Mark Underwood JD
Fractional CLO & GC | Creator, Lawvocate | Michigan Bar; WDMI | Pro Hac Vice Litigation Counsel | AI • Data • IP • Deals • Product Counsel
About
I am a builder, a Fractional Chief Legal Officer, and a practicing Attorney with over 35 years of experience at the intersection of law, technology, and commercial operations.
I don't just advise on SaaS/RaaS platforms and AI products—I build them. As the Co-Founder of JuristAI and the creator of Lawvocate (an AI legal agent trained for litigation and commercial workflows), I understand the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) inside and out. This hands-on technical experience allows me to act as a highly effective Senior Product & Commercial Counsel for fast-moving ventures.
My focus is bridging the gap between engineering, sales, and compliance. I advise product teams on feature iteration and ethics-by-design, mitigating regulatory risks (Consumer Protection, Advertising Law, Data Privacy) before they become bottlenecks. Simultaneously, I partner with Sales and Marketing to draft, review, and negotiate the complex enterprise commercial agreements that accelerate revenue.
Whether I am building my own LegalTech POCs or advising a flagship SaaS platform, my goal remains the same: translate complex tools into regulator-ready, highly monetizable operations.
Core Competencies: ✦ Product & Engineering Counsel (SaaS & AI) ✦ Commercial Transactions & Enterprise Agreements ✦ Regulatory Compliance (Consumer Protection, Advertising, GDPR) ✦ Strategic Advising & Technical Founder Leadership
Now connecting with: founders, COOs, product and legal leaders, building AI-driven businesses and modernization programs.
Experience
Founder & Fractional Chief Legal Officer (Portfolio: JuristAI • LawvocateAI • CreatiShield)
The Underwood Group (Managing Partner) · United States
Jan 2022 – Present(4 yrs 4 mos)
I lead a portfolio of ventures at the intersection of law, AI, and growth operations, serving as the legal architect and Product Counsel for both my own LegalTech startups and external fast-moving teams. Product Development & Engineering Counsel: Designed, built, and launched Lawvocate and JuristAI. Act as embedded Product Counsel for SaaS platforms, guiding new features from ideation to launch with an ethics-by-default approach. Commercial Agreements: Draft, review, and negotiate complex enterprise commercial agreements, vendor tech stacks, and customer terms to support business operations and shorten sales cycles. Regulatory Risk & Compliance: Build privacy frameworks (e.g., GDPR) and governance guardrails to enable compliant AI adoption and data protection for startup and mid-market teams. Sales & Marketing Support: Create IP and contracting playbooks used by founders and in-house counsel to safely scale promotional strategies and customer acquisition.
Startups.com — Legal Community Leader
Startups.com
Sep 2024 – Present(1 yr 8 mos)
Curate legal content and office hours for founders; thousands of monthly impressions. Translate complex legal + AI topics into actionable checklists and templates.
Director Board of Directors
Getmar Corporation · Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
Sep 2023 – Apr 2024(8 mos)
• Advised on AI-related legal issues, including creating AI solutions contracts, enhancing regulatory compliance, and reducing potential liabilities. • Provided comprehensive IP protection services to clients such as the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA, focusing on product launches and software development. • Led a team of over 50 professionals, advising on strategic product positioning and enforcing compliance standards for product management.
Consulting Manager, PDLC
CDW · Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan Area
Oct 2013 – Feb 2022(8 yrs 5 mos)
• Applied project management and resource management expertise using Agile-Scrum methodologies to oversee the buildout and implementation of technical solutions for large enterprises in financial, manufacturing, government, and higher education sectors. • Coordinated technology-focused project lifecycles, workflows, and logistics for data and network design planning and implementation, including large-scale Windows and Cisco life cycle integrations. • Facilitated the development of all project schedules, budgets, and estimates while demonstrating expertise in vendor management and change management to ensure all projects were delivered according to stakeholder and business expectations. • Developed detailed creative solution recommendations based on standard evaluation frameworks and presented them to leadership, providing a rationale for choosing a path over other alternatives. • Project leadership resulted in the successful completion of over 25 projects involving the implementation of professional services infrastructures, hybrid services, and technical resource management.
Consulting Manager, Marketing IT Deliverables
Amway · Ada, MI
Nov 2011 – Apr 2013(1 yr 6 mos)
• Supervised the North American health segment, managing four project managers and ten staff members, generating over $100M in annual sales. • Orchestrated product development plans, schedules, workflows, budgets, and logistics, successfully launching 12 products within a year.
Partner
The Underwood Group · Lansing, Michigan, United States
Jun 1989 – Nov 2011(22 yrs 6 mos)
• Practicing Lawyer in IP, Entertainment, Joint Ventures, Copyright and Trademark law, Licensing, and Technology
Instructor
Grand Valley State University
Jan 1992 – Jan 2002(10 yrs 1 mo)
Instructor in Computer Science and Hospitality and Tourism, CIS, Finance, and Law and several Special interest seminars.
IT/IS Management Consultant
Amway Corporation Ada, MI · Ada, MI
Jan 1999 – Dec 2000(2 yrs)
Model Store Enterprise Systems Program Consultant
Spartan Stores, Inc · Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan Area
Jan 1996 – Jan 1999(3 yrs 1 mo)
• Provided technical and Program development for Model store infrastructure and network architecture, systems integration, and web services for grocery on the web.
Education
Cooley Law School
Doctor of Law - JD, Intellectual Property Law
1987 – 1989
Beloit College
B.S, Biochemistry
Expertise
Specialties
