Sam Matthew Email & Phone Number

United States

Open offices may look great, but they just don’t work as they should. The noise is distracting. The lack of private space is exhausting. Productivity and morale both suffer as a result. Pillar Booth is designed to fix the modern-day open office. Make your employees happier and more productive by providing them with a comfortable space to do quiet “heads-down” work, and take important or private phone calls.I'm a co-founder at Pillar Booth, so I wear many hats, including advising on all legal matters, such as privacy, labor and employment, intellectual property management, terms of use, negotiating agreements with vendors and manufacturers, and distribution.

• Provided counsel to leadership and individual business unit leaders on all legal and public policy matters, including labor and employment, copyright, new product launches, privacy, security, payment, and regulatory issues.• Developed multi-state public policy strategy to manage licensing and registration risk.• Built the legal function to support an organization with thousands of customers and hundreds of employees.• Drafted foundational legal documents, including User Terms, Privacy Policy, and customer Code of Conduct.• Advised the company through a successful due diligence process to receive a $40M round of venture funding.

Remote Year is a venture-backed startup operating a travel platform for location-independent professionals in 12+ countries. I was hired as employee #35 to oversee public policy and quickly promoted to become their first GC after leadership determined a greater need. My role included providing advisory on privacy policy, GDPR compliance, TCPA compliance, FCPA compliance, foreign incorporation, labor and employment, intellectual property management, SLAs, insurance strategy, ethics and Code of Conduct compliance, and managing outside counsel. The company has a unique business model that requires the ability to anticipate and resolve unique and complex risk management issues in areas lacking legal precedent. Accomplishments in this role have included co-drafting legislation for the world’s first digital nomad visa with the Estonian government, and working with foreign policymakers and professional services firms to determine and shape the tax and legal implications of working remotely while on a tourist visa in a foreign country.

Chicago

Catapult Chicago is an incubator and co-working space for tech startups that uses a peer selection membership method. I was recruited for this role to replace a Director on leave. In this role I planned and executed various business development opportunities, established VC ties, developed founder networks, and created other value-add programs for their resident startups. I also recruited, on-boarded, and managed resident companies, corporate sponsors, and strategic partners for the space.

My practice focused on both litigation consulting and general legal services for startups and small businesses. Projects included drafting of licensing agreements and releases (photograph, video, likeness) for a media startup and negotiation of regionally exclusive sales and distribution rights of a key product for a retail startup.

Greater Chicago Area

As an associate I conducted complex litigation focused on commercial contract disputes and large-scale health care insurance fraud. I also represented financial institutions being investigated by FINRA and assisted with their internal investigations. Pro bono work included representing a Honduran national seeking asylum.

Greater Chicago Area

At the AG’s Office I conducted research on the Illinois False Claims Act and the Consumer Fraud Act. Other work included drafting a motion on extending the scope of a civil body attachment to reach beyond state borders and writing legal memoranda regarding motions to stay civil proceedings, Sixth Amendment protection, and the admissibility of evidence.

Aspen, Colorado

In between undergrad and law school I spent a season in Aspen/Snowmass working as a Certified Professional Ski Instructor teaching private and group lessons.

Doctor Of Law (J.D.)

Activities and Societies: Harvard Mediation Program, Licensed Mediator in Massachusetts Small Claims Court; Harvard Prison Legal.

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Speech Communication And Rhetoric, Cum Laude

Activities and Societies: Departmental Distinction for Outstanding Academic Achievement

Study Abroad Program

Activities and Societies: • Studied Australian Environmental History, Australian Business Law, and Marketing Law