Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jeremy Eveland. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Jeremy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Looking back at the decisions you made early in your career, particularly whether to join a firm or start your own, do you feel you made the right choice for that stage of your career?

I didn’t go the traditional route.

I didn’t join a big firm, climb the ladder, and wait my turn. I started my own practice.

And that decision was not because I had everything figured out. It was the opposite.

I was looking at the landscape and realizing something did not sit right with me. Most lawyers were being trained to react, to step in after the damage was done. Lawsuits filed. Businesses already bleeding. Families already in crisis. And I kept thinking, “Why aren’t we getting involved earlier?”

I did not want to spend my career cleaning up messes that could have been prevented.

So I made a decision early on. I wanted to be closer to the client, closer to the decision making, and closer to the moment where things could still be fixed before they broke.

Starting my own firm gave me that.

Now, I will be honest with you. It was not easy.

Those first few years were pressure. Real pressure.

No guaranteed paycheck. No built in client base. No senior partner handing you files. Every case, every client, every dollar, you had to go earn it.

I remember taking calls at all hours, saying yes to things just to get traction, learning areas of law fast because I had to deliver. You are not just the lawyer, you are the marketer, the intake specialist, the billing department, the strategist. All of it.

And there is a moment early on where you wonder if you made a mistake.

Because the uncertainty is real.

But at the same time, something else was happening.

I was learning how businesses actually operate. Not in theory, but in real life. I was sitting across from business owners making payroll decisions, dealing with contracts, managing risk, trying to grow. And I was not just their lawyer, I was becoming their advisor.

That is where everything clicked for me.

I realized I did not want to be a “case lawyer.” I wanted to be a “relationship lawyer.” Someone who stays with the client long term and helps them avoid the problems in the first place.

That is what eventually became my outside general counsel model.

Looking back, was it the right choice?

For me, absolutely.

It forced me to develop skills most lawyers never fully build, business judgment, communication, client acquisition, practical problem solving. It forced me to think like an owner, not just a technician.

And more importantly, it aligned with why I do this.

I care about people. I care about business owners who are putting everything on the line. I care about families trying to protect what they have built. And I realized early that the biggest value I could bring was not just knowing the law. It was helping people make better decisions before the law becomes a problem.

If I had joined a firm, I probably would have learned a lot.

But I would not have learned that.

So when I look back at those early years, the stress, the uncertainty, the long hours, I do not see them as a struggle.

I see them as the foundation.

Because they shaped how I practice law today.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I am a business, estate planning, and real estate attorney based in Salt Lake City, and I work with clients throughout Utah as well as in Nevada and California. But more than that, I see myself as a long-term strategic advisor to the people I represent.

I did not get into law because I was fascinated with statutes or courtrooms. I got into this profession because I saw how often people were getting hurt, financially, emotionally, and operationally, simply because they did not have the right guidance early enough. Business owners losing everything over preventable mistakes. Families dealing with conflict after a death that could have been avoided with proper planning. Good people making decisions without fully understanding the consequences.

That never sat right with me.

So I built my practice around solving that problem.

Today, I primarily serve business owners, entrepreneurs, real estate investors, and families who want to protect what they have built and make better decisions going forward. A large part of my work is serving as outside general counsel for companies. That means I am not just stepping in when something goes wrong. I am involved before the contract is signed, before the dispute escalates, before the risk turns into a lawsuit.

On the business side, I help companies structure deals, draft and negotiate contracts, manage risk, handle employment issues, and navigate growth in a way that is legally sound and strategically smart. Many of my clients are in industries like construction, service businesses, and professional services where one mistake can be very expensive. I help them avoid those mistakes.

On the estate planning side, I help individuals and families create plans that actually work in real life. Not just documents that sit in a binder, but strategies that protect assets, minimize conflict, and make transitions smooth when something happens. That includes trusts, probate planning, and business succession.

On the real estate side, I handle matters like quiet title actions, disputes, and transactional support where ownership, rights, and risk need to be clearly defined and protected.

The common thread across everything I do is prevention.

Most lawyers are trained and incentivized to deal with problems after they occur. I have built my entire practice around getting involved earlier. That shift alone changes outcomes in a very real way.

What sets me apart is how I think and how I engage with clients.

I do not see myself as a vendor. I see myself as part of the client’s team. I am not just answering legal questions. I am helping clients think through decisions. I am looking at second and third order consequences. I am asking, “What happens next if we do this?” and “How do we structure this so it does not come back to hurt you later?”

That requires more than legal knowledge. It requires business judgment, experience, and a willingness to be direct with clients when it matters most.

I also focus heavily on clarity. Clients should understand what is happening, why it matters, and what their options are. Law should not feel like a black box.

What I am most proud of is not a single case or transaction. It is the relationships I have built with clients who trust me enough to bring me into their world early. When a client calls before making a major decision because they want to get it right, that is when I know the model is working.

I am also proud of building a practice that aligns with my values. I care about people. I care about the weight of the decisions they are making. And I take seriously the responsibility of helping guide those decisions.

For potential clients, the main thing I want you to understand is this.

You do not need a lawyer only when something goes wrong. In fact, that is usually the most expensive time to involve one.

The real value comes from having someone in your corner before the problem exists. Someone who can help you see risks you may not see, structure things the right way, and protect what you are building.

That is how I practice law.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was this idea that being a “good lawyer” meant having all the answers.

When I first started, I thought my value came from knowing more than everyone else in the room. I felt like I needed to respond quickly, be definitive, and show certainty. If a client asked a question, I believed I was supposed to give them the answer.

That is how most of us are trained.

Law school rewards you for spotting issues and arguing positions. Early practice reinforces that you are the expert. Clients come to you expecting clarity, so you feel pressure to deliver it immediately.

But here is what I learned the hard way.

Having the answer is not the same as solving the problem.

Early on, I had situations where I gave technically correct legal advice, but it was not the best business advice. It did not fully account for how the client actually operated, what they were trying to accomplish, or the downstream consequences of the decision.

I remember working with business owners who were not just asking legal questions. They were making real decisions that affected employees, cash flow, growth, and risk. And I started to see that if I stayed in “answer mode,” I was missing the bigger picture.

That was the shift.

I had to unlearn the instinct to immediately respond with answers, and instead learn to ask better questions.

What are you really trying to accomplish here?
What does success look like in 6 months or 2 years?
What is the risk you are actually worried about?
What happens if we do nothing?

Those questions changed everything.

Because once you understand the context, the advice changes. Sometimes the “right” legal answer is not the right strategic answer. Sometimes the best move is not what the statute technically allows, but what actually protects the client in the real world.

The backstory is really about growth under pressure.

When you are running your own practice, you do not have the luxury of staying theoretical. Your clients are relying on you in real time, and you see the consequences of decisions play out quickly. That forces you to evolve.

Looking back, unlearning that need to always have the answer made me a better lawyer.

Now, I see my role differently.

My job is not to impress clients with knowledge. It is to help them make better decisions.

And sometimes the most valuable thing I can do is slow the conversation down, ask the right questions, and make sure we are solving the right problem before we ever get to an answer.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Early in building my practice, I went through a stretch where revenue was inconsistent, a few expected matters fell through, payments were delayed, and expenses kept coming, all while I had real responsibilities outside of work. It forced me to confront whether I had made the wrong decision, but instead of pulling back, I leaned in. I doubled down on outreach, reconnected with people, focused on being useful, and had more conversations with business owners about what they actually needed. Over time, those conversations turned into clients, and those clients became long-term relationships that built the foundation of my practice. The real lesson was not just that things worked out, but that I learned I could operate under pressure, that uncertainty does not mean you are on the wrong path, and that sometimes resilience is simply choosing to keep moving forward when it would be easier to stop.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jeremyeveland.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jevelandatty/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/attorneyjeremyeveland
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-eveland-b34300246
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