Fundraising Contract Lawyers for Antioch, California

Seasoned transactional attorney with extensive experience in the life sciences / medical device / pharmaceutical industries. Skilled at providing actionable legal advice that balances risk and reward.

G'day, my name is Michele! I work with startups, entrepreneurs and small/medium-sized businesses across the country in a wide array of industries. I help them with all of their ongoing, daily legal needs. This includes entity formation, M&A, contract drafting and review, employment, asset sale & acquisition, and business sales or shareholder exits. I'm half-Australian, half-Italian, and I've lived the last 20+ years of my life in America. I've lived all over the USA, completing high school in the deep south, graduating cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis, and then cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center. After law school I worked for the Los Angeles office of Latham & Watkins, LLP. After four intense and rewarding years there, I left to become General Counsel and VP of an incredible, industry-changing start-up called Urban Mining Company (UMC) that manufactures rare earth permanent magnets. I now work for Phocus Law where I help run our practice focused on entrepreneurs, startups, and SMEs. I love what I do, and I'd love to be of help! My focus is on providing stress-free, enjoyable, and high-quality legal service to all of my clients. Being a good lawyer isn't enough: the client experience should also be great. But work isn't everything, and I love my free time. I've been an avid traveler since my parents put me on a plane to Italy at 9-months old. I'm also a music nut, and am still looking for that perfect client that will engage me to explain why Dark Side Of The Moon is the greatest album of all time. Having grown up in a remote, and gorgeous corner of Australia, I feel a strong connection to nature, and love being in the elements.

Valerie is a passionate attorney specializing in Employment Law, Family Law, Personal Injury, and Business. With a strong foundation in the legal field, she is committed to helping individuals navigate the intricacies of their legal agreements. Valerie prioritizes open communication, ensuring her clients feel seen, understood, and confident as they make important decisions for their future. She is committed to empowering clients to become the best version of themselves while addressing their unique needs throughout the process.

I am a solo-practitioner with a practice mostly consisting of serving as a fractional general counsel to growth stage companies. With a practical business background, I aim to bring real-world, economically driven solutions to my client's legal problems and pride myself on efficient yet effective work.

I am an accomplished attorney with more than 19 years of experience and extensive expertise in business negotiations, commercial contracts, and technology transactions. With a proven track record of providing strategic legal advice and delivering exceptional results, I have successfully assisted numerous clients in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating various business arrangements. My experience encompasses a wide range of areas, including intellectual property, data privacy and security, SaaS agreements, and software licenses. I co-founded a reputable general corporate law firm with three offices in Aspen, Atlanta, and New York. As a partner and attorney, I represented diverse clients, including start-ups, public corporations, investors, financial institutions, educational institutions, and non-profit entities. With a focus on delivering comprehensive legal solutions, I provided general counsel, expert dispute resolution, efficient litigation management, and skillful contract drafting and negotiations for businesses across industries.

Legal services cost too much, and are often of low quality. I have devoted my law practice to providing the best work at the most affordable price—in everything from defending small businesses against patent trolls to advising multinational corporations on regulatory compliance to steering couples through a divorce.

I am a California-barred attorney specializing in business contracting needs. My areas of expertise include contract law, corporate formation, employment law, including independent contractor compliance, regulatory compliance and licensing, and general corporate law. I truly enjoy getting to know my clients, whether they are big businesses, small start-ups looking to launch, or individuals needing legal guidance. Some of my recent projects include: -drafting business purchase and sale agreements -drafting independent contractor agreements -creating influencer agreements -creating compliance policies and procedures for businesses in highly regulated industries -drafting service contracts -advising on CA legality of hiring gig workers including effects of Prop 22 and AB5 -forming LLCs -drafting terms of service and privacy policies -reviewing employment contracts I received my JD from UCLA School of Law and have been practicing for over five years in this area. I’m an avid reader and writer and believe those skills have served me well in my practice. I also complete continuing education courses regularly to ensure I am up-to-date on best practices for my clients. I pride myself on providing useful and accurate legal advice without complex and confusing jargon. I look forward to learning about your specific needs and helping you to accomplish your goals. Please reach out to learn more about my process and see if we are a good fit!

I absolutely love helping my clients buy their first home, sell their starters, upgrade to their next big adventure, or transition to their next phase of life. The confidence my clients have going into a transaction and through the whole process is one of the most rewarding aspects of practicing this type of law. My very first class in law school was property law, and let me tell you, this was like nothing I’d ever experienced. I remember vividly cracking open that big red book and staring at the pages not having the faintest idea what I was actually reading. Despite those initial scary moments, I grew to love property law. My obsession with real estate law was solidified when I was working in Virginia at a law firm outside DC. I ran the settlement (escrow) department and learned the ins and outs of transactions and the unique needs of the parties. My husband and I bought our first home in Virginia in 2012 and despite being an attorney, there was so much we didn’t know, especially when it came to our HOA and our mortgage. Our real estate agent was a wonderful resource for finding our home and negotiating some of the key terms, but there was something missing in the process. I’ve spent the last 10 years helping those who were in the same situation we were in better understand the process.

I am a licensed attorney and a member of the California Bar. I graduated from the University of Dayton School of Law's Program in Law and Technology. I love IP, tech transfers, licensing, and how the internet and developing technology is changing the legal landscape. I've interned at both corporations and boutique firms, and I've taken extensive specialized classes in intellectual property and technology law.

With over 25 years of experience in the technology sector, I am a strategic business counsel, outsourced general counsel, and a leader of high-performing legal teams aimed to help maximize the efficiency of all stakeholders. I recently joined the renewable energy space with the addition of a new client on its way to becoming the first Chinese battery company to build a battery manufacturing presence in the US beginning with a 1+ GWh cell and pack plant, and a domestic anode and cathode plant. In my most recent full-time role, I served as the Sr. Director and Assistant General Counsel at SMART Global Holdings, where I served as the general counsel for the HPC and AI division of this publicly traded holding company, comprised of four companies, before becoming the global head of the commercial legal function across all portfolio companies, including two multinational industry leaders. During much of my career, I provided outside legal services on a recurring basis for several years advising several high growth start-ups and venture firms as well as house hold names, and also led one of the country's fastest growing infrastructure resellers and managed services providers. My core competencies include contract review, commercial negotiation, legal operations, information security, privacy, supply chain and procurement, alliances and channel sales, HR, and general corporate. I am passionate about leveraging my legal skills to achieve business solutions, supporting innovation and growth in the technology sector, and helping maximize the commercial flow and efficiency at growing companies. I hold an undergraduate business degree, a JD, a MSBA Taxation, and certifications from the California Bar Association, Six Sigma, and ISM.