Employee Contract Lawyers for San Diego, California

I have been practicing law exclusively in the areas of business and real estate transactions since joining the profession in 2003. I began my career in the Corporate/Finance department of Sidley's Los Angeles office. I am presently a solo practitioner/freelancer, and service both business- and attorney-clients in those roles.

I'm a California-licensed attorney with 18+ years of experience helping everyone from Fortune 500 companies and venture-backed startups to individuals navigating real-life legal situations. I bring an high degree of emotional intelligence to every matter, and am also certified as both a coach and as a counselor. My career started at Fenwick & West, one of Silicon Valley's top law firms, where I worked alongside names like Google, Airbnb, Kleiner Perkins, and Sequoia Capital. From there I moved in - house at companies like Cloudflare, Autodesk, and Enphase - which gave me a practical, business-minded perspective that I bring to every client, no matter the size of the matter. Today I work with businesses and individuals alike. On the business side, that means commercial contracts, leases, startup corporate work, and serving as a fractional general counsel for companies that need a trusted legal partner without the overhead. On the personal side, I help individuals with employment matters, disputes, demand letters, contract review, and the kind of everyday legal situations where you just need someone knowledgeable in your corner. I'm direct, responsive, and I speak plain English — not legalese. Whether you're a founder closing your first deal or an individual facing a situation you've never navigated before, I'll give you the same level of attention and care.

I am a startup veteran with a demonstrated history of execution with companies from formation through growth stage and acquisition. A collaborative and data-driven manager, I love to build and lead successful teams, and enjoy working full-stack across all aspects of the business.

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.

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).

Member CA State Bar since 1978. Martindale-Hubbell rated A-v Preeminent. Avvo 5-stars

Kresimir Peharda is a corporate and M&A attorney. His clients benefit from his experience representing public companies and hands-on operational experience in three start-ups, two in healthcare and one in real estate. Kresimir has assisted his public clients in IPOs, spin-offs, going private transactions, SEC compliance, corporate governance, corporate reorganizations and complex financing transactions. He advises early stage and middle market companies on contracts, equity compensation, debt and equity financing, mergers and acquisitions, and shareholder matters.

AI and crypto-savvy Attorney with 20+ years’ experience advising companies in I.T., software, telecommunications, FinTech and Artificial Intelligence (AI) with 9+ yrs spent in GC roles. Barred in 3 states (Calif. New York & Wash. D.C.) plus the U.S. Supreme Court. Registered Patent Attorney (USPTO). Extremely versatile, with subject matter expertise in a variety of legal topics highly useful for tech and startup companies, including IP, privacy, financial / banking laws (Regulation E, UDAAP, ID Theft Red Flags Rule, etc.), AML, KYC, export controls, litigation/ADR, cryptocurrency regulations and the rules governing the use of A.I. Deep understanding of computer technology via Master’s in Comp. Info. Systems (MSCIS). Also pre-law business experience. Certifications: Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS); Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP-US); Certified HIPAA Professional. Education: Law degree (JD): UCLA, 2003. MSCIS: Boston Univ., 2011.

For more than three decades, Kevin M. Gross has served as a trusted legal advisor to senior management and executive teams providing guidance on global compliance issues (anti-corruption, trade regulation, AML/KYC, privacy, and conflicts of interest), strategic concerns, due diligence, and risk mitigation strategies. In 2020, he founded C&R Consulting Group LLC to provide practical, cost-effective compliance and risk services to small and medium sized businesses. Prior to starting his own consulting firm, Kevin worked at Penumbra, Inc., a global healthcare company that manufactures and sells medical devices to healthcare providers, hospitals and clinics in more than 100 countries. At Penumbra, Kevin was the primary legal advisor to the company’s international sales and marketing executives. In addition, as Penumbra’s principal compliance lawyer, he conducted risk assessments and provided guidance and solutions to Penumbra’s internal compliance team. He oversaw due diligence on Penumbra’s international distributors, regulatory and sales agents, and other commercial partners. Prior to joining Penumbra, Kevin spent 15 years inside Chevron’s legal, compliance and upstream law departments, where he advised senior management on the company’s compliance and risk programs. Kevin overhauled Chevron’s hotline and investigations programs, strengthened internal controls and compliance procedures, and developed best practices and training for compliance personnel and investigators. Kevin also managed and conducted dozens of sensitive, high-profile investigations across six continents (internal and external), including FCPA, cybersecurity threats, and high-value theft and procurement frauds. Kevin directed outside counsel responses to SEC and DOJ inquiries, which were terminated without further action. He developed and conducted FCPA and compliance training for leadership teams and others across the enterprise. Prior to his tenure at Chevron, Kevin spent a decade as a senior enforcement attorney at the US Securities and Exchange Commission Division of Enforcement. At the SEC, he investigated and prosecuted cases involving securities fraud, insider trading, accounting fraud, options backdating, Ponzi schemes, and FCPA violations. Kevin filed and litigated SEC administrative and federal court actions against companies and individuals accused of violating federal securities laws. Early in his career, Kevin was a commercial litigator at Faegre Drinker LLP, an AmLaw 100 firm where he oversaw the investigation and resolution of insurance coverage disputes and other commercial litigation matters. In this role, Kevin took and defended hundreds of depositions, argued dozens of motions, and brought several cases to jury trials in US district courts. Kevin has received numerous accolades from clients and industry leaders, and is a frequent speaker at ACC, ACI, BECA, Consero and other conferences.

Neil Rust is a transactional attorney with almost four decades of experience ranging across a broad range of fields, including M&A, finance, structured finance, VC and general corporate. Before moving to Oregon, Mr. Rust was a partner at the Los Angeles office of an international law for 26 years and the Century City office of a national law firm for 5 years. During his big firm tenure, Neil Rust gathered experience across multiple industries and enjoys counselling clients as much as drafting and negotiating.