Reviews

Marc is one of several attorneys with whom I work on a regular basis. Marc recently represented my company throughout multi-year litigation between my organization and a vendor that failed to perform - he ultimately negotiated a settlement for the entire amount owed and accomplished that outcome professionally without excessive costs. I value Marc’s judgment and never hesitate to contact him to discuss a matter within the scope of his expertise.

It has been my pleasure to work with Marc for the last 5 years. He was my own personal attorney as I set up my business and even became a referral source for me. Then, as my life evolved and I went on staff with a local company, he has become our employment attorney helping with multiple compliance questions and handbook updates. Recently, he even agreed to help a non profit I know with a situation I was advising on and he handled it with compassion and grace. He is a joy to work with and knows his craft. I hope to continue to work with Marc but would recommend him to anyone!

It’s almost sad to say, but I’ve worked with quite a few attorneys in my day. And Marc is one of the better ones. I trust him, I like him, and he has often given me advice that I did not agree with at first, but came to see his wisdom. He has talked me out of things at times, and at times, defended my point of view to the utmost. He and I have won a “David and Goliath” battle together, (we were David, obviously). And he has counseled me to stay out of court in other situations, and turned out to be right. Now in our eighth year of business, thanks in part to Marc, I frequently pick up the phone or just email Marc to get his opinion on something. And that’s the highest praise I can give him. Marc is not the least expensive attorney option out there, but he could wind up saving you a lot of money in the long run. And I can’t say that about all the attorneys I’ve worked with.

Marc recently helped me negotiate a settlement based on a potential wrongful termination lawsuit. This was a time sensitive case, and Marc did an excellent job with his response time not only to me but with the other parties as well to get this case resolved as quickly as possible. He was also sensitive to my frustration about the situation and helped me understand the bigger picture that I couldn't or didn't want to see . He's also genuinely a good person, knows the law, and will explain all your options to you. I recommend if you're meeting him for a consultation to write down all your questions in advance, and to bring a copy of anything that you emailed him so that you both can cross-reference it at the same time. I would absolutely recommend Marc.

Having started my own company, a former employer filed a lawsuit out of malice - citing my non-compete agreement, and attempted to shut down my new business. Marc Gustafson was the third attorney I consulted, and had a completely different approach than the others. Instead of preparing for court and quoting me his hourly rate, he was rather pragmatic, more focused on how we could avoid going to court all together. Who wants to get sued, especially during your first year of business - court can be a crap-shoot, it is risky and unpredictable! Marc dealt with things in a sensible and realistic way. He was practical, trying to work towards a settlement, offering ideas / suggestions in the midst of a very stressful situation, to resolve this bitter dispute. Over the course of a couple months, having an extremely irrational adversary with completely unreasonable expectations, Marc continued to set the pace. He was quickly accessible, even on his mobile, easy to communicate with - a straight shooter no doubt. Somehow we reached common ground and both sides achieved an agreeable settlement that avoided litigation successfully! Marc's strategy and manner of handling the Non-compete Agreement lawsuit - which could have had devastating consequences for my new business - achieved the hoped for, mitigated conclusion. I would hope not to need him in future, but found him very personable, and strongly recommend him!

I initially hired Marc to review a severance agreement prior to signing it. There were a few areas that I wanted to address with my employer, and Marc encouraged to ask for what I wanted. Many lawyers would have made the "ask" on my behalf, resulting in additional billable hours. I found Marc to be personable, understanding, but also realistic. When you find yourself in a situation where you need an employment lawyer, sometimes the emotions (anger, shock, etc.) can get in the way of reality. Marc took the time to provide options, along with a healthy dose of reality. Marc was transparent about the fees, and there were never any surprises. I wanted advice tailored to my situation, and Marc delivered. In the end, I did not get exactly what I wanted, but I understand the fact that severance settlements require "give" and "take." I am very satisfied with the end results, and took his last piece of advice, once it was all settled: "sign the document, and never look back". The value of that advice: priceless.

Marc is a soft spoken attorney that seems to carry a big stick. He has gathered a series of victories in my case. He is fair and extremely careful on his billing. He returns his calls quickly and is always a professional. I have worked with him for more than a year and feel he has done an outstanding job on a very tough and lengthy case. He seems to be very effective and talented.

I hired Marc to review my contract after receiving his name from my neighbor, also a lawyer. I paid the fee (which was much higher than average for this service per several lawyers that I know) as he requested. He was not prepared to answer the questions that I had. He clearly had not read one of my contracts asking "What is this?" I asked about my noncompete and he scrambled through the contract to look for it. I reached out to him to express my concern via letter and he did not respond. Follow up/an apology would have prevented me from posting this review. At the end of he visit, he stated, "Worse case scenario you can leave if you don't like your new job. We don't have slavery anymore." As an AA woman, this statement was frankly inappropriate and culturally insensitive. I am appalled at Marc's lack of professionalism and can only hope that this will not happen to anyone else.

Marc Gustafson was a terrific support for me though a severance negotiation. He fully explained the details of the agreement and ensured that I understood my options. Marc regularly communicated the status of the project (even when he was on vacation!) and maintained sufficient pressure to keep the negotiations moving at a steady pace. The results were very positive. I strongly recommend Marc for helping with employment issues.

I came across Marc like many of you who are looking for an attorney for an important matter that possibly showed up unknowingly in your life. I spoke to several attorneys before hiring Marc based on my gut instinct. He is an avid listener, understands the nature of your problem by asking you many questions. If he decides to represent you, he will offer many possible solutions along with the possible consequences associated with each particular way of moving forward. My case required understanding of employment law and solid negotiation skill sets. Marc really used his legal knowledge throughout the process and suggested several steps along the process that was well thought out. My ex-employer had retained legal counsel from a very large firm who played dirty and used sneaky techniques, however Marc played it like Garry Kasparov (who is one of the best Chess players of all times and could think several steps ahead). He will also follow up to make sure that all bases are covered and will keep you updated on the entire process. He is expensive but worth the price; you pay what you get. He is honest and will be upfront with you if he is not happy about something and I really appreciate that. You don't want a yes man who is just doing what you ask him to do. Marc will put himself on the line if he believes in you, sadly a characteristic not many "IVY" league attorneys demonstrate these days. One other thing that I liked about him is that he doesn't try to use "scare" tactics that most of these attorneys will use to get business from you. He has my thumbs up and I wish him best of luck in all his future ventures.

I met with Marc shortly after being laid off from a company for which I had worked over 20 years. It was a very difficult time in my life and I asked Marc to review the severance agreement I received before I signed it. He was great. I found Marc very easy to talk to and I found his advice very help. At his recommendation, I asked for and received the money necessary to extend my COBRA benefits from one month to 4 months, which meant I received an additional $4,200 in severance. That was more than ten times what I paid for the consultation with Marc and it was something I would never have thought to do without his input. I would recommend Marc to anyone who gets laid off.

I was referred to Marc by a trusted colleague for a contract dispute involving litigation. Marc handled the complex negotiations for settlement and I was very satisfied with the outcome. In addition, I felt that Marc had my best interests in mind with sound advice during the process. I would work with Marc again and highly recommend his services.