Meet the OGCs: Jason Karp

A self-described geek, Jason Karp says his life-long love of math and science is the common denominator in his 30+ year career, starting with an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering degree, followed by his early patent law practice, and then ultimately, as a legal and business executive in the technology, software and telecommunications sectors. “I consider myself unbelievably lucky that my career has coincided with the innovation in technology we’re now witnessing,” said Jason. “It’s been like no other period in history – sometimes, I feel like we are living science fiction and I absolutely love it!” 

By following his passion, Jason has found himself at the center of many innovative and memorable transactions, but perhaps none as career-defining as his involvement in helping establish the first nationwide public safety broadband network, commonly referred to as FirstNet. “Negotiating the contract (and then defending it against protest) for the establishment of this network (now run by AT&T) was a true labor of love,” described Jason. The transaction took several years of preparation and creativity to come up with a contracting model that would enable a private telecom carrier (AT&T) to lease usage of federal government airwaves, while simultaneously creating incentives for AT&T to then invest hundreds of millions of dollars into network deployment, redundancy, feature development and ongoing innovation. “The bidding process was rigorous and the resulting negotiations took months, but we ultimately got to a true win-win outcome with both sides – the federal government (his client) and AT&T achieving their business and public service goals.” 

Jason considers technology and communications as the power behind all business, no matter the vertical, and he enjoys helping clients leverage it. “I use my in-house experience every day in my work with clients,” said Jason. “As a general counsel multiple times over, and owner/manager of my own businesses, I understand the pressures my clients are facing and know what it takes to be successful.” Jason strives to get deals done efficiently, responsibly and pragmatically. 

A great example of this approach is the work Jason did recently for an OGC client, reviewing a large master service agreement (MSA) in response to an RFP. Knowing that an overly redlined document would significantly lower their scoring in the process, Jason worked closely with the client’s subject matter experts to develop operational mitigation plans that would allow more flexibility with the MSA terms. “Having a true operational understanding and the ability to mitigate risk beyond the four corners of the contract is critical – and in this case, it led to a major win for our client.” 

Jason appreciates being a part of the OGC team, working alongside like-minded colleagues with similar in-house backgrounds. “My colleagues are current and former general counsels who are pragmatic, understand how businesses operate, and know how to drive results for clients,” he said. The firm’s collaborative approach to client service is also a huge plus. “Unlike a traditional law firm, we operate as a single team, supporting each other rather than competing for business.” As an OGC with a deep understanding of today’s technology and communications, Jason is well-positioned to support his clients’ industry-leading initiatives that are shaping the future of commerce.

More about Jason Karp
Jason’s previous in-house roles include Chief Legal Officer and Chief Human Capital Officer of Affinaquest; Chief Commercial Officer, Chief Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Qumu Corporation; Interim CEO and General Counsel of Allerio; Co-Founder and Chief Legal Officer of The Public Safety Network; and Chief Counsel of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet). Earlier in his career, he held executive positions with Accenture, including as Director of Commercial Transactions for the Communications, Media and Technology Operating Group and Director of Legal Services for Global Ethics; Special Counsel with Kelly Drye & Warren, an AmLaw 100 law firm; General Counsel, Assistant Secretary, and Vice President of Human Resources for E-centives, Inc.; and he created and led the legal department at Net2000 Communications, Inc. as its first lawyer.

He is also a certified health and life coach, a working NYC musician, and a frequent contributor to OGC’s Blog.