Andrea Phelps is a partner of the firm in the business law and intellectual property sections. Having worked with over 500 small businesses and start-ups during the past twelve years, Andrea continues to focus her practice on assisting her business clients with a variety of "nuts and bolts" matters such as buying and selling businesses, selecting and forming an appropriate business entity, addressing co-ownership issues and resolving ownership disputes, determining and accomplishing start-up requirements, drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts and commercial leases, complying with business regulations, establishing and protecting trademarks, trade names, trade secrets, and copyrights, and resolving problems with customers, suppliers, lenders, landlords, business partners, and employees. Having owned a small business, Andrea has first-hand experience with the ups and downs of business ownership and believes that her personal experiences have helped make her a better business law counselor to her clients. 

A 1985 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Ms. Phelps served as a Navy Supply Corps Officer in Operation Desert Storm before attending law school at the College of William and Mary. Ms. Phelps is a director of the Hampton Roads Small Business Development Center and has taught business law classes for the past eight years. She has spoken about legal matters to several trade and professional associations and has taught continuing education classes for attorneys. Ms. Phelps was the national award winner of the Navy League Captain Winifred Quick Collins Leadership Award in 1991 and received the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce William J. Holloran Award for Small Business Development in 2002. Ms. Phelps lives in West Ghent with her husband and two hard-headed beagles.

Send Ms. Phelps an email at aphelps@inmanstrickler.com.