About Us

Our Approach at a Glance: Get It Done

At StartSmart Counsel, we believe in simplifying the intricate weave of compliance and legal concerns. Our firm is here to collaboratively piece everything together, ensuring that navigating this realm doesn't feel like a daunting puzzle. With a flexible, agile, and client-centered ethos, we're not just here to advise but to partner with you. Our dedication goes beyond guidance; it's a commitment to a 'get it done' approach, tailored to your unique needs.

Empower Your Ambition - Legal Insight for the Business-Minded

✔  Our Mission: Empowering Your Business to Start Smart and Grow with Confidence
At StartSmart Counsel, we are dedicated to launching your business with the strategic advantage of sound legal and compliance foundations. Our mission is to protect, guide, and empower small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) by providing top-tier, accessible legal advice and compliance services.

✔  Who We Are: Your Strategic Partners in Business Success
StartSmart Counsel is comprised of a seasoned team of legal professionals and compliance experts, all sharing a common vision: to make complex legalities and compliance processes straightforward and manageable for our clients. We understand that in the dynamic business world, agility coupled with informed decision-making is key to success and sustainability.

✔  Our Journey: From Roots to Realization
Established by a group of attorneys and compliance specialists, StartSmart was born out of the recognition that SMBs often encounter unique challenges and deserve the same caliber of support as major corporations—tailored to their specific needs and scale.

✔  What We Do: Comprehensive Legal and Compliance Solutions
We offer a full spectrum of services, including business structuring, regulatory navigation, risk management, intellectual property protection, employment law guidance, and more. By anticipating the hurdles and opportunities within various industries, StartSmart provides insights and solutions that are both industry-specific and personalized.

✔  Our Expertise: Industry-Focused, Client-Centric
Our team brings a wealth of experience from diverse sectors such as banking & financial services, arts & entertainment, healthcare, retail, and e-commerce. We pride ourselves on staying ahead of the curve, advising on both domestic and international regulatory landscapes.

✔  Your Growth: Enabling Expansion with Ease
For StartSmart Counsel, nothing is more rewarding than seeing our clients thrive. Whether you're setting up shop, scaling your operations, or steering through the complexities of compliance, we are here to support your journey every step of the way.

✔  Connect with StartSmart: The Beginning of Exceptional Partnerships
We invite you to explore our services, meet our team, and reach out for a consultation. With StartSmart Counsel, your business is poised for greatness. Let's make a start—smartly.

For more information or to schedule a meeting with our team.

Jennifer D. Newton, Esq., Managing Attorney

Jnewton@startsmartcounsel.com

About Our Founder

Over a span of fifteen years, Jennifer Newton has served as a trusted advisor to clients and businesses of all types, ranging from burgeoning startups to established multinational corporations. Her expertise in navigating the complex regulatory landscapes of various industries has made her an invaluable asset to those seeking to enhance their legal, compliance, governance, and risk management strategies. Jennifer's ability to tailor her advice to the unique needs of each business, coupled with her deep understanding of both domestic and international regulatory environments, underscores her role as a pivotal figure in the field of regulatory compliance and risk management.

But Jennifer's vision extends beyond her impressive resume. She founded StartSmart Counsel to ensure that startups and small-to-medium sized businesses (SMBs), crucial to creating economic inclusion and community stability, are not locked out of receiving sound and high-quality representation due to skyrocketing legal fees. She believes that when these businesses thrive, our community thrives. Under Jennifer's leadership, StartSmart Counsel has become more than a legal firm. It is a beacon of empowerment for startups and SMBs and a champion for economic diversity.

As our firm's Managing Director, Jennifer's contributions to the community are manifold. She's the driving force behind the National Association of Black Compliance & Risk Management Professionals (NABCRMP), an organization she both founded and presides over as CEO. NABCRMP, under her guidance, is a testament to her commitment to empowering Black professionals in compliance and risk management. It has burgeoned into a pivotal organization championing diversity, excellence, and inclusivity. Jennifer's vision ensures NABCRMP continually launches educational campaigns, specialized training programs, and forms crucial industry partnerships to further its mission.

Renowned in her field, Jennifer has been highlighted in premier publications such as Compliance Week, Law360, Daily Business Review, American Banker, the Wall Street Journal, Bankrate, and JDSupra and she regularly speaks at prominent industry conferences. Her distinguished career has earned her accolades, including being christened one of South Florida's Most Powerful and Influential Black Leaders by Legacy Magazine and consistently featuring in the National Black Lawyers’ “Top 40 under 40” in Banking and Finance. Beyond her professional undertakings, Jennifer shares her knowledge as an adjunct professor at Fordham University School of Law and plays integral roles on the boards of the Ten North Group and the Community Justice Project in Miami. Her previous leadership roles in esteemed associations further underscore her unwavering dedication to her profession and the larger community.

On a personal note, Jennifer's passions extend beyond her professional realm. She is an ardent lover of R&B and soca music, with a special place in her heart for neo-soul and “new jack swing”. Her faith as a Christian deeply influences her life and values. Jennifer's palate relishes seafood, and her spirit yearns for travel, especially to tranquil beach destinations. Her myriad interests and personal choices paint a vivid picture of a multifaceted individual, as committed to her personal pursuits as she is to her professional endeavors.

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Education & Awards:

Loyola University School of Law - New Orleans, LA

  • Juris Doctorate: Law

  • Loyola Full Merit Scholarship, Recipient

  • Loyola Law Excellence Award – Moot Court, Recipient

  • Association of Trial Lawyers–Board of Advocates Justice Skelly Wright Chapter Award,  Recipient

  • Florida Bar Foundation Public Interest Summer Fellowship, Fellow

  • American Bar Association Section of Litigation Judicial Intern Opportunity Fellowship,  Fellow

  • Equal Justice Works Summer Corps Fellowship,  Fellow

  • Florida Education Fund BARBRI Scholarship,  Recipient

Florida State University – Tallahassee, FL

  • Bachelor of Science: Sociology and Social Science

  • Alpha Kappa Delta Honor Society

  • Florida Bright Future Merit Scholarship, Recipient

Awards:

  • Legacy Magazine: South Florida’s Most Prominent & Influential Black Women in Business & Industry for 2023

  • USAA Chief Legal Office (CLO) Excellence Award, 2021

  • Great Women in Compliance (GWIC) Award, 2020

  • Compliance Week Magazine – Rising Star in Compliance Award, 2021

  • South Florida’s 50 Most Powerful and Influential Black Leaders, 2018

  • National Black Lawyers, Top 40 Under 40 in Banking and Finance, 2016, 2017, 2018

  • Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, 2016

Organizations / Prior Affiliations:

  • National Association of Black Compliance & Risk Management Professionals, Inc. (NABCRMP)

    • Founder / CEO

  • Florida Housing Opportunity Equity Fund

    • Chairperson, Board of Director · Dec 2021 - Present

  • Ten North Group

    • Board of Director · Nov 2018 - Present

  • Community Justice Project, Inc.

    • Board of Director · Oct 2018 - Present

  • American Bar Association - Consumer Financial Services Committee

    • Chair, Pro Bono Subcommittee · Sep 2016 - Sep 2021

  • Catalyst Miami

    • Board of Director · Apr 2014 - Dec 2020

  • Florida Bar Association - Consumer Protection Law Standing Committee -2014-2020

    • Chair, Social Media and Outreach Subcommittee

    • Co-Chair CLE Subcommittee

  • National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40

    • Executive Committee · Jan 2017 - Dec 2019

  • Leadership Florida Connect Class VIII

  • Florida Bar Wm Reece Jr. Leadership Academy Class IV

Presentations / Speaking Engagements:

• Women in Leadership, Florida Banker’s Association, Women’s Leadership Conference, December 23, 2021

• “Brown Bag Lunch with Peter Driscoll,” SEC Director of the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations, NABCRMP,

• “SBA Paycheck Protection Program Compliance: Steps for Ensuring Loan Forgiveness,” NABCRMP

• “Incorporating Diversity & Inclusion in Your Enterprise Risk Management Framework”, NABCRMP,

• “Consumer Law Meets Cyber Law: Emerging Consumer Protection Issues in Light of Digital Innovation and Technology Advancements, Co-Chair, Annual Florida Bar Convention, Florida Bar Annual Conference, June 2020

• “The Impact of the 2018 Farm Bill-Agriculture Improvement Act &

• The Differences between Hemp, CBD, and Marijuana”, South Florida Compliance Association, February 11, 2020

• How to Avoid Regulatory Risk in Private Lending, National Private Lending Expo, (May 2019), Presenter

• GDPR Compliance for U.S. Depository Institutions - Central Florida Compliance Association (February 2019), CBANC Network (September 2018), Presenter

• Assessing Your Fair Lending Risk - ComplianceIQ (February 2019), Presenter

• Financial Evolution: How the Cyber-Economy is Disrupting the Financial Sector - GMCC South Florida Economic Summit (January 2019), Panelist

• Women Leaders in Banking - Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce (April 2018), Panelist

• Trends and Changes in CRA, Fair Lending & HMDA – Central Florida Compliance Association (May 2018), Presenter

• CRA Reform, Fair Lending & Other Hot Topics – South Florida Compliance Association (April 2018), Presenter

• Doing Well by Doing Good: Public/Private Partnerships - Florida Bar Convention (June 2018), Moderator

• Consumer Compliance Management: Understanding the Basics and Meeting Regulatory Expectations – ABA Business Law Section Spring Meeting 2017, Presenter

• To Decline or to Accept? – Scrutinizing CFPB's New Arbitration Rule Proposal - Knowledge Group LIVE Webcast (December 2016), Panelist

• The CFPB Guidance on Private Mortgage Insurance Cancellation and Termination: Is Your Firm Compliant? - Knowledge Group LIVE Webcast (April 2016), Panelist

• CFPB Alerts: Arbitration Clauses in Consumer Financial Products; Amendments to Mortgage Servicing Rules; Other Developments that can Affect Your Practices, Annual Credit Union Round Table, (September 14, 2016), Presenter

• Maximizing Your Judicial Internship, American Bar Association, Section of Litigation – Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (2015) (2016), Presenter

• Forging through Florida's Foreclosure Crisis – Florida Housing Coalition Public Policy Plenary (September 2012), Panelist

  • Selecting the right legal structure and ensuring compliance from day one.

  • Safeguarding your brand and products with trademarks, copyrights, and patents.

  • Building strong agreements with clients, partners, and vendors to avoid disputes.

  • Complying with complex legal requirements for fundraising and investor relations.

  • Managing employees with airtight contracts while staying compliant with labor regulations.

  • Ensuring your business operates within regulatory frameworks and mitigating risks.

  • Preparing to resolve conflicts before they escalate and impact your bottom line.

  • Legally preparing your business for growth, acquisitions, or exit strategies.

What Can Go Wrong, You Say? : The Life Cycle of Legal Hiccups for Startups and SMBs

As your business grows, so do the legal complexities. Waiting to address these challenges can lead to costly mistakes and roadblocks that hinder your success.

Why You Can’t Afford to Wait

Legal challenges don’t wait—and neither should you. Whether it’s protecting your intellectual property, raising funds, or managing disputes, every delay in addressing your legal needs could mean a bigger problem down the line.

At StartSmart Counsel, we specialize in providing proactive legal solutions for startups and SMBs at every stage of their journey. Let us help you protect your business and position it for long-term success. Book an appointment today to safeguard your future.