Matthew McElwee is the Founder and Managing Member of Founders Law. He advises founders, startups, growth-stage companies, and venture capital funds, taking a uniquely practical approach to any legal issue that affects his clients.

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In his role as outside corporate counsel, Matthew is the first and often single point of legal contact for his clients, working with specialist providers as-needed and advising his clients on a wide variety of corporate matters, including entity formation, commercial contracts, employee matters, and raising capital. As a founder, investor, and former operator, Matthew is uniquely familiar with entrepreneurship, company formation, and the acquisition and management of funding for startups.

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Matthew has worked at some the largest firms in Chicago, IL (Kirkland & Ellis; Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg; and McDonald Hopkins), but launched Founders in 2020 to tailor his approach and his rates to the early-stage startups that he loves to work with.

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Matthew earned his J.D., summa cum laude, from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2016 and his B.S. in Business Administration from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2012.