The Problem We Solve
Most lawyers wait for you to call. We think that's backwards.
The billable hour has quietly become a wedge between attorney and client. It rewards time spent over value created. It punishes efficiency. And most damaging of all: it trains entrepreneurs to avoid picking up the phone.
We've seen it too many times. A founder skips the call — worried about the meter — and a $250 conversation becomes a $25,000 problem. There is no such thing as being uninsured. There is only paying for coverage in advance, or paying for it after the fact. Usually with interest.
Cunningham Strategic Counsel works to eliminate that friction. We are your strategic advisor first and your attorney second. Our billing is designed to match how modern businesses actually operate — predictable, transparent, and aligned with your success.
We sit on your side of the table. Every legal question gets answered through the lens of your business — what you're building, where you're going, and what's actually at stake. The law is a tool. Using it well requires knowing your business, not just the statute.
Strategic Advisory Services
Full-Cycle Business Counsel
From entity formation and early contracts through capital raises, scaling, and eventual exits — we stand beside you for the whole journey. Not just the moments that generate paperwork.
Billing That Makes Sense
Subscriptions, fixed fees, success-based arrangements, gated hourly engagements, and straightforward hourly billing for clients who prefer it. Every model is built around one principle: you should never be surprised by a legal bill.
Built For Builders. The Methodical Ones.
Some founders approach their business with a clear-eyed plan: here is where I am, here is where I am going, here is what I need to build to get there. They are willing to be honest about the gap between those two points and disciplined enough to close it deliberately, over time. Those are the clients we do our best work with.
They are not necessarily the biggest companies or the most experienced founders. What they have in common is a willingness to look at the business as it actually is — not as they hope it is — and to make a real plan from that honest starting point. They ask hard questions. They take hard answers. And they come back.
If you want a lawyer who will tell you only what you can't do, we're probably not the right fit. If you want one who will help you figure out how to do what you're trying to do — and tell you honestly when the plan needs work — let's talk.
A Note on Philosophy
"All the law in the world won't make a bad business idea good."
That's something I tell clients often. The law is a tool in service of your business — not an obstacle to manage around it.
I didn't start my career as a lawyer. I started it on the floor of a Kroger store, managing a high-volume retail operation. Then came an MBA, then a few years at KPMG as a tax consultant. By the time I found my way to the practice of law, I had spent years watching businesses actually run — making payroll, managing people, watching cash.
What I've also watched, over 26 years of sitting close to founders, is something that doesn't get talked about enough: the weight of always being the one who projects confidence. Entrepreneurs put on a brave face for their employees, their customers, their lenders, their vendors, and their families — because all of those people need to believe the business will be there tomorrow. It is a necessary performance. And it is an exhausting one, because there is almost no one doing it for them.
I built this practice to be that place. Somewhere a founder can put the brave face down, ask the question they're afraid to ask anyone else, and get a straight answer from someone who has seen enough to know the difference between a real problem and a manageable one.
That background shapes everything about how I practice. Over 26 years, I have advised Atlanta's most ambitious entrepreneurs through formations, financings, acquisitions, and exits. I built this firm because I wanted to offer something I never had access to from the other side of the table: a truly aligned legal partner, without the overhead and friction of the traditional model.
Our Approach
The legal partner that serious founders have been missing. We combine the strategic depth of a large firm with the speed and alignment that your growth stage demands.
Entrepreneurial Speed
Agile support designed to match the pace of your innovation.
Dynamic Expertise
A scalable network of specialists without traditional firm overhead.
Predictable Investment
Clarity through proactive fixed-fee and subscription billing models.
Growth Focused
Dedicated counsel focused on securing your critical milestones.
Start the Conversation
Tell us about your business and what you're working toward. We will tell you honestly how we can help.
OFFICE
INQUIRIES
1230 Peachtree St NE
Ste 2100
Atlanta, GA 30309
jcunningham@bradley.com