Law, LLC ("SBL") and thank you for visiting today.  I'm Scott Murphy, an attorney and the owner of SBL. In addition to law firm experience, I have over 25 years of legal experience working as an in-house lawyer for some of the largest companies in the country.  My past legal experience includes general corporate and business issues  and risk management issues, including contract drafting and business formation. I also have experience with technology agreements, such as SaaS and IaaS. And I have also provide legal advice on state and federal data privacy and security requirements.  

After spending most of my career as an in-house attorney, I wanted to use that experience to support the legal and operational needs of small businesses, startups and military-veteran entrepreneurs whose needs may not be met by more traditional law firms. When I was in-house, I was also a client of many different law firms and often found their work not matching our business requirements. Based on that experience, I hope to provide an "in-house counsel experience" to small businesses who do not have their own legal staff or are not well-served by more traditional law firms. . I  help my clients navigate the maze of legal issues they may face to allow them to focus more on growing their business. I become invested in my clients' goals so they consider me as a "trusted partner" rather than just their lawyer. As I learn about your business and your goals, I don't want to just focus on the "legal" issues. I approach your concerns and objectives from a more holistic perspective that your own "in-house lawyer" can provide.

I formed SBL as a largely "virtual law firm" to help reduce client costs  and to meet clients where they are in our busy world.  A largely virtual model also gives clients more flexibility to work with me in a way that meets their needs. The secure client portal allows the client and I to  securely communicate with each other. We can also meet through video meetings or phone calls too.   However,  we can always meet in person at the client's convenience.

A bit more about me.  After serving in the US Army, I attended the University of North Dakota for my undergraduate and law degrees.  I also have an MBA in Accounting from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis.  I found the law and business degrees to be an invaluable combination over the course of my career.  I've lived and worked in different parts of the country, but I am proud to call Des Moines "my home" for over 12 years. I am a member of the Iowa State Bar Association, the Technology Association of Iowa, and the International Association of Privacy Professionals (CIPP/US).

Thank you again for visiting today, and I look forward to working with you.  If you have questions or would like more information about how SBL may assist your organization's legal needs, please use the button below, or just email me at information@summitbizlaw.com to set up a free initial consultation.