Zack Sharpe

About

I'm Zack Sharpe, founder of Sharpe Counsel. I'm a Columbia Law grad with over a decade of experience across BigLaw, in-house, and now my own practice. My background spans employment law, commercial contracts, intellectual property, and strategic advisory work for businesses, professionals, athletes, and creators. I've been practicing employment law since the start of my career, and most recently at Littler Mendelson and Tarter Krinsky, where I litigated and counseled on the full range of employment matters, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour, whistleblower claims, restrictive covenants, and class actions, while also advising on complex employment agreements and executive separations. As Counsel at Justworks, I broadened that work to include commercial contracts, vendor agreements, partnership deals, sponsorships, product and compliance matters, and IP protection across a global workforce of over 1,700 employees. Through Sharpe Counsel, I bring all of that to clients directly. For businesses and startups, I negotiate and draft commercial agreements, protect proprietary information through NDAs and PIIAs, and advise on employment and compliance matters. For executives and professionals, I handle employment contracts, severance negotiations, and compensation packages including equity and bonuses. For athletes, entertainers, and content creators, I work on NIL deals, brand agreements, sponsorships, and IP protection. Whatever the matter, my approach is the same: practical, strategic, and focused on getting you the best possible outcome. New York Metro Super Lawyers Rising Star.

Practice Areas

Featured Clients

Cockroach Labsidentity PetLinden ShoreDivine Sports & Entertainment

Services

• Fractional General Counsel (Subscription)

  Growth-stage companies need sophisticated legal counsel but rarely need — or can justify — a full-time in-house attorney. Sharpe Counsel’s fractional GC model delivers proactive, subscription-based advisory across employment law, commercial contracts, compliance, and IP, aligned to your business velocity and budget. You get the strategic partnership of an experienced general counsel without the overhead.
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• Employment & HR Compliance Counseling

  Staying ahead of employment law — across federal, state, and local requirements — is one of the most underestimated challenges for growing businesses. I advise on workplace policies, hiring and termination practices, compensation structures, and regulatory compliance, and where guidance alone isn’t enough, I draft and deliver the documents to match: offer letters, employee handbooks, PIIAs, and bespoke HR templates built for your specific workforce and risk profile.
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• Executive Employment Contract Review, Drafting & Negotiation

  Before you accept an offer or renew an agreement, you should understand every term — compensation structure, equity, bonus mechanics, termination triggers, and post-employment obligations. I review, draft, and negotiate employment agreements for executives and high-demand professionals, whether you’re starting from scratch or responding to someone else’s paper. The goal is a contract that reflects your value, protects your position, and leaves nothing to chance.
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Work

• 
  Counsel

  Justworks

  Jun 2024 - Present
• 
  Senior Associate

  Tarter Krinsky & Drogin LLP

  Nov 2023 - Jun 2024
• 
  Senior Associate

  Littler Mendelson

  Mar 2021 - Nov 2023

Education

• Columbia Law School
  Juris Doctor • 2014
• University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
  B.A. • 2011