Meet our

Business Law Attorneys

At Company Counsel LLC, our mission is simple: 

We help good people build great companies that make a positive impact. 

We are a business law firm and certified minority business enterprise serving Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. Our team delivers sound legal advice and representation so entrepreneurs and business owners can stay protected through every phase of growth — from incorporation and scale-up to a successful exit.

As your trusted business law attorney and ongoing legal partner, Company Counsel provides flexible Fractional General Counsel services tailored to the real-world needs of today’s small and mid-sized businesses. With simplified flat-fee billing and proactive legal support, we empower you to focus on building your company while we help manage risk, handle transactions, resolve disputes, and protect what you’ve worked so hard to create.

Not ready for fractional general counsel services?

No problem. Explore our legal services for solutions tailored to support the key functions of your growing company.

5023

Successful Cases

1895

Cases Closed

650

Trusted Clients

33

Expert Teams

Our Core Values Drive Everything We Do

Champion Diversity

01

Our differences make us stronger and better advisors.

02

Proactive Protection

We help you prevent problems, not just fix them.

03

Do the Right Thing, the Right Way

Ethics matter. So does excellence.

04

More Than Attorneys

We’re business-minded legal professionals.

05

Never Stop Learning and Improving

We're always growing—just like you.

Meet Your Legal Team

Bernard A. Williams, our founder and managing partner, oversees all practice areas within the firm. With a background in big law, Bernard previously served as a partner of Legis Group

LLC (Philadelphia), a senior associate in the Commercial Litigation Practice Group at Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP (Philadelphia), and an associate in the Litigation Department at Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP (New York City). He began his legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Theodore McMillian of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

In addition to his legal experience, Bernard brings the business savvy of a serial entrepreneur to the firm. Before founding Company Counsel, Bernard owned and ran an educational services company, More Likely To Succeed, Inc.. His experiences launching and scaling these two very different businesses serving two very different customer types make it easy for him to anticipate and relate to his clients’ challenges and successes.

Bernard earned his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from American University and his J.D. from New York University School of Law, where he served as a staff editor and associate editor of the NYU Law Review. He has held director positions on multiple, local nonprofit boards, and he currently serves as an adjunct professor at Lancaster Bible College, teaching negotiations and business law, and a business law instructor at the Community College of Philadelphia, teaching small business owners how to power up their business and help their community thrive.

Bernard is also a published author and a frequent speaker on topics relating to business planning, operations, and legal strategy for small businesses.

Jon Thielen, partner of Company Counsel LLC, focuses his practice on a variety of transactional and employment law matters, including corporate structuring, business acquisitions, and commercial litigation.

Earlier in his career, Jon worked as a certified legal intern at the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office and served as a judicial clerk for the Honorable James T. Anthony of the Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas. He has also provided pro bono legal services at the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania.

Jon earned his bachelor of science degree in finance from the University of Maryland, where he was a student-athlete member of the varsity swim team, and his J.D. from the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, where he competed as a member of the moot court board.

Jon has been active in the community as a head swim coach for a local swim club. He enjoys outdoor activities with his family, attending sporting events and concerts, and traveling.

Linda Alle-Murphy, litigation attorney, brings extensive experience in all phases of litigation and leads the firm’s business litigation matters.

Earlier in her career, Linda specialized in bankruptcy litigation at Maschmeyer Karalis (Philadelphia), appearing in bankruptcy courts in Pennsylvania and New Jersey as well as state court proceedings related to federal bankruptcy proceedings. She acquired her business litigation experience at Schnader Harrison & Lewis (Philadelphia), where she was a member of both the litigation department and the financial services litigation group.

Linda earned her bachelor’s degree in music and master’s in music violoncello performance from The Julliard School. She earned her J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law, where she was articles editor of the Temple Law Review. Her article on arbitration clauses in consumer contracts was published in the 75th anniversary edition of that publication.

Linda has received designated as a Pennsylvania Rising Star (2006) and a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer (2017-2019). As a musician, Linda still plays the cello and is organist at St. John’s Latvian Lutheran Church.

Ricardo Unikel, intellectual property attorney of counsel at Company Counsel LLC, focuses his practice on business and intellectual property law. He excels at helping business owners protect their ideas, reduce risk, develop their brands, and get ahead of the competition.

Earlier in his career, Ricardo was intellectual property counsel at the General Electric Company’s GE Water and Process Technologies division and an associate at intellectual property firms in both New York City and Philadelphia, preparing and prosecuting patent applications, providing opinions on patentability and validity, advising on transactional matters, and conducting patent litigation. Prior to attending law school, Ricardo was a product development engineer at 3M Company.

Ricardo earned his bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from University of California at Berkeley and his J.D. from the New York University School of Law. He is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Ninette Bennett, director of client services, combines her passion for people and systems to ensure our clients are treated like gold.

Known for “keeping the person at the forefront of the process,” Ninette has more than 20 years of experience managing operations for small businesses, schools, and churches.

Earlier in her career, Ninette founded and owned Manage Your Logistics, a small business that provides operations support and project management to small businesses and non-profits. She also worked as an assistant principal of operations for a local school, managing non-instructional operations for 1,500 students and 220 staff members in a 385K square-foot facility with a multi-million dollar budget. She has also worked for several nonprofit organizations, creating life-changing programming and developing measurable outcomes for Philadelphia youth.

A Philadelphia native and graduate of the Philadelphia High School for Girls, Ninette earned her bachelor’s degrees in accounting and finance from Drexel University. She serves on nonprofit boards, both locally and nationally, and holds a certificate in nonprofit executive leadership from Bryn Mawr College.

Brian Boyle is an Associate Attorney at Company Counsel LLC, where he specializes in transactional and business law, including corporate structuring and contracts.

He began his legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable James H. Pickering, Jr. of the Cape May County Superior Court in New Jersey.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Arts in History with minors in Political Science and Classical Studies from the College of New Jersey, as well as a J.D. from the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law.

Outside of his legal practice, Brian enjoys outdoor activities such as ultimate frisbee and hiking, playing guitar, and record collecting.

Jacob Gilbert is an Associate Attorney at Company Counsel LLC, where he specializes in all phases of litigation. He graduated from Temple University in 2017 and Rutgers Law School in 2022.

While in law school Jacob participated in Rutgers Law’s Hunter Moot Court, where he and his teammate won Best Brief for a Plaintiff Team. Jacob was also the Senior Articles Editor for the Women’s Rights Law Reporter. Following graduation, Jacob clerked for the Honorable Judge Jennifer Harlacher Sibum in the Monroe County Court of Common Pleas.