Outdoor Recreation Industry Services

Conatus Counsel provides experienced comprehensive legal and other commercial consulting and implementation services to and for the Outdoor Recreation and Mobility Industries, including products, services, infrastructure, service providers, and creatives.

  Forrest Merithew has a plethora of diverse first hand experiences, personally and professionally, in outdoor recreation and the outdoor industry.  Forrest has discovered that he can apply these intimate experiences with his legal abilities, including his previous work as a complex civil and commercial litigator, to secure fortuitous cost-effective results for outdoor recreation and industry clients for their, and the industry’s, growth and success. 

    Conatus Counsel has worked with over a 100 outdoor recreation businesses, individuals, brands, and causes in its 10 plus years in existence, including new and innovative products (such as Tentsile Tree Tents, Sno Go Ski Bike, and the Lightfoot Scooter), services across all sectors, infrastructure, and other causes (such as economic development and environmental).  Conatus Counsel’s work has helped clients grow up to sustainable eight figure annual revenues, sell their assets or businesses and/or purchase others, increase product distribution and services throughout the country and the world, provide valuable jobs, products, and infrastructure to the public, and generally make the world a better place.

    In addition to the work of Conatus Counsel, Forrest has served as in-house VP and Director of Compliance for the Singletrack Trails conglomerate, which focused on recreation infrastructure in the form of natural surface and feature trail design and construction.  Singletrack Trails was one of the largest natural surface trail building companies in the country, based out of Colorado but designing and building trails in over 20 states with dozens of passioned employees from throughout the country.  This position required Forrest to manage all administrative aspects of the in a regulated industry and be the penultimate project manager of the entire process with a small management team – from bidding, through contracting with multiple stakeholders, to employee, client, and employee management through completion. 

    Forrest’s passion is supporting recreation infrastructure that then creates the backbone for outdoor recreation industry and activities, including products and services, so that everyone has a chance to recreate in whatever form and level they desire, which results in many individual, community, and societal returns and benefits.  In addition to his work, his industry wide efforts and events attendance have provided him with an ever increasing network of focused valuable industry specific service providers and leaders that can be available for related causes, clients, and needs.

     Applicable Work and Experience:

  • Risk Management Analysis and Recommendations for Services, Products, and Infrastructure.

  • Filing of around 200 trademark applications with the USPTO, as well as a number of copyrights, and actively managing client IP portfolios to maximize them through protection and commercialization.

  • Product Development Consulting and Drafting Product Instruction Manuals for important risk management and customer satisfaction. 

  • Contract Negotiations and Drafting to maximize opportunities, including materials supply and manufacturing, distribution and retail, a wide range of services, employment, and more.

  • Fundraising and Investment Consulting, Negotiating, and Document Drafting.

  • Assisting Clients with purchasing or selling businesses and/or assets.

  • Strategic Conflict Resolution resulting in avoiding escalation to litigation, recovery of amounts owed, protection of intellectual property, and more.

  • Helping Clients with geographic expansion of sales and services to new states and countries, including entity, tax, and other filings, including regulated industries.

  • Assisting with review, analysis and securing insurance coverage at optimal cost-benefit structure for the respective needs and risk.

  • A wide range of land and property use, including infrastructure and other development, acquisitions, construction, easements, leases and buildouts.

  • “Forrest's strong commitment to the OREC industry is evident in his passion for improving public lands, recreation infrastructure, and natural resource management, as well as his active involvement with and passion for trade associations. His extensive outdoor industry experience and general responsiveness make him an invaluable partner to Darby Communications. With Forrest's expert guidance, we have established a well-structured and efficiently run agency. We highly recommend his legal and advocacy services to other outdoor industry professionals, brands, and NGOs.”

    Coral Darby – Founder and President of Darby Communications: PR and Digital Marketing for the Outdoor Industry

  • "Conatus Counsel is a tireless student of the OREC Industry from the big corporations to the small startup. Its knowledge base as to the outdoor recreation industry, related business and legal expertise, and how National legislation can impact business operations is crucial to growing and maintaining an OREC business. When I am buried deep in business management, I know that I can count on Conatus Counsel to keep me informed on the world around me and how it will affect my decisions."

    Greg Mazu - Founder of Singletrack Trails, Founder and Principal of Backslope Tools and Tools for Trails

  • "Forrest’s advice, counsel, and work has always been very much appreciated and continues to protect Tentsile’s brand, reputation, and IP. His outdoor recreation industry network, work, and related commitments, including environmental, are exceptional and part of the value. It has been nothing but a pleasure working with Forrest and Conatus Counsel for the past 10 years. I would highly recommend their services and Forrest as a person."

    Alex Shirley-Smith, Founder and Principal, Tentsile Tree Tents (1% for the Planet Business and Veritree partner)

  • "I have worked with Forrest on a variety of advocacy projects over the last 6 years and he has proven to be an effective advocate for outdoor recreation and conservation. From lobbying policymakers in DC to publishing opinion pieces, Forrest has a very strong grasp of the issues, is connected to an extensive network of advocates, and is always ready to represent and protect the interests of the outdoor recreation community."

    Jason Keith - Managing Director, Public Land Solutions

  • “Forrest's experience across multiple kinds of law is incredibly helpful. I have always felt like I was a partner in the process, vs. being talked down to or made to feel stupid as has been an experience in past attorney relations. Forrest is affordable and worth more than every dollar I’ve invested in his time and resources. I would recommend Forrest 10/10.”

    Stacy Bare - US Military Veteran, Filmmaker, Non-Profit ED, and all around Outdoor Recreation promoter and person

  • "I've been working with Forrest over the last decade on a variety of legal matters, ranging from contracts to trademarks to acquisitions, and I think of him much more than just a lawyer, he's a business partner who deeply cares about his clients. Not only does he possess a wealth of knowledge and business acumen, he's also genuinely great to work with and he's reasonably priced. As a small business owner, it's comforting having someone like Forrest on my team."

    Bill Johnston - Founder and Manager, Recover Brands and Purchaser and Manager, Blue Ridge Chair Works