Outside General Counsel for Companies That Make and Move
Manufacturing and Supply Chain Business Attorney Serving Georgia and the US
Practical legal support for service providers, manufacturers and startups. Contracts that match operations. Risk management and clear next steps when the stakes are high.
Practical Counsel, Embedded In Your Business
That mix comes from hands-on exposure to manufacturing and distribution, procurement and logistics, and years of drafting and negotiating the agreements that hold it all together. It’s a holistic view that helps your business make decisions that work on the floor, on the balance sheet, and in the contract.
Our Practice Areas
01
General Business Counsel
Ongoing support for everyday business needs. This includes contract review and drafting, employment-adjacent questions, policy and compliance matters, risk management, and communication support across teams. You get accessible guidance that helps you move forward without disrupting operations.
02
Corporate Law
Entity formation, structuring, governance, and the agreements that support growth. We assist with operating agreements, shareholder documents, small-scale acquisitions, financing tools such as SAFEs and convertible notes, and the internal policies that help companies operate cleanly and efficiently.
03
Supply Chain and Commercial Counsel
Support shaped by firsthand experience in procurement and operations. We help draft, review, and negotiate supplier agreements, service contracts, logistics arrangements, and other commercial terms that affect timing, cost, risk allocation, and long-term partnerships.
04
International Trade/Tariffs
Guidance for businesses sourcing internationally or operating across borders. We help evaluate tariff exposure, review or create global contract terms, clarify logistics responsibilities, and align operations with the realities of international pricing and delivery risk.
05
Business Succession Planning
Planning and support for transitions to family members, key employees, or next-generation leadership. We help coordinate legal structures, financing considerations, governance updates, and communication planning to support continuity and minimize disruption.
Let’s Talk About Your Business’s Legal Needs, and Find A Road Forward
If you want counsel who understands the line, the numbers, and the legal implications, start with a short call. We’re based near Atlanta and support clients in Georgia and nationwide.
Our Unique 3X Perspective
Every recommendation is informed by three viewpoints, ensuring your decisions hold up on the floor, on the balance sheet, and in the contract.
Technical (Operations)
How the work actually runs: process flow, supplier capability, equipment, lead times, constraints, and the realities your team manages daily.
Commercial (Market & Finance)
Pricing, incentives, terms, and risk allocation. Guidance shaped by budget pressure, supplier dynamics, capital planning, and market conditions.
Legal (Law & Governance)
Clear, enforceable contracts and structures that reflect your processes, align responsibilities, and scale with your business.

Our Founder
Attorney Matthew Markel is an engineer-turned-lawyer with an MBA from Purdue who serves as outside general counsel to small and mid-sized industrial and manufacturing businesses. He brings a rare mix of shop-floor awareness, procurement and operations experience, and legal training, so advice reflects how the work actually gets done and what the contracts must do.
Getting Started
A simple process that respects your time and delivers clear next steps.
Step 1
Listen & Learn.
A short call to understand your goals, pressure points, and timelines. The initial consultation is at no charge.
Step 2
Assess & Prioritize.
We review key contracts and processes, then outline immediate fixes and longer-range items.
Step 3
Engage & Execute.
A consistent weekly cadence with guaranteed hours, clear deliverables, and steady communication.

Where We Work
Atlanta is our home base. Matthew Markel Attorney At Law supports clients across Georgia and nationwide in an outside-general-counsel model.
Metro Atlanta
Manufacturer and industrial services support along the I-75, I-85, and I-20 corridors, including major logistics hubs and airport-adjacent distribution.
Georgia Manufacturing & Logistics
Statewide counsel with an eye on supplier agreements, distributor relationships, and port-driven flows that affect pricing and timelines.
Nationwide Outsourced General Council (OGC)
Remote, embedded support for multi-state operations with coordinated onsite visits when needed.
Our Promise
What You Can Expect With Matthew Markel Attorney At Law
Practical counsel that blends technical, commercial, and legal thinking so decisions hold up in real life.
Clarity First
Short, direct guidance you can act on today. Strategy added as needed, not as filler. Bridging the gap between where you want to take your business and where you are now.
Operator-Friendly Contracts
Documents that match how you actually run the business, with clean scopes, incentives, and remedies.
Risk Managed, Not Hidden
We map the real risks, align responsibilities, and set guardrails that scale as you grow.
Reliable Communication
You get steady communication, clear timelines, and a single point of coordination.


Leveraging Technology the Right Way
Our Approach to AI
We recognize that today’s clients frequently turn to Artificial Intelligence (AI) for initial legal guidance, and we fully embrace it as a tool.
However, the true value Matt brings to your corner isn't just in knowing how to query an AI; it lies in knowing exactly what to ask and how to translate those answers into the highly specific context of your life or business.
Asking an AI the wrong, or even slightly misworded question can generate responses that sound confidently correct but contain critical legal gaps or factual hallucinations. Without experienced oversight, these unseen errors can result in serious, costly complications down the road.
Matt bridges that gap, ensuring that the efficiency of modern technology is always backed by the rigorous protection of sound legal strategy.
Our FAQs
Outside general counsel functions like in-house support on a flexible schedule. We handle contracts, risk mapping, supplier issues, governance, and coordination with specialists, so decisions align with operations and strategy while avoiding full-time overhead costs. Atlanta clients often start virtually, then schedule onsite walk-throughs to align documents with actual processes.
It covers routine needs: reviewing and drafting agreements, policy updates, employment-adjacent questions, risk, and governance. For manufacturers and industrial services, it means operator-friendly guidance that fits production realities. In Georgia, that often includes distributor agreements and plant-level SOP alignment. Expect clear next steps and durable, enforceable documents that scale today.
We implement structures, governance, and capitalization that match goals. Operating agreements, shareholder documents, board materials, and data rooms are prepared, while coordinating with tax advisers. The result is cleaner ownership, fewer disputes, and faster decisions during capital raises, reorganizations, and sales. Atlanta and Georgia entities receive formation options explained plainly.
They must match how lines run. We define specs, delivery schedules, quality standards, pricing mechanics, credits, and remedies that protect throughput and margin. Contracts reference liquidated damages when needed to help ensure delivery and risk mitigation when relevant. Negotiation focuses on enforceability, accountability, and relationship health when markets shift or miss.
Cross-border sourcing changes pricing, delivery, and compliance risk. We evaluate tariff exposure, landed cost, and Incoterms, then align contracts and logistics to protect margin. Georgia companies often consider Port of Savannah realities and brokerage coordination. Global clauses address currency exposure, allocation, and delays, keeping schedules predictable and relationships intact closely.
It prepares ownership and control to pass to family or key employees without stopping the line. We coordinate buy-sell terms, governance, financing, and communication, working with your CPA. Succession planning addresses timing, training, and fairness. Georgia family businesses often pair transition documents with banking arrangements to fund redemptions gradually.
Review analyzes proposed terms, flags risk, and recommends edits. Drafting builds a document from your process and pricing model, setting clear scopes, incentives, and remedies. Both require understanding production constraints and levels. We negotiate closure so agreements reflect operations, protect relationships, and stand up when performance slips or disputes emerge.
Most clients choose a weekly cadence with guaranteed hours for predictability, with project work scoped as needed. No retainer to talk. The initial consultation is at no charge. Billing stays straightforward and focused on communication, outcomes, and documents that support production needs for Atlanta manufacturers and multi-state operators alike.
Manufacturers, fabricators, packaging, and industrial services, plus supply-chain companies, including distributors and logistics providers. Common thread: operations. We bring technical, commercial, and legal perspective to decisions, creating contracts and structures that fit how work is performed daily. Clients span Atlanta, Georgia, and nationwide through a remote OGC model.
Begin with a brief consultation at no cost to clarify goals and timelines. Next, we review key documents and map priorities. Then we set an engagement with defined deliverables and communication. The process stays simple, responsive, and aligned to production schedules and milestones for Georgia businesses and multi-site operators.
Ideally, before signing major contracts, issuing equity, or hiring key employees. Many founders wait until a dispute or funding opportunity forces the issue. Bringing in legal counsel early helps structure ownership properly, protect intellectual property, and avoid problems that can delay growth or scare off investors. Early planning is usually far more efficient than cleaning up mistakes later.
Yes. Many growing companies are not ready for a full-time in-house attorney, but still need consistent legal guidance. An outsourced general counsel model allows startups to access ongoing legal support for contracts, employment matters, risk management, and growth planning without the cost of a full-time hire. It provides strategic oversight while remaining flexible as the company scales.
Contact Us
Tell us more about your business and your legal needs, and we’ll schedule a free initial call.
Contact us
Have questions? Get in touch with us! We look forward to hearing from you soon.
