Attorneys / Jazz A Hampton

Jazz A Hampton

Jessica L. Klander

Counsel

  • Email | jhampton@bassford.com
  • Phone | 612.376.1677
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Practice Groups

Business & Commercial, Business & Commercial Litigation, Construction & Real Estate, Intellectual Property, Torts & Products Liability

Biography

Jazz Hampton is a corporate attorney and experienced litigator who advises growth-stage companies, nonprofit organizations, and mission-driven enterprises on commercial transactions, corporate governance, compliance, risk management, and business disputes. Drawing on deep general counsel experience, substantial business litigation background, and hands-on business-building perspective, he helps clients align legal strategy with business priorities so they can scale responsibly, reduce friction in commercialization, and manage risk without slowing momentum.

Jazz’s practice is shaped by leadership roles spanning both law and operations. As co-founder, CEO, and General Counsel of TurnSignl in Minneapolis, he led the company’s legal strategy and operational growth for a technology platform providing real-time legal guidance to drivers during roadside interactions and related legal matters. In that role, he worked at the intersection of product development, regulatory compliance, privacy, and enterprise risk, while also supporting commercial strategy and investor relationships. Jazz brings that combined legal and business perspective to his work as an advisor to startups and growing businesses, helping founders and leadership teams make informed decisions, manage risk, and build for long-term growth. He also taught Entrepreneurial Finance at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business, helping entrepreneurs and future business leaders understand financing and capital-formation fundamentals.

Clients rely on Jazz as GC-level counsel for expanding technology platforms and consumer-facing businesses, particularly where product innovation must be balanced with regulatory, privacy, and litigation risk. He has led small legal teams and advises on commercial agreements, vendor and licensing arrangements, and national rollouts—including developing a 50-state compliance plan for a consumer product retailer’s launch. His work includes drafting, negotiating, and enforcing commercial contracts designed to protect business objectives while minimizing liability. Jazz also brings significant courtroom and dispute-resolution experience from complex contract, construction, commercial, and business litigation matters, including drafting and analyzing discovery, deposing experts, and arguing dispositive and non-dispositive motions. Across matters, he is known for translating legal risk into clear, actionable guidance for executives and stakeholders and for structuring and prioritizing high-value transactions and multi-matter caseloads.

Beyond his client work, Jazz is a committed advocate for justice, equity, mentorship, entrepreneurship, and innovation in the legal profession. He serves on the boards of The Minneapolis Foundation, Catholic Charities Twin Cities, and the Great North Innocence Project.

In recognition of his leadership in Minnesota’s entrepreneurial community, Jazz was appointed by Governor Walz to serve on the Minnesota Emerging Entrepreneurs Board. He has successfully represented a wrongfully incarcerated pro bono client, mentors emerging professionals through multiple programs, and has been featured on NBC Nightly News, MSNBC, and CBS. Jazz has been recognized as one of Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, named to Worth magazine’s Worthy 100 list of global innovators creating positive social impact, and received the Fastcase 50, an annual award honoring courageous innovators and visionary leaders shaping the future of law and technology.

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