To understand what makes Practus different, look no further than the attorneys who call it home. As part of our 7-year anniversary celebration, we’re highlighting four trailblazers who exemplify why a distributed law firm is the next frontier for legal practitioners.
Each Practus partner is fueled by deep experience, entrepreneurial drive, and a commitment to practicing law their way. Whether they’re advising startups, litigating high-stakes cases, navigating financial regulations, or managing M&A deals with precision, these four attorneys are proof that a modern law firm model is works for both attorneys and their clients.
Trailblazing Attorneys Across Practice Areas:
Chris Colvin’s Journey to Intellectual Property
Practus Partner: Intellectual Property & Litigation
IP Litigator, Chris Colvin, doesn’t just navigate the terrain, he helps design the map. Chris’s path to law ran straight through aerospace, engineering, and the fast-changing world of technology startups.
Chris’s practice centers on intellectual property litigation, with deep experience across patents, trade secrets, trademarks, copyrights, and false advertising cases. He also serves as outside general counsel to growing startups, helping founders protect their ideas while scaling their legal departments.
“My tech-focused practice allows me to leverage my earlier work as a software, aerospace, and mechanical engineer,” he explains — a rare mix of skills that gives his clients both legal insight and technical fluency.
That blend of left-brain logic and right-brain creativity has defined Chris’s career from the beginning. After earning his aerospace engineering degree from Princeton, he pivoted during an aerospace recession, joining IBM as a software engineer. A chance encounter at the company gym introduced him to the world of IP law… and his clients are grateful for that butterfly effect.
Now, with over 25 years of IP litigation experience and a long list of courtroom victories, Chris brings a unique edge to Practus.
“At this stage in my career, I want to keep performing at the highest level — but with the freedom to live and work how and where I want.”
A virtual law firm like Practus was a natural fit for Chris — flexible, efficient, and powered by top-tier legal tech. Blazing a trail isn’t about the spotlight; it’s about helping others protect what they’ve built and building a legal practice that works on every level.
Andrea Shaw and the Horsepower Behind Financial Services
Practus Partner: Financial Services
Some trailblazers don’t need a saddle; they bring their own horsepower. Literally. Andrea Shaw balances a thriving legal career in financial services with life on a five-acre horse farm in Gorham, Maine — proof that top-tier legal work can happen far beyond the traditional office.
With over two decades of experience, Andrea brings a practical, grounded approach to every client conversation.
“All lawyers can write a thoughtful, 10-page memo,” she says. “But the key to happy clients is translating that memo into actionable items.”
Andrea’s path to Practus started with a job ad, a nudge from her now-husband, and a leap of faith into a State Banking agency role during a down economy. What started out as a post-grad opportunity, turned into a thriving legal career in bank regulatory law, consumer finance, data privacy, and even a little equine law.
“I help financial institutions identify possible dragons, so the business executives can determine which ones we need to slay.”
Her success in this field is not some random chance. Andrea has seen financial regulation from nearly every angle, including her early days as an enforcement attorney to in-house roles with a top 10 bank and later serving as a law firm shareholder. One thing’s certain: clients are grateful for Andrea’s depth of experience and personal approach.
“I’m doing something I enjoy, with people I like, from a place that lets me live my best life,” she says. “And my clients know they’re getting not just analysis, but actionable advice from someone who’s sat at their desk.”
After years of working in-house and within traditional firm structures, she was ready for a model that matched her practical, client-first approach. Practus offered the best of both worlds: the flexibility to work remotely, and the infrastructure to serve sophisticated clients without missing a beat.
Whether she’s galloping around the farm or tackling a regulatory challenge, Andrea Shaw is clearing the way for a smarter, more innovative kind of practice — one that works for clients and attorneys alike.
Mark Belongia on Navigating the Legal Backroads
Practus Partner: Litigation
Some attorneys don’t stick to the main road; they carve a path of their own, navigating the switchbacks and side trails with instinct and experience. Cue: Mark Belongia.
A litigator by trade, and an entrepreneur at heart. Mark’s practice blends sharp courtroom strategy with a corporate-savvy mindset. From representing banks and private equity firms to resolving fraud, regulatory, and even entertainment law disputes, he’s a go-to problem solver for clients across industries.
“I’ve spent years in the banking and regulatory space,” he says. “But I’m really industry agnostic. If you’ve got a problem, I’ll find the right team to fix it – and that’s where Practus makes all the difference.”
Mark’s journey to Practus started long before the virtual law firm model was even a contender. After years in the traditional firm world with the suit, tie, and commuter train, the COVID-era shift opened his eyes to a new model.
“I didn’t really understand the virtual firm at first,” he admits. “But once I saw the caliber of attorneys, the efficiency, and the way the financial model worked… it became a no-brainer.”
At Practus, Mark thrives. He brings empathy, intensity, and decades of experience to the table, acting as a trusted advisor who handles everything from high-stakes litigation to preemptive corporate strategy. And while he jokes that his hobby is “work, work, and more work,” he’s the kind of attorney who genuinely loves the game.
“Being a lawyer isn’t a job for me. It’s who I am.”
Mark exemplifies what Practus was built for: attorneys with deep knowledge, practical experience, and a drive to practice law their way. Whether he’s navigating multimillion-dollar fraud cases or co-counseling on matters that arise outside of the litigation sphere, Mark proves that blazing your own trail doesn’t mean going at it alone. It just means choosing the right people to ride with.
Tiffany Christianson and the Art of Corporate Services
Practus Partner: Corporate Services
In every frontier, there are a few who quietly lead the way with precision, grit, and a deep understanding of the terrain. In the world of M&A and corporate services, that’s Tiffany Christianson.
Tiffany has been guiding clients through business transactions, investment negotiations, and long-term strategy decisions since 2004. Her legal practice lies in navigating high-stakes deals with sharp legal thinking and a calm, tactical approach. In a world where legal counsel often feels like a necessary obstacle, Tiffany turns it into a strategic advantage.
“If I can remove what I know will be a frustrating layer for my clients, I do it.”
But like many of the attorneys at Practus, Tiffany’s trail didn’t start here. She spent years building her experience within the traditional legal model and while running her own law firm. She learned the ins and outs of transactional law, serving sophisticated clients who expected not just answers, but foresight. She loved the challenges but also wanted to practice in a group, expanding her services to include those requiring specialty area advice and larger transactions.
“I have a very full personal life along with my very full professional life,” she shares. “That busy operation only works if I have autonomy coupled with support.”
Tiffany was already familiar with the autonomy modern law firms offer since that’s how she ran her own firm, but what brought her here was the collaboration side of the Practus model. Specifically, the opportunity to work with other partner-level attorneys without the typical firm limitations.
Chris, Andrea, Mark, and Tiffany each took a different path to Practus, but they share a common goal: to deliver tailored legal solutions with autonomy and strategy. Their stories are a glimpse into what’s possible when attorneys are empowered to build the kind of practice that works for them and delivers real value to their clients. This is the future of law — and we’re proud to be blazing the trail.
Catch up on Part 1 of this series here.
