Your Legal Team

Your Legal Team

We help good people build great companies that impact the world. And we work with these entrepreneurs, in whatever stage their business is in, to accomplish this.

When selecting an attorney to represent you, you want to partner with a firm you can trust. At Company Counsel LLC, our legal team treats each case like it is our only case, building confidence and transparency throughout the relationship. We recognize that work or business-related issues can extend into every aspect of an individual’s life—whether it impacts them personally, financially, or in growing their career. Our attorneys commit to getting every client the very best outcome. Instead of these issues influencing their lives negatively, we provide an honest case assessment to help them take action and define their future how they see fit.    

We genuinely love what we do— we are passionate about practicing law and helping business owners and entrepreneurs. We measure success as not only helping our clients protect themselves and accomplish their business and career goals but when we know that our clients enjoy working with us and refer us to their friends. 

From our Director of Client Services to our Managing Partner, our elite staff aims to keep the people we work with at the forefront of our process because we have been business owners. Seeing a client’s passion and love for their enterprise makes us work even harder for them. Our legal team feeds off that entrepreneurial spirit, allowing us to provide quality, client-driven representation in all legal matters.  

Dedicated representation should not be a privilege only the large and wealthiest corporations receive. Our firm is honored to provide quality legal support for budding entrepreneurs and established business owners in their pursuit of success and protecting their bottom line and future endeavors. Contact Company Counsel LLC for a free initial consultation where we can help your business thrive and be your legal resource when making critical decisions.

The Team

Bernard A Williams

Managing Partner

Bernard A. Williams, Esq., is the founder and managing partner of the Philadelphia law firm Company Counsel LLC, where he focuses his practice on business law, employment law, commercial litigation, and management consulting. Before forming Company Counsel, Mr. Williams was a partner of Legis Group LLC, located in Philadelphia. Before joining the Legis Group, Mr. Williams was the owner and general counsel of More Likely To Succeed, Inc., an educational services company in the greater Philadelphia area. Before that, Mr. Williams was a senior associate in the Commercial Litigation Practice Group at Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, located in Philadelphia. Mr. Williams entered private practice as an associate in the Litigation Department at Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP, located in New York. Before that, Mr. Williams served as a law clerk to the Honorable Theodore McMillian of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Mr. Williams received his bachelor’s degree 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. Mr. Williams is a published author, and a frequent speaker on topics relating to business planning, operations, and legal strategy for small businesses.

Jon Thielen

Partner

Jon Thielen is a partner of Company Counsel LLC, where he focuses his practice on a variety of transactional and employment law matters, including corporate structuring, business acquisitions, and commercial litigation. Mr. Thielen helps business owners stay protected and overcome challenges as they grow their business. Prior to joining Company Counsel after graduation from law school in May 2016, Mr. Thielen 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. Mr. Thielen also provided pro bono legal services at the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. Mr. Thielen received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, where he was a student-athlete as a 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. Mr. Thielen resides in Montgomery County, and enjoys outdoor activities with his family, attending sporting events and concerts, and traveling.

Linda Alle-Murphy

Litigation Attorney

Linda Alle-Murphy is a graduate of Temple University Beasley School of Law and The Juilliard School. As an attorney, she has extensive experience in all phases of litigation. At Company Counsel LLC, she participates in the firm’s business litigation matters. Prior to her joining Company Counsel, Linda specialized in bankruptcy litigation at the Maschmeyer Karalis firm. She appeared in bankruptcy courts in Pennsylvania and New Jersey as well as state court proceedings related to the federal bankruptcy proceedings. Linda acquired her experience in business litigation at the Schnader Harrison & Lewis firm, where she was a member of the litigation department and the financial services litigation group. Her cases included the representation of a hedge fund manager, an apartment complex owner in New Orleans, and a large bankruptcy case involving a nationwide student loan company. While at Temple Law School, Linda was articles editor of the Temple Law Review and her article on arbitration clauses in consumer contracts was published in the 75th anniversary edition of that publication. Interestingly, her article was cited in a German university professor’s publication, where it was seen and read by one of Linda’s former cello students, Dr. Friso Heukamp. A correspondence and personal meeting followed, reconnecting both cellist-lawyers. Linda was also designated as Pennsylvania Rising Star (beginning in 2006) and as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer (2017 through 2019). As a musician, Linda still plays the cello and is organist at St. John’s Latvian Lutheran Church.

Ricardo Unikel

Intellectual Property Attorney

Ricardo Unikel, Esq., is Of Counsel at Company Counsel LLC, where he focuses his practice on business and intellectual property law. Prior to joining Company Counsel LLC, Mr. Unikel worked in the legal department of the General Electric Company, where he handled a number of intellectual property and contractual issues. Prior to working at GE, Mr. Unikel was an associate at intellectual property firms in New York and Philadelphia, where he focused on preparing and prosecuting patent applications, as well as providing opinions on patentability and validity, advising on transactional matters, and conducting patent litigation. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Unikel was a product development engineer at 3M Company, where he conducted research in the chemical arts, particularly in the area of polymers. Mr. Unikel received his B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, and a law degree from the New York University School of Law.

Shannon Byrne

Associate Attorney

Shannon Byrne is an associate attorney at Company Counsel, where she focuses her practice on a variety of transactional matters. Prior to joining Company Counsel after graduation from law school in May 2022, Ms. Byrne worked as a judicial intern at the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania for the Honorable Sean F. Kennedy of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. Ms. Byrne also provided pro bono legal services at Pennsylvania SeniorLAW Helpline. Ms. Byrne received her bachelor’s degree from The College of New Jersey, where she was the president of the history honor society, Phi Alpha Theta. Throughout her undergraduate career, Ms. Byrne worked as a special project intern for the nonprofit, NJ Association of Community Providers. Ms. Byrne received her J.D. from Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law. Ms. Byrne resides in Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, and she enjoys reading, movies, and spending time with friends and family.

Ninette Bennett

Director of Client Services

Ninette Bennett is the Director of Client Services at Company Counsel LLC, where she combines her passion for people and systems to ensure that clients are treated like gold. Known for “keeping the person at the forefront of the process,” Ms. Bennett has more than 20 years of experience managing operations for small businesses, schools, and churches. She is the founder and owner of Manage Your Logistics, a small business that provides operations support and project management to small businesses and non-profits. Before starting her business, Ms. Bennett worked as an assistant principal of operations, where she managed all non-instructional operations of a school with 1500 students, 220 staff members, a multimillion-dollar budget, and a 385k sq. ft. facility. She also has worked for several non-profit organizations, developing measurable outcomes and creating life-changing programming for the youth of Philadelphia. Ms. Bennett serves on several non-profit boards, both locally and across the country, and has a Certificate in Non-Profit Executive Leadership from Bryn Mawr College. A Philadelphia native and graduate of the Philadelphia High School for Girls, Ms. Bennett earned undergraduate degrees in Accounting and Finance from Drexel University.

Our Mission

We help good people build great companies that impact the world!