About the Firm
Experienced Counsel for Companies, Investors and Legal Departments
Rock-Hurst Astor PLLC is a boutique corporate and commercial law firm focused on technology transactions, complex business agreements, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture capital and outside general counsel services.
Our lawyers have practiced at global law firms and worked inside public and private companies, government agencies and international organizations. That experience shapes how we advise clients: we understand both the legal issues presented by a transaction and the practical pressures facing the people responsible for completing it.
We represent technology providers and customers, startups and established enterprises, investors and portfolio companies, and in-house legal teams. Our work ranges from high-volume commercial contracting to strategic licensing arrangements, acquisitions, divestitures, financings and corporate governance matters.
A Commercial Approach to Legal Risk
Sophisticated legal advice should help a client make a decision. We identify the material risks, explain their business consequences and recommend solutions calibrated to the client’s objectives, negotiating position and tolerance for risk.
We do not measure success by the length of a contract or the number of issues raised. We measure it by whether the agreement protects the client where protection matters, reflects the intended business arrangement and allows the transaction to proceed.
A Senior-Level Service Model
Rock-Hurst Astor was designed to give clients direct access to experienced lawyers without the cost structure and staffing layers of a large firm. We staff matters efficiently and remain closely involved from the beginning of an engagement through completion.
For some clients, we handle a single strategic transaction. For others, we serve as ongoing outside general counsel or as an extension of an existing legal department. In every engagement, we seek to be responsive, candid and easy to work with.
Our clients turn to us when they need lawyers who can understand a complicated transaction quickly, work constructively with business teams and opposing counsel, and provide clear recommendations rather than abstract legal analysis.
Our Team
Managing Member
Richard Scully
Richard Scully advises public and private companies, technology businesses, investors and in-house legal departments on complex commercial agreements, technology transactions and corporate matters.
His commercial practice includes SaaS and cloud services agreements, software and technology licensing, outsourcing, professional services, procurement, supply-chain, distribution and other strategic business arrangements. He regularly advises clients on the provisions that drive risk in technology transactions, including intellectual-property rights, data use and protection, information security, warranties, indemnification, limitations of liability, service levels and termination rights.
Richard also represents companies and investors in mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments, corporate governance matters and other business transactions. His clients have included major public companies, middle-market enterprises, private equity firms and portfolio companies, and emerging technology businesses.
Before founding Rock-Hurst Astor, Richard practiced at Baker McKenzie and was a partner at Fluet Huber & Hoang. He also served as in-house counsel at XO Communications, where he handled commercial transactions, corporate matters and securities filings.
Earlier in his career, Richard served as a United States diplomat and Attorney Adviser with the U.S. Department of State. In that capacity, he held a top-secret security clearance and negotiated matters involving the acquisition of diplomatic real estate abroad, as well as handling immigration issues.
Earlier in his career, Richard served as a United States diplomat and Attorney Adviser with the U.S. Department of State. In that capacity, he negotiated matters involving the acquisition of diplomatic real estate abroad and held a top-secret security clearance.
Richard received his J.D. from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.
Of Counsel
Avra Kutcher
Avra Kutcher advises companies on commercial and technology transactions, with a particular focus on vendor agreements, technology services contracts, confidentiality agreements and other operational business arrangements.
She assists clients with drafting, reviewing and negotiating agreements and with developing practical contractual solutions that reflect their business requirements. Her background in linguistics and intellectual property informs her careful approach to contract language, interpretation and risk allocation.
Avra received her J.D. from New York Law School, where she concentrated in business and intellectual property law and represented clients through the school’s USPTO Trademark Clinic. She earned a master’s degree in forensic linguistics from Hofstra University and a bachelor’s degree in linguistics from Boston University.
Avra is admitted in California, New Jersey and New York. She is a dual citizen of the United States and France and speaks French fluently.
Counsel
Diane Holt
Diane Holt advises clients on private equity, venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and commercial and technology transactions in the United States and internationally.
Her practice draws on extensive experience at the intersection of law, business and technology. Before joining Rock-Hurst Astor, Diane led a team of transactional lawyers at Bloomberg Industry Group, where she developed legal analysis and practical guidance addressing mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, finance and commercial contracts.
Diane spearheaded the development of Bloomberg Law’s Transactional Intelligence Center and supported the development of AI-enabled legal technology, including Draft Analyzer and Precedent Search. That experience gives her a distinctive understanding of how technology and data can be used to improve transactional decision-making and legal operations.
Previously, Diane served as in-house counsel to Enel S.p.A. in Rome. During the company’s de-monopolization and diversification, she led a transactional team handling significant acquisitions and divestitures and advised the company’s venture capital subsidiary. She also served as Managing Consultant of Central European Advisory Group, a regional legal and business consultancy based in Prague.
Diane writes and speaks on transactional and international legal issues, including deal trends, technology, privacy, data security and the transnational practice of law. She earned her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and her undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University. She is admitted in Maryland and the District of Columbia and speaks Spanish and Italian.
Of Counsel
Scott Kassman
Scott Kassman is a technology and commercial transactions attorney with more than 20
years of experience helping high-growth technology companies negotiate complex
agreements, protect their data and intellectual property, and manage legal and business
risk. Scott's practice covers the issues technology businesses face as they scale,
including SaaS and PaaS licensing, strategic partnerships, cross-border transactions,
M&A due diligence, and the development of practical contract templates and processes.
A CIPP-US certified privacy professional, he also advises on GDPR, CCPA,
cybersecurity, and the evolving legal landscape around artificial intelligence.
Prior to joining Rock-Hurst Astor, Scott held high-level, in-house counsel positions at technology and telecommunications companies such as Appian, Neustar (a TransUnion company), Cvent, and XO Communications (a Verizon company). In that capacity, Scott advised internal clients on all types of commercial matters, including negotiating a wide variety of commercial agreements with many of the Fortune 500. Earlier in his career, Scott was an associate at the New York-based law firm of Kelley Drye & Warren where he represented telecommunications clients in regulatory proceedings before the FCC, state utility commissions, in federal court, and in various commercial matters.
Scott received his J.D. from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law where he was a member of the Communications Law Institute and a staff member on the CommLaw Conspectus: Journal of Communications Law and Policy. He holds a B.A. from Temple University and is a graduate of the Rutgers Preparatory School.
Whether you’re a startup that needs solid contract foundations or an established company negotiating a major enterprise deal, Scott provides the kind of counsel he provided throughout his in-house career: practical, business-minded advice from a senior attorney who understands your goals, timeline, and risk tolerance, and welcomes the opportunity to discuss how he can help.
