In this member spotlight published in January 2022, the Whitewater University Innovation Center features Paul C. Nylen, partner with Nylen & Partners, LLC, (N&P) an attorney and CPA.
What does the company do? What products/services do you offer?
Nylen & Partners, LLC (N&P) is a local boutique law firm that specializes in estate, tax, and cryptocurrency.
Founded in 2019, N&P provides estate planning services to clients in southeastern Wisconsin. Their estate planning services include trusts, wills, POAs, and tax planning.
In early 2020, Nylen and Nathan Osborn, JD, got involved with cryptocurrency personally. After joining the crypto community, they met like-minded individuals and recognized a need for crypto services. Their personal interest evolved into a new service.
N&P works with individuals and businesses who are involved in cryptocurrency related projects to:
Evaluate the associated legal and tax risks
File annual federal and state income tax returns, and
Align estate planning with crypto assets.
The newer cryptocurrency side of the business continues to grow quickly.
Who do you serve? Who is your target market?
N&P has office space in the Whitewater University Innovation Center in Whitewater, WI, a private office at Serendipity Labs in Wauwatosa, and a satellite office in Madison. The multiple office locations expand their geographic reach and enables them to provide estate planning services to individuals throughout southeastern Wisconsin. When it comes to taxes and cryptocurrency, N&P works with individual and business clients virtually nationwide.
Who is the team? Why did you start the company?
Paul C. Nylen, JD, CPA, MAC
Nathan C. Osborn, JD
N&P is operated by Paul C. Nylen, JD, CPA, MAC and Nathan C. Osborn, JD. The two met during law school at Marquette University. Each took their own career path.
In 2019, the two teamed up and started offering estate planning services. They recognized a need for local estate planning attorneys and could accommodate the demand in addition to their full-time jobs. N&P enjoys helping as many clients as they can.
Nylen is a licensed CPA in the state of Wisconsin, an Assistant Professor of Accounting at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, an active researcher, and partner at N&P. He has published over a dozen academic, professional, and law articles.
Nathan Osborn, JD is a partner of (N&P) and a graduate of Marquette University Law School. Osborn is an active legal advocate volunteer providing services to multiple non-profits.
What is your favorite thing about your job and/or the company?
Nylen enjoys being an owner and the flexibility that comes with it. As Nylen explained, “I like the ability to go into different directions, like crypto.” N&P was able to easily adapt to the demand and expand their services. Such a change would not have been as feasible in other law firms.
Why do you work out of an incubator? why the Whitewater University Innovation Center?
Nylen teaches tax law at the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater and had heard of the Innovation Center. Nylen began his search for a place with proximity to the university and a place with new and upcoming businesses. In 2019, N&P joined the Innovation Center and frequently meets with clients there. The Innovation Center was a “good fit geographically and demographically.”
Have you collaborated or partnered with other clients at the Innovation Center?
N&P has provided estate planning services to various individuals and businesses throughout the Innovation Center.
What was your company's latest and greatest achievement?
The company started with a face-to-face focus in 2019. When the covid pandemic led to closures in 2020, it was difficult to meet with clients and there was a decline in business. During this time, N&P adapted technology-wise by moving to virtual meetings. Nylen identifies their latest and greatest achievement as, “getting through the pandemic and adopting new technologies.”
Once things started to open, there was a boom in business. Many clients were seeking estate planning services to get their “ducks in a row.” Furthermore, the addition of crypto services increased demand for their services nationwide. Technology enables them to meet the client demand regardless of location or time zone.
What inspires you to keep going, pursuing your dream?
Nylen is motivated by “the new challenges.” On the estate planning side, he enjoys helping people and providing them with something better than they had before. On the crypto side, there is a new dynamic every week and always a new challenge to conquer. As Nylen states, “It is hard not to be excited about crypto.”