My name's Peter Kovalsky. I've been practicing law in California for a decade, focusing primarily on helping small and medium businesses navigate their day-to-day operations. Most of that work has involved reviewing, drafting, and negotiating all manner of contracts for my clients, as well as making sure their copyrights and trademarks are secure and protected. I've worked as an associate attorney at a boutique law firm, as general counsel for an ambitious events-and-marketing startup, and as a solo practitioner. In my pre-law life, I was a translator, editor, and technical writer.

Outside of that, I get nerdy about tech, languages, philosophy, music, games, and other systems. I'm an Extremely Online kind of person and an avid, lifelong gamer.

I also came to this country as a refugee and remain dedicated to social justice, inclusion, and diversity.

When it comes to starting or running a business, legal stuff (and the associated price tag) can be scary. Often, this functions as a gatekeeping mechanism, making it that much harder for people who don't already have a lawyer or entrepreneur in their immediate social circles to succeed. Making matters worse is the fact that most of a lawyer's job is talking to other lawyers, which means that many of us are just not very good at communicating with non-lawyers in ways that make sense.

It doesn't have to be this way. You shouldn't have to have a JD or an MBA to start your business.

I've dedicated my career to removing those barriers as much as I'm able. Here's part of what that looks like:

• Meeting my clients at their level of sophistication, expertise, and interest

• Plain-English communication, advice, and even drafting where appropriate

• Transparent pricing and flat-fee structures where possible, so you can know in advance how much you'll pay

• Flexible payment options

My expertise is primarily related to commercial contracts and (non-patent) intellectual property. This means that I'm well equipped to help you with most of the day-to-day legal stuff involved in running your business: signing contracts with your vendors and clients, engaging independent contractors, making sure your trademarks are registered and protected, and so on. I also have a vast network of trusted colleagues that I can refer you to when you have needs I'm not the right person to handle. To learn more, browse the Traditional Services.

In addition to the traditional services you'd find at any law firm, I also offer a variety of nontraditional services and/or pricing models designed primarily to make it easier for early-stage entrepreneurs and first-time or marginalized founders to access needed legal services on a budget. My whole shtick here is making the legal components of running your business less intimidating and more accessible, so my aim is to reduce the amount of both "it's complicated" and "it's expensive" that you'll have to deal with. Click here for more information about pricing, and to learn more, browse the Nontraditional Services.