Secured Loan Agreement Lawyers for Huntington Beach, California

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.

I began my career at "big law" firms, worked in-house for 14 years, and now have my own practice, providing big law quality at small firm rates. My practice focuses on strategic and commercial transactions, including M&A, preferred stock and common stock offerings, asset purchases and sales, joint ventures and strategic partnerships, stock option plans, master services agreements and SOWs, software development and license agreements, SaaS agreements, NDAs, employment and consulting agreements. I also manage corporate governance, advise boards and executives, and act as outside general counsel. I represent clients across the country and around the world.

I am an attorney licensed in both California and Mexico. I offer a unique blend of 14 years of legal expertise that bridges the gap between diverse legal landscapes. My background is enriched by significant roles as in-house counsel for global powerhouses such as Anheuser-Busch, Campari Group, and Grupo Lala, alongside contributions to Tier 1 law firms. I specialize in navigating the complexities of two pivotal areas: AI/Tech Innovation: With a profound grasp of both cutting-edge transformer models and foundational machine learning technologies, I am your go-to advisor for integrating these advancements into your business. Whether it's B2B or B2C applications, I ensure that your company harnesses the power of AI in a manner that's not only enterprise-friendly but also fully compliant with regulatory standards. Cross-Border Excellence: My expertise extends beyond borders, with over a decade of experience facilitating cross-border operations for companies in more than 20 countries. I am particularly adept at enhancing US-Mexico operations, ensuring seamless and efficient business transactions across these territories.

Having overseen over $1.2 billion in transaction value, we are able to provide top-tier service at affordable rates, with much more personalized attention and fast turnarounds. After working for a AM Law Top 100 firm, I started my own firm and have been lucky enough to represent numerous conglomerates (FOX, Endeavor, etc.), promising startups, small businesses and private individuals. Our areas of expertise - Business Formations and Operating Agreements; Capital Raises and Debt Financing; Commercial Transactions; M&A; Real Estate; Intellectual Property; Employment and Hiring; Outside General Counsel; Corporate Agreements and Governance; Litigation and Dispute Resolution. We have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Marketwatch, Yahoo Finance, Variety, Business Insider, Los Angeles Magazine, the LA Times, and others. We are driven by an unwavering commitment to our clients, going above and beyond to deliver results.

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 graduated from Yale University magna cum laude, served as a Fulbright Scholar in Italy and attended UC Berkeley School of Law. In 2023, I was named a "Legal Visionary" by the Los Angeles Times. I have broad experience in corporate transactions and in serving as outside general counsel to clients. I started my legal career in Silicon Valley and Hong Kong working on large equity and debt financings and matters for private wealth clients. After returning home to Los Angeles, I advised startup companies with formations, acquisitions and day-to-day matters such as sales contracts and licensing. More recently, I have focused on data, IT and SaaS contracts for both providers and customers. My clients include NASDAQ-listed companies, a top ranked children’s hospital and local startups.

Dawn K Kennedy has been licensed to practice law since 2015, but has been an entrepreneur since 2011. She uses her extensive project management and business background to support small and mid-sized businesses with contracts, negotiations, and other matters relating to the operation of a successful business venture.

Having more than ten (10) years of experience in commercial law, I have garnered both relevant in-house and law firm experience. With more than a combined seven (7) years in-house experience, I have gained valuable insight in balancing the business needs with the legal risks and applying the legal skills I have acquired to various fields. I have specific experience with SaaS, vendor contracts, customer contracts, and general marketing agreements. Moreover, my law firm background has taught me to be detail-oriented and to be an effective negotiator in all types of commercial dealings.

Unique Hybrid Background ➲ Deep Legal, Tech & Commercial Experience More by pure chance than design, I arrived late in life to pursue a career in law. My background spans more than 3 decades across Information Technology, entrepreneurship & the legal profession supporting my claim to being a 'Deep Generalist'. What is a 'Deep Generalist'? 'The professionals who develop into really great client advisors are deep generalists.' Quote from Warren Bennis. From 2013 I worked for established boutique property, finance & commercial law firms + an award-winning #newlaw firm of senior lawyers (formerly Nexus Law Group, now merged with Arch.law) before founding my digital law firm Blue Ocean Law Group in 2017. I also worked part-time for 2 years as a freelance online expert across all aspects of Australian Law with JustAnswer (H.Q. in San Francisco) and volunteered at the Caxton Legal Centre to give back to the community. Now I offer pro bono (free) legal assistance at my discretion. My achievements in the law are best reflected in the high number of settlements where civil litigation has been avoided, court judgements (incl. successful appeals) in my clients' favour & [90+] testimonials which can be seen on the blueocean.law [700+] page website which offers tons [585+] of both free & paid innovative legal products & resources. My personal experience as a client on the other side of legal matters affords me a unique perspective and goes some way to explaining my passion for the reinvention of the delivery of legal services. I am an early adopter of technology + gadgets, an avid reader and an animal lover. In January 2023, I joined the IAPP – International Association of Privacy Professionals and became a Certified Information Privacy Professional – United States by gaining the highly valued gold-standard ANSI-Accredited CIPP/US credential. I followed this up in August 2023, by obtaining the Certified in CyberSecurity qualification form ISC(2). Pre-Law Background From 1992 to 2002, I worked for Accenture as an IT Project Manager across APAC (including long-term project assignments in New Zealand & Singapore). I started a small business side hustle in 1997 and in 2003 I left Accenture to become a full-time entrepreneur in the transport industry. I later expanded into the mezzanine property development finance market as well as venturing into small-scale property development.Unique Hybrid Background

With over 10 years experience as a Real Estate Broker and an attorney, I can help you with all your residential real estate needs such as For sale by owner transactions and drafting grant deeds