The Stokes Lawrence Employment team advises senior leaders on high-stakes employment, equity, compensation, and separation agreements—delivering trusted, discreet guidance in matters where experience and strategic insight are essential.
Guiding Executives Through Defining Career Moves
Our clients include CEOs, founders, executives, and senior leaders navigating pivotal career transitions. They turn to us when negotiating employment terms, joining or exiting a company, negotiating complex compensation packages, or navigating post‑employment restrictions. These individuals value privacy, clarity, and advocacy from counsel who understands both their personal goals and the broader business landscape.
Turning Complex Executive Terms Into Strategic Advantage
Executives often navigate complex agreements involving equity awards, deferred compensation, noncompetition provisions, severance clauses, and trade secret protections. These issues carry long‑term financial and professional implications.
Our team works closely with clients to negotiate employment agreements, equity packages, severance arrangements, and restrictive covenants. Our deep understanding of how these terms align with market norms, different ownership models, and corporate transactional pressures makes us particularly well-suited to partner in this work. Representative engagements include structuring employment and equity arrangements for the CEO of a major private‑equity‑backed company and advising senior leaders on high‑stakes corporate and private-equity transactions.
Empowering the Next Chapter
Our strategic, discreet approach empowers clients to make informed decisions at critical moments in their careers. By intentionally structuring our team to serve individual leaders, we have become trusted advisors for high‑level professionals seeking clarity and confidence in their next chapter.
