Gwen Hutcheson Griggs is an independent attorney who recently opened a firm on the 12th floor of the Greenleaf Building.
HOW MANY ON STAFF?
“It’s just me, but the people I share space with help when needed. My intention is to hire in the next six to 12 months. I’m starting small to keep my overhead low and be competitive, then grow as the business grows. I talked to some attorneys about being independent contractors on projects, but right now this is really working for me. In the short-term, there’s no need to grow.”
HER TIME AS
GENERAL COUNSEL?
“I served as general counsel [her official title was chief legal officer, senior vice president and corporate secretary] for Alfa SmartParks [an international theme park company]. What a general counsel can do is know the business very well so you can give clients some predictability about fees.”
WHAT ARE HER
PRACTICE AREAS?
Business and corporate law, formation, formalities, governance, maintenance and compliance; policies and procedures; contract negotiation, drafting and review; intellectual property, including trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and licensing; and management training.
WHAT DID SHE DO AS GENERAL COUNSEL?
“Put out fires. Proactively, I look at their corporate records to see what shape they’re in and ensure they’re protected if they ever get sued. Reviewing contracts is a big part of the practice. So, every time they are looking to enter into a business relationship or commercial transaction, I look over the contracts for them. Intellectual property rights — trademarks and copyrights — is another area I’ve done.”
HOW IS SHE UNLIKE
THE COMPETITION?
“There are small practices in Jacksonville that supply general business advice. What I’m doing different is working with businesses to make their legal fees more predictable. The actual legal service is not new. What I do differently is how I structure the fees. There are two ways: one is on a flat fee retainer basis [how she operates]. They pay me every month and call me as they need me. The second is we give an estimate of what a project will cost.”
WHY LEAVE ALFA?
“Last summer, they sold their assets so I had to do something different. Having spent time in other cities, I realized Jacksonville is a great place to do business. With Alfa SmartParks, I traveled often because we had no operations here in Jacksonville. The last three years, I traveled so much that I’m just getting to know the changes, who merged with whom. I also have two small children. I’m home having dinner with my family by 6 p.m. I may be back on the computer by 8 p.m. but I’m at least balancing that.”
WHY IS JACKSONVILLE GREAT FOR BUSINESS?
“My sense is that business is growing in Jacksonville and there are a lot of opportunities. Partly because of the climate, people want to move here. Elsewhere, they complain about snow and the cost of living. I feel fortunate that the business culture here is strong. I really see Jacksonville doing well.”
WHAT ABOUT SMALL COMPANIES WHO DON’T GET THE TAX BREAKS?
“Incentives are not always there for small business, but I believe we’re moving towards a good place. From my clients, I haven’t heard that they had any trouble starting a business.”
ARE THEY HER
CLIENT BASE?
“I generally represent start-up businesses to established companies without general counsel. They’re all local — what I call ‘rising star’ companies — fast-paced, energetic companies that are growing and have done well. They’ve done a lot themselves, but now they need a professional to give them legal advice.”
HER BIGGEST CHALLENGE?
“Fitting it all in — my practice development, getting the work done, being proactive by visiting and calling my clients regularly. And then, the large administrative aspect of the practice.”
WHAT ROLE DOES TECHNOLOGY PLAY?
“So much of what I do is drafting documents, whether it’s corporate records or corporate documents or contracts. I can do that on my computer. I rely very heavily on technology.”
WHERE DID SHE
GO TO SCHOOL?
Griggs earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in philosophy from the University of North Florida. She has a law degree from the University of Florida.
WHY BECOME
AN ATTORNEY?
“I always wanted to be a lawyer since the sixth grade when I wrote a paper on the civil rights case, Brown v. the Board of Education. I went to UNF with the intention of going to law school. My path has changed a fair amount. I started out as a commercial litigator and then went to the business side as general counsel. But the thread weaving it all together is helping my clients.”
WHAT IS HER LEGAL BACKGROUND?
“At Holland & Knight, I started out as a commercial litigator. I developed my intellectual property rights practice at McGuire Woods, transitioning into trademarks. With McGuire Woods, I worked with lawyers in Virginia who handled intellectual property work so I was able to gain expertise in that area. Before Alfa Smart, I had a client in Virginia that opened a Jacksonville office.”
WHERE IS SHE FROM?
“My father was in the military so we moved every year until I was seven. We settled in Augusta. I came to Jacksonville after my first summer in college at George Washington University [in Washington, D.C.]. My brother was out at sea so I lived in his beach condo. I said, ‘Why would I go back?’ ”
ORGANIZATIONS?
Griggs is a certified county court mediator and provides her knowledge in this area pro bono for small claims. She is also a member of the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association, Women Business Owners and the Small Business Resource Network (affiliated with UNF).
WHAT IS HER INVOLVEMENT WITH ART SHAD?
“I am treasurer for his campaign for City Council. I’ve known Art since I moved to Jacksonville in 1989. I have a lot of respect for him; I think he works hard and he does the right thing.”
— by Monica Chamness