Business Lawyers for San Francisco, California

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Meet some of our San Francisco Business Lawyers

Scott M. - Business Lawyer in San Francisco, California
View Scott
4.9 (5)
Member Since:
April 23, 2025

Scott M.

Managing Partner
Free Consultation
Los Angeles, CA
39 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CA
Loyola Law School

I am Scott Mayer of The Mayer Law Group, Professional Corporation (please see my law firm website: mayerlawgroup.us, and my professional references on the site). I have been a successful California real estate attorney for over 30 years. I am unique as I am a real estate lawyer, broker, and developer who has experience with every aspect of real estate. I have managed three real estate platforms, including a national real estate development firm, a real estate family office with over $1 billion of commercial real estate under management, and serving as the Chief Real Estate Officer for Orange County, CA. I have managed the purchase and sale of over 125 commercial and residential properties, including the negotiation of purchase and sale agreements and the handling of due diligence, financing, and closing matters. I have negotiated over 225 commercial and residential real estate leases. I have managed the ground-up development of over 70 real estate projects. Most importantly, I am client-centric attorney who enjoys counseling clients on real estate matters. My role is to make sure my client's questions are answered, transaction issues are discussed and resolved, and my client's goals are successfully met.

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
5.0

"I hired Scott to review a commercial real estate contract, and I was very pleased with his work. He demonstrated a high level of experience and knowledge throughout the process, clearly explaining key terms and potential issues in a way that was easy to understand. Scott was thorough and detail-oriented, which gave me confidence that nothing important was overlooked. He was also readily available whenever I had questions, making the process smooth and stress-free. He completed the review on time, which was critical for my transaction. Overall, I would highly recommend Scott to anyone in need of a reliable, responsive, and knowledgeable real estate lawyer."

Elizabeth J. - Business Lawyer in San Francisco, California
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4.9 (52)
Member Since:
June 2, 2025

Elizabeth J.

Principal Attorney
Free Consultation
Manson, WA
19 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CA WA
Thomas Jefferson School of Law

Libby Jamison founded E. Grace Law Firm after nearly two decades practicing law across federal agencies, private firms, and nonprofit organizations. She has advised at the highest levels of government and built a career defined by tackling complex, high-stakes legal and policy challenges. Her practice focuses on business, employment, veteran, and family law matters, drawing on her wide scope of experience including nearly seven years as counsel at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Her legal experience spans federal agency counsel, firm ownership, and nonprofit work. She is licensed to practice in California and Washington and was admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court. Beyond legal practice, she has led as a nonprofit president, chaired a U.S. Chamber of Commerce economic empowerment zone, and served on an American Bar Association Standing Committee on Legal Assistance for Military Personnel. Her work has been recognized by: Mighty 25 Awardee (2023) Changemaker of the Year, Military.com (2019) Bush Institute Stand-To Veteran Leadership Scholar (2019)

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
5.0

"Libby was very responsive and very helpful -- much appreciated!"

William B. - Business Lawyer in San Francisco, California
View William
4.8 (54)
Member Since:
May 23, 2025

William B.

Attorney
Free Consultation
Glendale, CA
5 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CA
Southwestern Law School

Attorney based in Southern California (for in-person matters), taking clients globally/remotely for CA-specific and Federal legals needs. Owner and operator of Alchemist Attorney, Inc. (www.alchemistattorney.com).

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
5.0

"Will contributed insightful and precisely explained revisions for technical software licensing terms and I'm very satisfied with the result."

Brittany P. - Business Lawyer in San Francisco, California
View Brittany
4.7 (1)
Member Since:
May 28, 2025

Brittany P.

Real Estate General Counsel
Free Consultation
Los Angeles
8 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CA
Pepperdine School of Law

A dedicated real estate attorney with a proven track record of advising and representing clients across all facets of real estate law. Known for delivering exceptional, client-centered service that fosters long-term relationships and repeat business. Skilled in managing complex transactions and providing strategic legal guidance tailored to each client's needs. Committed to staying current on legal developments and industry trends to ensure the highest standard of legal counsel.

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
4.7

"Brittany was very professional and very responsive in getting my prenup reviewed. I appreciated her communication throughout the process."

Erin B. - Business Lawyer in San Francisco, California
View Erin
Member Since:
May 5, 2025

Erin B.

Attorney
Free Consultation
Wilmington, NC
13 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CA
University of North Carolina School of Law

I am a licensed attorney who has been practicing California law since 2013. As a licensed attorney, I have acquired significant experience in almost every area of the law. I’m currently pursuing remote career opportunities, as I currently reside in Wilmington, NC. I moved to Wilmington in September 2019 (because my partner became a federal judge here) and started my own California law practice (while working from Wilmington) in February 2020. I am now excited to explore new career opportunities. I am seeking a role that will be an excellent fit for me, given my professional experience, skill set, inherent creativity and extroverted nature.

Niki Z. - Business Lawyer in San Francisco, California
View Niki
Member Since:
June 2, 2025

Niki Z.

Fractional General Counsel
Free Consultation
Helena, MT
18 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CA MT
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law

With more than 20 years of nonprofit, small business, and government experience, Niki can assist you on a wide range of legal issues, including creating new entities and avoiding compliance pitfalls.

Hung C. - Business Lawyer in San Francisco, California
View Hung
Member Since:
June 10, 2025

Hung C.

Tech lawyer / general counsel
Free Consultation
San Francisco Bay Area
20 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CA
University of San Francisco

Hi, I’m a tech lawyer who helps startups move fast without breaking things legally. I work with founders, product teams, and early-stage companies tackling messy legal and compliance challenges. From launching MVPs to signing your first customers, raising capital, or issuing tokens, I make sure legal supports your growth, not slows it down. With 15+ years of experience at global tech companies and in-house roles, I’ve helped startups across AI, Web3, SaaS, and gaming lay solid legal foundations. I bring sharp, practical advice that fits your stage, your budget, and your ambitions. I offer fractional general counsel support - senior legal expertise without the full-time overhead. Here’s how I can help: Product & Privacy Launch smart with privacy-by-design, strong TOS, and compliance (GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, etc.). Commercial Contracts SaaS, vendor, data, pilot, licensing. I’ll help you close clean, scalable deals. IP & Open Source Protect what you build. I’ll guide you on patents, trade secrets, and open source use. Crypto & Web3 Token grants, incentive plans, securities and tax issues, DAO structures - I’ve done it. AI Legal & Governance I advise AI teams on legal risk, model oversight, and emerging regulations (US, EU, global). Fundraising & Corporate Stay investor-ready with clean docs, smart governance, and solid equity structure. Regulatory Strategy Fintech, payments, data. I'll turn complex rules into actionable legal strategies. I speak founder. I’ve been inside startups and know what scrappy, strategic legal support looks like. If you're looking for a hands-on legal partner to help you build responsibly and scale with confidence, let’s talk.

Tameem A. - Business Lawyer in San Francisco, California
View Tameem
Member Since:
June 12, 2025

Tameem A.

Sr. Counsel - Contracts
Free Consultation
San Diego, CA
10 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CA
Thomas Jefferson School of Law

With nearly a decade of in-house experience at publicly traded and high-growth technology companies, I bring a practical and business-focused approach to negotiating and managing a wide range of commercial agreements, including SaaS, licensing, procurement, and enterprise contracts. I lead strategic negotiations, advise on risk, and collaborate cross-functionally to support scalable legal processes. My background includes enhancing contract frameworks, refining templates, and driving alignment between legal strategy and business goals.

Aristos K. - Business Lawyer in San Francisco, California
View Aristos
Member Since:
July 11, 2025

Aristos K.

Director, Counsel
Free Consultation
San Francisco
5 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CA
UC Law SF

I am a San Francisco attorney with specific expertise representing the public with residential and commercial real estate interests in the Bay Area. I apply my background in dispute resolution services, contract analysis, and conflict management to identify and produce long-term results for clients amidst demanding and unforeseen circumstances.

Anna V. - Business Lawyer in San Francisco, California
View Anna
Member Since:
September 19, 2025

Anna V.

Attorney
Free Consultation
Sacramento
5 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CA
UC Berkeley

Multilingual California Attorney with experience in Immigration, Real Estate, Contracts.

Rosanne M. - Business Lawyer in San Francisco, California
View Rosanne
Member Since:
September 22, 2025

Rosanne M.

Attorney
Free Consultation
Carlsbad, California
10 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CA
Santa Clara Law

Rosanne (Rosie) Brady Muschenheim is an experienced estate planning attorney practicing law exclusively in trusts, estates, business, and tax law. She studied advanced tax law by taking several courses through Boston University's LLM program. She served as the Western Region Estate Planning Consultant for Bessemer Trust Company in addition to running her own law firm. Rosie spent several years working in Silicon Valley at a prestigious law firm serving ultra high net worth clients, including Founders, Directors, and Officers at companies such as Google, Netflix, Juniper Networks, Tesla, DocuSign, Looker, Nvidia, Xilinx, and Fortinet. Rosie spent time practicing in Honolulu, Hawaii serving ultra high net worth clients, including descendants of Hawaiian royalty. While in Orange County, Rosie assisted many high net worth clients of notable fame in the entertainment industry and the manufacturing industry. Rosie started her own law firm to provide a more customized and personal service to clients than what is offered through larger law firms. Trust is essential to building client relationships, and with her own law firm Rosie is able to provide more attention and care to each client matter.

David A. - Business Lawyer in San Francisco, California
View David
Member Since:
September 24, 2025

David A.

Managing Partner
Free Consultation
Los Angeles
33 Yrs Experience
Licensed in CA TX
Dedman School of Law- Southern Methodist University

David M. Abner is a practicing attorney with over 30 years of experience representing clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies in California and Texas. Mr. Abner is currently based in Los Angeles, California, and his practice focuses on negotiating the purchase and sale of businesses; negotiating equity and debt financing agreements; drafting and negotiating revisions to a variety of commercial agreements; and investigating and responding to law enforcement and regulatory compliance investigations. Additionally, Mr. Abner has considerable experience dealing with litigation involving ownership and valuation of privately held companies. He has tried nearly a dozen cases in private practice, including cases involving breach of contract, products liability, fraud, and officer and director liability. As in-house counsel for Ashland Inc., Mr. Abner worked with business leaders daily to assess, manage and prevent a variety of legal risks that threatened the viability and profitability of products, services and customer relationships. His efforts produced results that included settling a $700M anti-trust class action lawsuit for less than $7M; assisting in closing the sale of the company’s joint venture interests in an oil and gas subsidiary; assessing and quantifying the liabilities associated with the acquisition of other businesses; and supervising Ashland’s responses to DOJ, FBI and EPA investigations. Mr. Abner has been licensed to practice law in Texas since 1993, and in California since 2012. Mr. Abner obtained his Juris Doctorate from the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University in 1993, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Carolina in 1990.

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Business Legal Questions and Answers

Business

Founders' Agreement

California

Asked on Dec 15, 2024

Can a founders agreement be modified after it has been signed?

I am part of a startup team and we have recently signed a founders agreement that outlines the roles, responsibilities, and equity distribution among the founders. However, as we continue to work together and the business evolves, we have realized that certain aspects of the agreement need to be modified to better reflect our current needs and goals. We would like to know if it is possible to make amendments to the founders agreement, and if so, what is the process and potential implications of doing so.

Phillip Z.

Answered Jan 29, 2025

Yes, a founders agreement can be modified after signing, but several steps must be followed: 1. Mutual Consent: All founders must agree to the changes. 2. Documentation: Changes should be documented in an amendment referencing the original contract and specifying which clauses are modified. All parties must sign this amendment. 3. Legal Review: A lawyer should review the changes to ensure they are legally sound. 4. Consistency: Ensure changes align with other legal documents. Approach modifications carefully, as they can significantly impact the startup's rights, obligations, and ownership structure.

Read 1 attorney answer>

Business

Promissory Note

California

Asked on Oct 4, 2022

What happens to convertible note if startup fails?

I have a startup and am looking to raise money from investors. If we fail, are we going to be liable for anything if we raise money on a convertible note?

Michael M.

Answered Oct 7, 2022

Typically, if the business fails, the note can then not be converted or repaid. Unless you have personally guaranteed the obligation which would be unusual, the recourse would be against the entity itself.

Read 1 attorney answer>

Business

LLC

California

Asked on Jun 28, 2022

LLC or S-Corp?

I am starting a public speaking consulting business with one other person. Most of our work will be done virtually and do not need an office space and will not have a physical product. We do not have investors. We have received conflicting advice about whether to form a llc or an s-corp. The s-corp has been suggested by some as the best for tax purposes, but others have warned that it is much more expensive to start and harder to maintain. What would be best for our situation?

Briana C.

Answered Jul 8, 2022

For a small service business with no outside investors, the LLC form probably offers you more advantages than the corporation. (For example, LLCs offer greater flexibility, fewer corporate formalities, and pass-through taxation which is especially beneficial in the early stages of an LLC if you have other income sources.) The S-Corp election does not affect your choice of entity (LLC or corporation). Either kind of entity can make the S-Corp election, which just tells the IRS how you should be taxed. You can form an LLC at the beginning and make the S-Corp election for that LLC in the future, if and when it makes sense (you will still be an LLC then, but an S-Corp for tax purposes only). The S-Corp election only makes sense to do once your net profits reach a certain level. The purpose of the S-Corp election is to reduce your taxes. Filing the S-Corp election is not itself very expensive, but you will need to incur the costs of running payroll. (LLCs don't have to run payroll.)

Read 1 attorney answer>

Business

Offer Letter

California

Asked on Dec 17, 2024

Can an employer revoke an offer letter after it has been accepted?

I recently received an offer letter for a job position that I had been interviewing for, and I accepted the offer in writing. However, a week later, the employer contacted me to inform me that they are revoking the offer due to unforeseen circumstances. I had already given notice to my current employer and made arrangements to start the new job. I am now left without a job and wondering if the employer has the right to revoke the offer letter after it has been accepted.

Phillip Z.

Answered Jan 29, 2025

Yes, employers can usually revoke an offer letter even after it's been accepted, but there are some important things to consider: At-will employment: In most states, employers can terminate employment anytime, even before the job starts. Legal risks: Rescinding offers can lead to legal issues, especially if the candidate has already taken action to their detriment based on the offer. Contracts: If the offer letter is a binding contract, revocation could be considered a breach of contract and result in damages to the employee.

Read 1 attorney answer>

Business

Earn Out Agreement

California

Asked on Nov 12, 2024

Can you explain the key provisions and potential risks involved in an Earn Out Agreement?

I am currently in negotiations to sell my small business and the potential buyer has proposed an Earn Out Agreement as part of the deal. While I understand the basic concept of an earn out, I am unsure about the specific provisions that should be included in the agreement and the potential risks involved. I want to ensure that I am adequately protected and that the earn out arrangement is fair and reasonable for both parties.

Dolan W.

Answered Dec 27, 2024

Hello! My name is Dolan and thank you for using contractscounsel.com! This kind of agreement can be a great way to bridge the gap if you and the buyer have different views on your business's future value, but it’s not without its headaches. Basically, it lets the buyer pay part of the sale price later, depending on how the business performs. To keep things fair, you MUST have clear rules. I think for you need to nail down what performance targets you’re using such as revenue, profit, etc., and how they’ll be calculated. Be super specific to avoid arguments. Set a timeline for the earn-out, like 2–3 years, and agree on when you’ll get paid if targets are hit. You also need protection since the buyer will run the business after the sale. You don’t want them cutting corners or making decisions that could tank your payout. If the buyer mismanages things, you’re the one who loses. I think if you have some specific actions that the buyer promises to perform that you know helps the companies stay profitable or stay legally compliant (for example), including that in the agreement makes sense. You can ask for safeguards like minimum payments, say-so in major decisions, or money held in escrow. And, of course, make sure everything’s spelled out. We can draft these agreements for you here! Best of luck!

Read 1 attorney answer>
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