Here is a collection of selected quotes from our clients. We let you draw your own conclusions…

We had no idea how much we needed representation and sound advise until Sandy’s value-packed teleclass on Intellectual Property! It was then we understood that despite our genuine desire to inspire others, every time we published our e-newsletter we were unwittingly infringing upon someone else’s property rights! Yikes…As life coaches committed to integrity and honesty, what we didn’t know took us off course in big ways – and that matters in ways that have little to do with ‘business’ and everything to do with living right.

And, given that we were about to write our first book (and launch our own program) it also meant there were a whole lot of things we didn’t know we needed to, to make smart, informed decisions in our business going forward. Because of experiencing Sandy through the teleclass, we knew we were going to get great advice. It was clear right from the start how expansive Sandy’s knowledge and expertise is – and how ‘big firm’ Good Solutions feels to us ‘small firm’ folks. What we didn’t expect is how she’d deliver that advice.

In short, she is the antithesis of every bad lawyer joke there is while being as brilliantly on the mark as they come. Sandy puts the heart – and soul – back where it belongs: into the law. We’re thrilled to have her, and Good Solutions, as part of our business team.

– Lissa Bergin-Boles & Randy Boles, Soul Fulfilled

Sandy Shepard IS an Expression of Excellence! What a treat to find an attorney who is smart, experienced, fun to work with and knows our world of professional speakers. Working with Sandy has been a joy: she gets what we do, works well with talent, and makes the scary and foreboding legalese accessible and surmountable for us laypeople. I recommend her to all my speaking colleagues navigating trademarks, service marks, contracts, incorporation, copyright issues and more.

— Craig Harrison, Founder/President, Expressions of Excellence!

Working with Good Solutions has been a very refreshing experience. During my 35 years experience with small to midsized engineering firms, I’ve never had a corporate attorney so quick to effectively (legally and cost-wise) respond to a variety of specific issues. My present firm, PSI, is the world’s leading slurry pipeline engineering practitioner. We are fast-growing and have projects and offices around the globe. Our legal requirements are often complex, but the advice and the documents Sandy has provided or reviewed are concise and very focused on and tailored to the peculiar nature of our company…and always include the proper dash of the practical rather than unnecessary boilerplate legalese. Sandy, you are truly a “common sense” attorney and I appreciate it. It makes my job immensely easier and I especially like that you are fun to work with, too!

— Bill Wadsworth, CFO, Pipeline Systems Incorporated (PSI)

Sandy, you’ve been invaluable in guiding us through the legal maze for this new startup. I’ve worked with two other legal groups on two other startups and you’ve been more efficient, more informative, more cost effective and just plain fun to work with. Thanks for making this seem effortless.

— Ron Person, President, Tor Consulting, Inc.

After ten years of retaining a “top-tier” intellectual property attorney (and paying top-tier fees), we realized we were getting second-class service. On a trademark registration issue that our fancy lawyer had bungled, Sandy swooped in, untangled the knot, and put our trademark house in order. All for a fraction of what we had been paying. She has a unique ability to see the forest through the trees, come up with creative solutions, and get the job done with the least muss and fuss. We feel lucky to have found her. Woof! (Barking praise)

– Wilson the Pug with Nancy Levine, authors, The Tao of Pug and Homer for the Holidays

When starting our company, we were a bit overwhelmed with all the legal issues that needed to be addressed. We were able to glean some of the basics from books, but quickly realized that we had to find a knowledgeable attorney to advise and assist us. After our first phone conversation, we felt confident that we’d found the perfect adviser. Right from the start, we felt extremely pleased to have Sandy on our team. She is not only a skilled and knowledgeable attorney, but very personable, and easy to work with. On a number of occasions, she has gone out of her way to answer our questions, seemingly in record time. It’s certainly nice to know that Good Solutions is there, whenever legal issues arise. We can always count on a prompt and informed response.

– Scott Prentice, President, Leximation, Inc.

We’re a leadership development organization. For well over 10 years we’ve been consulting and coaching in organizations and signing whatever contract our clients’ legal departments handed us. Not anymore! Sandy opened my eyes to what I was giving away by not having contracts that protected us and our intellectual property. Thank goodness I found her. Oh, and just in case you thought working with an attorney might be difficult, time consuming, or a hassle. Wrong! Sandy’s a dream to work with. My company is in great hands with her.

– Denise Brouillette, President, The Innovative Edge

I met Sandy three years ago and was immediately impressed with her willingness to share information and be of service to others. We were at a meeting of business consultants, a very competitive group, but Sandy seemed to be there to help, not to sell her services. I have since used Sandy to trademark a business of mine, and have referred her to several other business colleagues who have also used her services in a similar way, with great satisfaction. She will handle all of my business legal needs from now on. Sandy is reliable, responsive, extremely knowledgeable and has her clients’ best interests at heart, rather than her bank account. It’s almost as if she wasn’t a lawyer!

– Jeff Rubin, Editor/Owner, Put it in Writing, newsletter publishers

I emailed Sandy out of the blue since good solutions seemed well-suited to the needs of a start-up consulting practice. Within moments, I knew I had found my ideal counsel. Right from the start, Sandy provided the practical yet astute guidance I needed to get my business started on a sound footing, and within 48 hours, my S-corporation was established and my trademark application was on file at the USPTO. Now that’s service! Sandy is a pleasure to work with, and her philosophy of involving her clients in the work leads to a better, more cost-effective result. I feel very fortunate to have found Sandy and to have good solutions on my team.

— David Epstein, President, Strategic Ally, Inc.

As an artist and a life coach, Sandy’s knowledge and personality have been invaluable. She breaks down the tough topics, the laws, the contracts, the tiny type, the nuances, etc. and makes them all accessible and digestible in a friendly and personable way that allows me to make a safe, solid, informed decision. I never realized how much I didn’t know about copyrights, trademarks, infringements, contracts, agreements, wording, etc. and how problematic that could be. Anyone who writes anything or creates anything or signs a contract of any kind would be wise to seek Sandy’s counsel.

— Shendl Diamond, LikeMinds Press

I didn’t even know that I would need an attorney for a contractual agreement between my employer and myself. I am an artist, and don’t usually think about the contractual aspects of my work. Imagine my shock when I discovered that there were all kinds of things within the contract that I was given that didn’t make (legal) sense. Not only that, the initial contract didn’t specify important elements, such as my job description, and termination policies. Sandy made sure that I was compensated fairly, and that my rights were protected. She even protected rights I didn’t think that I had — and suggested things (that I was ultimately granted) that I wouldn’t have even contemplated! She also advised me on how to “speak” to my employers during this stressful time, and showed me how to keep the peace, while still asking for what I rightly deserved. Sandy delivered a contract that made me feel safe, and did so in an amazingly timely fashion. As a result, my employer and I both signed the revised agreement, and I am now off and running with my new project.

— Caitlin Gray, Director, SoHo Dance Kids

As an independent contractor, I value the advice and counsel Sandy has provided me while getting my business off the ground. Her experience, skill and understanding of contracts and the business negotiation process has been invaluable to me in providing the confidence to embrace starting my own practice, as well as providing me with the knowledge I was on sound legal footing going forth. I can definitely recommend Sandy’s services as both attorney and legal coach to other independent contractors looking for advice and support. She is pleasant to deal with and untangles the jungle that legalese can sometimes be. Thanks Sandy!

— Marlin Gardner, Owner, MPG Technical Services

Sandy is a terrific resource for small businesses. She’s fast and efficient, and has the rare ability to work well with our clients, as an extension of our team. She does a fantastic job of helping and often leading contract negotiations, representing our company with the highest levels of professionalism and customer service.

— Charles Ogden, President, Antics Online, Inc.

Sandy helped me incorporate a consulting business after I’d operated it for ten years as a sole proprietorship. Before I contacted Sandy, as I sought referrals for good lawyers, a friend described her as a “renaissance lawyer.” I knew she was in all likelihood the one for me. Sandy was great to work with, and helped me make the business conversion in what seemed like record time. She quickly and effectively clarified decisions that I needed to make, and offered clear directions, explanations, and good humor throughout what could have been a very confusing process. She even recommended me to CPAs to help build and move my business forward correctly as a corporate entity — who gave me quite a bit of free time and strategic suggestions, just because I was Sandy’s client. I highly recommend her to others, and will work with her again.

— Jan Richards, J.G. Richards, Inc.

Our company was very happy with our previous law firm. They were professional, responded timely to our needs, and were well versed in law. So I was hesitant to even meet with Sandy at good solutions. Once I did meet with her, I knew within ten minutes that she was the ideal attorney for our e-commerce software company. Sandy’s breadth of knowledge in our industry, combined with her firm grasp of the law and ‘heads up’ business sense, made her instantly indispensable to our organization. I wish I could go into more detail about the tremendous value proposition Sandy and good solutions brings to the table.

— Shane Campbell, CFO, MarketLive

We started c.me studios running, complete with a big client that needed things done yesterday. To meet the demands, we knew that forming an LLC was mandatory, and that numerous contracts needed to be completed in record time. Lucky for us, we found good solutions. good solutions is as passionate about our success as we are. Equally important, good solutions is sensitive to our time and monetary constraints, and custom tailor their services accordingly. Their team is a critical component of our future growth.

— Jonathan Freel & Mikkel Clark, Founders, c.me studios

Thanks Sandy! I can’t believe how efficiently things get done now that you are my legal representative. I used to dread ‘Lawyer Time’ and contract negotiation as this incredibly long and expensive process. Now it’s quick and painless, thanks to you. Your efficiency, knowledge, and dedication blow away the best high-priced entertainment and corporate lawyers.

— David Delaski, Principal, Ball of Waxx LLC

For years I had put off registering our trademark, because it was so dang expensive! But when I overheard Sandy tell how she works with clients to save them money on this process, I said, “When do we get started?”

When I brought Sandy in to talk with a group of my clients about registering their trademarks, two of them discovered that their company names were already registered by larger companies! After the panic subsided, both of them worked with her to come up with new names and register them right away. It was a matter of paying some money now or a lot more later. For example, one of these companies was about ready to do $10,000 worth of printing using the old (infringing) name!

— Mike Van Horn, President, The Business Group

Sandy provides our Non-Profit with very clear and welcome service. Our bylaws were outmoded and did not speak to the organization we had become, likewise the Standing Rules. In quick order, Sandy re-wrote them and made sure each Board Member had an opportunity to take part in the decision making process. We had need for a contract for a new artist and Sandy provided one that exactly fit the bill very quickly. An annual pledge form was needed to be created for the members of the Board. It took a great deal of negotiation and diplomacy to finalize the document, but Sandy stood the test and did not quit the project, and the end result was approved by all 16 members of our Board. We are very pleased to have discovered the skills and experience of Sandy Shepard and good solutions.
— Surrey Blackburn, Executive Director, Angel Island Association

Sandy Shepard has been more help than we could have hoped for. We called good solutions simply because we liked the very friendly nature of her website (and, of course she did offer the legal advice we were looking for). We hoped our interaction with her would match what her website said she offered. We could not have been more pleased. It was a pleasure to meet someone who in her heart truly wants the best not only for her clients but for all of humanity. This was special to find. We not only are grateful for her help, but are happy to have her in our lives.

— Barbara Tovey and Alan Sheets, New Equations

Sandy came in to work as our General Counsel, and almost immediately became an indispensable resource. She was friendly, gave us advice we could actually comprehend, and didn’t hide the ball. She helped us understand the potential risks of each deal, without making us feel stupid about what we didn’t know. Her turnaround was so fast as to be almost beyond belief. Part of this was due to the fact that she has been doing this for a decade. She knows the ropes and helped us understand the best position for us, and to explain where the other side was coming from. She not only taught us to be able to recognize issues ourselves, but showed us how we could become more efficient in the process. She even cleaned up historical issues left from our high priced law firms — from renegotiating old contracts to straightening out copyright, trademark, and URL issues, and otherwise cleaning up things we didn’t even know were a mess!

— Steve Antisdel, President & CEO, Furniturefind Corporation

Sandy is amazingly generous with her time — unheard of with a lawyer of her caliber. She’s always responded to my questions within 24 hours, and she puts a human face on the law. How many attorneys do you know who’ve been in the Marines and are also licensed massage therapists? Not only is Sandy fun to work with, she’s open to exchanging services, which means I can afford to get the help I need as an independent contractor.

— Sallie Goetsch, The FileSlinger

good solutions has been exactly that for our company. Sandy’s in-depth industry knowledge, years of experience and wide range of industry contacts has helped our company come up with good solutions to many critical business issues. Sandy’s great enthusiasm for protecting her clients, her personal attention pressing issues and her “get it done” attitude make her an indispensable asset to our company. From complex contract negotiations to general legal counsel, we have never hesitated in giving good solutions our full confidence and we have never been disappointed with the results.

— Hugh E. Cherry II, CEO, TransferMagic

What makes good solutions stand out is how Sandy makes the connection between business strategy and legal issues. Rather than getting just a legal opinion, you get a sounding board for how to develop a great business strategythat minimizes legalrisk. I have been working withSandy during her Mindscapedays and now as an entrepreneur involved in business acquisitions. For many years, I’verespected and valued her input on my marketing programs at Mindscape and now more than ever on my current acquisition contracts and corporate structure.

— Mark Schmidt, President, Forest Investment Group, Inc.

Lawyers (at least from my experience) are seldom innovative, cutting edge or mission-driven! And even more rarely smart as well.
— Lotta Alsén, Creative Futures

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Sandyfor more than 10 years. She’s consistently done an outstanding job for me, for my firm and for the friends and colleagues I’ve referred to her. As a lawyer and a business executive, I am exceptionally impressed with her legal knowledge and keen intelligence, her uncanny talent to quickly get to the heart of the matter, to transform problems into opportunities, assess alternatives, andcraft simple yet elegant solutions. She works effectively, efficiently, creatively and hard, always with an upbeat attitude. Sandy made major contributions to my firm, helping us generate new business and clients, and helped set us on the path that lead us to launch our FreeAdvice.com, DoItYourself.com, ExpertPages.com and AttorneyPages.com sites. It is your good fortune that Sandy started good solutions, despite my entreaties that she work for us full time.

— Gerry H. Goldsholle Founder & CEO, Advice Company; President & CEO, MetLife Marketing Corporation (retired)

Sandy Shepard of good solutions is a business owner’s ideal attorney. She has helped me create friendly, yet legally sound documents for use with my clients and other business associates. She did not simply take my instructions; she looked from a whole business perspective to see what would benefit the long-term outcome. Sandy is easy to work with and very responsive when quick answers are needed. I’m thrilled that I found her!

— Kathryn Maxwell, President & CEO, Maxwell Money Management

Sandy’s great! We made the best decision to hire her as our attorney. Our business is all copyrights and licensing and we needed to have someone like her who is on top of the latest whatever. She is knowledgeable in our area and great at what she does! Our last attorney experience was a bit too SNOOTY and with excess attitude but that was due to the fact that we had to work with a law firm in the city and our attorney was attached to or shall we say married to a HOLLYWOOD big wig — which didn’t help us at all! I highly recommend hiring good solutions as your attorney..

— Seb Jarakian, Owner, Musync

Sandy helped me overcome my fear and loathing of attorneys by giving me 100% honest and practical legal advice. Her counsel saved me at least one day of my time and nearly guaranteed my first trademark application would be accepted. And she did it in thirty minutes flat. My assistant was able to do 80% of the trademark process based on Sandy’s explicit game plan. Now, my tagline and new book title is protected. My advice:If you have legal questions, call good solutions first!

— Eve Abbott, Organizer Extraordinaire

Sandy was more than a Good Solution — she was the only Solution. Because of an informative presentation Sandy gave to our Business Groupmeeting, I discovered to my horror that I might be considered to be a trademark infringer! But because of perfect timing and Sandy’s help, I saved thousands of dollars. I was just re-printing my stationery, labels, etc. with a new address . . . so I was very grateful — once I got over needing to change the name I had been using on my company for years. (The State certainly had allowed me to register in that name — but they don’t tell you if you are stepping on a Federal Trademark!) Not to mention, of course,the potential costs if I had been sued! Sandy went beyond the call of duty, getting a new name registered outside of normal office hours, and also helping me with business strategy. She was concerned, diligent andgot the job done quickly for a reasonable fee. Sandy is definitely a Good Solution!

— Susan Knapp, President, A Perfect Pear™ from Napa Valley

Sandy provides clarity and simplicity to an otherwise complex and daunting aspect of deal making. On numerous occasions, she has quickly grasped the business dynamics and negotiated strong contracts that were readily accepted by both parties.

— Brian Bell, Independent Sales Consultant

Sandy’s legal practice defies standard legal definition! She is, first, personable, caring and ‘real’; then she’s articulate, knowledgeable, easily accessible and fun. Her work is professional and fast. If first impressions are important, hers is unique: I felt she cared more about my business and legal budget than she did about hers. There isdefinitely caring up front, but there’s no fluff: Sandy gets down to business and tells it straight. I thought I knew a lot about contracts, since reviewing contracts is part of my business expertise for my clients, but I learned a lot more about how to get the right wordings readily accepted in difficult negotiations. The way she has freely given her time and expertise, I wouldn’t even think about anyone else for my own legalneeds or to confidently refer to my clients.

— Charles T. Wilson, Risk Management Consultant, President & Founder, RiskSmart Solutions

Sandy, your help with copyright and life right issues has been invaluable. Meeting you at Lucasfilm was a lucky break for me!

— Roberta Kenney, Writer/Producer

Calling “Xena, Warrior Princess” to the rescue! Sandy provided me with all of the energy and dedication of Xena on my recent contract negotiation. From the opening strategy session to the closing marathon conference call, I witnessed her creativity, foresight and tenacity as she refused to give up until all my issues were addressed and resolved in my favor. (Did I mention that she got my contract signed on the day before Thanksgiving at 6 pm?) Even though I’m a pee-wee little startup (or maybe because of that?), Sandy included long-term implications in her contract writing, and took the time to explain to me the issues and options surrounding them. I’ll sleep easier knowing she is on my side no matter what dragons cross my path.

— Carol Sconzert, Osmosis Creative

good solutions was a perfect fit for a company like Multimedia Live. One of the most important things is that good solutions understands our technology-based business (both our strategy and our industry) and knows how to respond to most every situation. good solutions has been an incredible legal and business resource for our company.

— Ken Burke, President & CEO, MarketLive

What can we say? Not only has good solutions become an integral part of Juice!’s ongoing growth and evolution, Sandy has helped us do it all our way — creative, dynamic, and ground-breaking. It’s rare to find a legal partner who understands our business vision so intuitively that she proactively generates ideas, not just solutions to problems. From setting up our company, designing innovative business structures, to protecting our intellectual property, this continues to be a most refreshing alliance. Thank you.

— Bonnie Wan & Mari Cortizo, Co-Founders, Juice! LLC

I never thought working with an attorney would be fun and enlightening. But Sandy Shepard of good solutions helped me manage my energy and time as well as my growth and budget as she coached me through contract reviews and negotiations. Sandy is extremely responsive, flexible and takes the stress out of being a sole proprietor!

— Tricia Bannister, CHT, Principal, InQuentra Integrated Development Business Coaching

Sandy Shepard has been an invaluable resource in the way that she has provided legal business strategies and insights into risk prevention. Sandy is delightfully supportive, incredibly knowledgeable and a top notch professional. As an HR Consultant, Sandy not only helped me in my business, she will be someone I will call in to help my clients.

— Penny Schultz, Principal, Schultz Consulting HR Services

As a small business owner, I look for people who bring passion, enthusiasm, and unquestioned expertise when I seek outside help. Sandy Shepard of good solutions brings all that and more to her legal work. I know that Sandy will take care of everything that needs her attention, and that lets me focus on what I need to do – which is run and grow my business.

— Jeff Hitchcock, President, Diabetes 123, Children with Diabetes, Diabetes Monitor

After working with Sandy extensively at Mindscape/Pearson PLC on OEM sales contracts and print collateral, I realized how incredibly knowledgeable, detail oriented, and thorough she is. If I had a deadline that needed to be kept, she worked with me to ensure timelines were met and she offered solutions rather than just ‘fixing my problem’. When I started my own business a decade later, the first call I made was to Sandy and I knew that I couldn’t afford NOT to have her give me business and legal advice. If I get sued, my career is over, so it is imperative that I have someone whom I can trust and can review all my contracts, disclosures, etc. so that I don’t have to. I am in an industry that is notorious for lawsuits, and I know that with Sandy doing my legal work, I don’t ever have to think about it.

— Allison Fortini, independent real estate agent

good solutions has been a tremendous help to us in generating sound contractual agreement templates for our Reseller and VAR relationships. Their in-depth understanding of business strategy and risk has provided benefits above and beyond what was required. In addition, their team has long-term experience and breadth of knowledge that clearly allows them to produce results quickly, efficiently and economically. I would highly recommend good solutions to any client seeking legal assistance.

— Kirsten Smith, VP of Marketing, FileTrail, Inc.

You ROCK!!!!

— Chris Graham, Owner, Dog Day Records

good solutions allows their clients to help create agreements and documents, whichkeeps the cost down and adds a personal touch that most attorneys would never allow.

— Randy Schroeder, Principal, The Schroeder Group

Sandy, you clearly ‘get’ it! And you continue to deliver beyond my wildest dreams. Never before have I experienced an attorney so reasonable yet strong, creative yet practical, strategic yet supportive. I’ve hired many attorneys in my day and for the first time, in you, I’ve encountered a perfect blend of visionary thinking — balancing both the downside risk and the upside aspiration — all with an eye toward smart and calculated business ascent.

As a small business, I know the odds are stacked against us — it’s a dangerous world out there – but I know that thanks to you, we’re well provisioned and supremely prepared for our quest. With you on our team, I can sleep at night…knowing you are watching out for the wolves!

— Steve Sue, President, StoryManager, Inc.

After getting a quote from 4 different (overpriced) trademark attorneys, we were recommended to Sandy Shepard at good solutions — and we found that her service was the best fit financially as well as expertise-wise; in no time she put together a spectacular response to the US Patent and Trademark Office that saved our trademark! But that was only the beginning — we decided that she would become our company’s general attorney, and as time goes on, our satisfaction with good solutions only keeps growing.

— Serge K., Owner, Banana Spin Café

I’ve personally worked with some of the largest and most respected law firms in several states, as well as multinational law firms. Sandy came to work as our General Counsel following a corporate merger, and almost immediately became an indispensable part of our transition team, working on a variety of legal, securities regulations, and intellectual property law issues that were vital to preserving and maximizing the value of our business. She addressed multiple issues that more than one high priced law firm failed to address — both prior to and in the context of our merger. She helped us renegotiate prior contracts, straighten out copyright, trademark and URL issues, address employee issues, and otherwise helped us identify issues we had no idea even existed! I was particularly pleased with the friendly, low key manner in which she gave us professional advice and mentored our management team to understand potential risks without making our department heads feel incompetent. In short, Sandy was a team player from the beginning, with the dedication and work ethic to make things happen in “Internet time”, which — needless to say — is fast, very fast.

At a more personal level, I think a good part of Sandy’s professional skills are magnified by an intuitive gift for management of inter-personal relationships. This makes her a perfect candidate for delegating responsibilities without intimidating team members or outside professionals retained by a firm. Especially so, in a rapidly growing corporate atmosphere where dealing with officers and directors, venture capitalists, bankers, potential investors, etc., as well as corporate adversaries, must be executed in a timely, flawless manner. Professionally, I think Sandy’s hallmark is her ability to quickly ascertain the essence of a problem, prioritize and delegate responsibilities, and then accomplish mission goals within economic parameters that are clearly defined. In short, Sandy not only delivered the results, but also exceeded our expectations.

Disciplined and thoughtful, I wholeheartedly can recommend Sandy to act as your Corporate Counsel or General Counsel without hesitation. She knows the ropes, helped us understand our position in a comprehensible manner, and gave us the range of options that helped us determine what truly made sense from not only a legal perspective, but from a long-range competitive position as well. As a result of our association with Sandy, we not only solved a host of problems on favorable economic terms, but we also learned to better identify and contain issues ourselves, before they became a problem. Results speak for themselves, as our firm is now positioned as the worldwide leader in online furniture retailing.

— Jeffrey Antisdel, Legal Affairs Coordinator, FurnitureFind Corporation

good solutions greatly exceeded all my expectations! Throughout the course of our contract negotiation and drafting they provided us with extensive advice on negotiation strategies and guided us through every step with a dedication, thoroughness, and patience that made all the difference. It was a great pleasure to work with such friendly, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable people. I can’t recommend them enough.

— Jennifer Adam, musician, The Eaves

While I have worked with many attorneys for many different reasons — civil, corporate, real estate, etc. — Sandy is in a very select class of attorneys. I understand how most people feel about attorneys — I have worked with some bad attorneys, some good attorneys, and some very outstanding attorneys. Sandy is in that very select class of attorneys that I consider outstanding. She is willing to go that extra mile in her attention to detail, thoroughly thinks about your specific situation, then giving you several options and scenarios. She lets you know up front what the costs are likely to be, and considers the financial circumstances of your situation. She will let you know how you might save money, which in our business (commercial fishing) is often one of our major concerns!

— Robyn Marcussen, Pacific West Seafood Company, Petaluma

In thedecade that I have known and worked with Sandy,Ihave always been thoroughly impressed with her professional advice and negotiation strategies. I always get more from Sandy than just legal advice.

— Rosemary Yates, Vice President, The Learning Company (f/k/a Broderbund/Mindscape)

Your prudent perseverance prevented precipitous potential pitfalls! THANK YOU isn’t praise enough!

— Leslie Davis, Managing Partner, Handy Marketing

good solutions is a great solution! As an independent consultant, juggling multiple clients on very tight deadlines, I require expert advice and quick turn around. Sandy is a pro. I appreciate Sandy’s ability to explain the legal risks and ramifications in ‘plain English’ and clearly lay out the options I can take to protect myself and my clients. Sandy’s diverse experience allows her to provide insight into a variety of legal issues, from drafting contracts to answering complicated employment issues. Without hesitation I can say good solutions is the only solution for legal advice and thorough implementation on tight deadlines.

— Janet Cherry, PHR, Human Resources Consultant

good solutions provided efficient, cost-effective, friendly help securing our retail trademark.

— Tom W. Allen, Owner, “jaunt: footwear and accessories for the happy traveler”, St. Helena, CA

Sandy has been a breath of fresh air in the world of consultants! I found good solutions to go beyond my wildest expectations in dedication to getting the job done with as much or more enthusiasm than I had for my own project. I loved how Sandy just took over in the most sublimely supportive manner. I enjoy telling others what a rare gem she is. I am sincerely grateful that good solutions is out there, dedicated to being of service.

— Connie Clark, MA, MFT, Owner, JoyWorks

What got me to call Sandy was her reputation as a terrific lawyer; what keeps me coming back is that she does so much more. I regard Sandy as a strategic partner, as a member of my personal management team. She is especially skilled at providing a broad set of legal options for solving problems. She is smart, responsive, an excellent negotiator, and a very quick study. Her high level of professionalism is only rivaled by an infectious enthusiasm for the people with whom she works. I never thought I would say this about a lawyer, but I actually enjoy working with (and learning from) Sandy. I would recommend her services without qualification.

— Rodney Williams, VP of Marketing, Efficas, Inc.

Sandy, you are fabulous. Without hesitation, you guided me, step-by-step, through the process of researching online my client’s trademark image. I so value and appreciate your self-help philosophy. I looked great in my client’s eyes for saving her money and helping assure her that her image was original, all in part to your behind-the-scenes guidance. good solutions is exactly what your company stands for, in my eyes.

– Catharine Martin, Creative Director

good solutions not only wrote a writer’s/speaker’s contract template for me, it was written so that I can use it again and again. good solutions is a law firm that makes sense.

– Amelia T. Hambrecht, Principal, Sachem Entertainment/Hambrecht & Associates

I am a business lawyer at Lanahan and Reilley and use Sandy for support for certain situations — she is always willing, available and knowledgeable!

– Michael Shiffman, Partner, Lanahan & Reilley

good solutions recently did an amazing jobhelping me put together a complex document. It was a daunting task for me — but Sandy worked with me in a kind, patient, and reassuring way to overcome my trepidation about drawing up a ‘legal document.’ She personalized the process and made it as fun a project as was possible, given the task. I’m not comfortable with ‘legalese’ (or the legal process in general), and it’s important for me to have an attorney who can speak ‘my language’, yet translate my words and meaning into appropriate legal jargon. Sandyworks as a competent, efficient guide for me through legal matters— she can push me when I need to be pushed, yet encourage me when I need encouragement, and together as a team we get the job done. Sandy has acted as my attorney for both personal as well as business matters, and has shown incredible range and diversity in the legal tasks/skills that she is able to accomplish. It’s like ‘one stop shopping’ — and I enjoy the convenience!

– Susan Bird, Hypnotherapist and Dive Instructor

In following Sandy’s advice, I feel a great confidence that my business is protected.

– Jeff Yates, President, Dream Home Systems

good solutions puts a completely new spin on legal counsel and business strategy. Sandy is proactive, personable and tenacious as hell. She gives me lots of great advice and insight and helps me cut through the legal mumbo-jumbo so I know what I’m signing and I’m not flying blind. She has helped both me and my clients avoid pitfalls, leverage opportunities, and protect our business from major problems down the road. I am incredibly thankful that we met when she was counsel to Broderbund — where she untangled a sweepstakes problem that was dumped on me — perhaps with more diplomacy, understanding, and tact than the situation deserved.

– Jane Markell, Principal, JEM Marketing

Every company should have a General Counsel like this on board. Sandy really listens — after a thorough needs assessment and thought-provoking question and answer session, she delivered an outstanding resolution and in a timely manner to boot!

– Claudette E. Paäge, President, Paäge et Cie

Sandy did some amazing things with our contracts that made a huge difference in our communications with our clients and our protection through the contracting process. Her ability to describe legal conditions in an easy-to-understand language has made the process much easier for our clients and has thus expedited the contract negotiation process. The questions Sandy asked throughout the time she worked with me helped me to clarify expectations and really raised the bar on our level of communication with our clients. Thanks for all your help, Sandy!!!

– Kathy O’Donnell, Principal, O’Donnell Redmond

My firm has worked with Sandy for almost two years now and she is fantastic. Our business requires very quick turnaround on complex projects. She quickly grasps what we are trying to accomplish and on every account has added value to what we are doing. Unlike other law resources we have used, Sandy is very adept at client service. I am always amazed at how quickly she responds, even if only to say she cannot read the 20 page document on her Blackberry but will read it later that evening. I highly recommend her services to anyone looking for someone who is smart, thinks outside the legal box and is highly responsive.

– Michael Olch, Owner/Business Director, Wrecking Ball Advertising

Nolo Press recommends finding legal counsel who will act as a legal coach. Look no further because Sandy is the best coach around. Sandy has been an amazing lawyer to work with. She is full of great time- and money-saving ideas that anyone who is starting a new business should know. She’s always taken time out of her insane schedule to respond to my requests no matter how big or small. I’m glad she’s on our side. Thank You Sandy!

– Steve Kuo, Principal, On The Fly Films

Sandy is a terrific attorney and a wonderful person. I can always count on her when I need to. As a graphic designer, I was looking for someone who could help me with standard contracts and disclaimers, but what I got was a friend who helped me avoid legal pitfalls I didn’t even know existed. She has single-handedly changed my perception of attorneys.

– Denise Derammelaere, alien identity

I have been with Sandy Shepard for 2+ years now. What I like about Sandy is that you get personalized service that meets your needs. All the larger firms I considered were more concerned with getting their large retainer up front. Sandy was immediately concerned with my needs, not her revenue. She responds promptly and speaks in plain English. She doesn’t talk down to her clients to make her work sound more important than it is.

One of the main reasons I like her is that on numerous occasions she has stopped me from using her services. This may sound strange but she cared about my business enough to say “I can do this for you but it will cost you a lot. Here’s a way you can do it yourself without having to pay me.” I know with Sandy that she isn’t going to pad her bill with unnecessary work. Another thing I respect is that she doesn’t take on work beyond her specialty. She plays to her strengths and when my legal advisory needs required specialty advise, she referred me to appropriate specialists. She didn’t try and “keep it in the firm” the way a large firm would.

For small to mid-size businesses, I say “don’t be impressed by the trappings of a big sexy firm. Sandy will advise you and not drown your business in legal fees. Lastly, I like that Sandy is independent of a large firm because she is the one you contract with and she is the one who services you. You don’t get sold by a partner then passed down to a junior attorney — and one who is judged by billable hours — for the work.

– Brad Prescott, Owner, FM Publishing