San Diego Contract Attorneys & Lawyers
How it Works

David Yamaguchi
Dean Sage

Troy Krich
 (1).png)
Daniel E. Goodrich

Karen Braveheart

Edward Robinson

Michael Wales
Alicia Dearn

N. Mauricio Reznik

Chris Czaplak
San Diego Contract Lawyers
Why Hire a Contract Lawyer?
You're busy running your business, which means you may not have time to look over all the fine print of a contract before you sign it. Misunderstandings are costly. Furthermore, you may not fully understand all the language in a new contract. To make sure you don't get swindled when you sign on the dotted line, you should hire a contract lawyer to look over any documents before you commit. A contract lawyer is able to help you with the following types of contracts:
- Partnership agreement. If your business is a limited partnership or a general partnership, you should make sure that the contract between you and your business partner(s) meets your standards.
- Indemnity agreement. This protects one party from damages that may result from an agreement.
- Non-disclosure agreement. This is between you and another business or between you and your employees. It keeps your confidential information out of the wrong hands.
- Property and equipment leases. You need clear information about the terms of a lease as well as any options you have for getting out of a lease early.
- Sales-related agreements. These may include bills of sale, purchase orders, and security agreements.
- Employment contracts. You need to have a general employment agreement, an independent contractor agreement, and a non-compete agreement.
Many of these forms are available online for free or for a small fee. However, these generic forms may not conform to California state law. They may need to be adapted for county and city laws, either by adding a clause or adjusting the language in the document. By hiring one of the top San Diego contract attorneys, you protect yourself and your business.
The best lawyers can not only help you decipher the language in a contract, but they also negotiate the terms of new agreements. Because they understand California state law and the basics of business agreements, they are able to present terms that are fair to everyone involved.
Keep in mind that there are two main types of contract attorneys, although some lawyers may fulfill both roles.
- Transactional attorneys. These lawyers write and review contracts.
- Litigation attorneys. These are the attorneys you turn to when a breach of contract occurs.
How to Find the Best Contract Lawyer in San Diego
There are over 15,000 attorneys in San Diego. You want the one that is right for your situation.
After you confirm that a San Diego contract lawyer is a member of the bar, there are other things you should consider.
- The lawyer's area of expertise. Some attorneys have a well-rounded understanding of most types of business contracts. However, if the contract in front of you deals specifically with issues in your industry, you may want to look for someone who has more specialized knowledge. Read a lawyer's biography to learn about what types of cases they've dealt with in the past.
- Reviews of the lawyer. Martindale.com has a reputation for providing trustworthy attorney reviews, but there are also local lawyer referral services that you can turn to. The San Diego Bar Association and the North County Bar Association are two good places to get attorney referrals.
Personal referrals from colleagues are another valuable source of information. Ask your fellow businesspeople which lawyers they have used in the past, and dig for details about their experience. Were they comfortable with the lawyer? Did the attorney demonstrate competence and communicate well?
Before you commit to a specific contract lawyer in San Diego, be sure that:
- You understand how the billing process works. There may be a flat fee for reviewing and writing certain types of contracts, or you might have to pay an hourly rate for contract negotiation.
- You know who will be working with you. The lawyer may pass off some tasks to a paralegal or to other lawyers in the firm. If that will happen with your contract, ask about the credentials of the person who will be helping you most directly.
- You're comfortable with the attorney. You don't want someone who talks over your head about complex contract terms.
Questions for Your Contract Lawyer
- How much experience do you have with contracts and contract litigation? What are your specific areas of expertise?
- How much will you charge me? Are there any fees in addition to your hourly rate?
- Do you need any more information to properly review my contract?
- Are you going to do a high-level review or an in-depth analysis of the contract?
- What are some common concerns associated with this type of contract?
- How long can I expect the contract review process to take?
Hiring a contract attorney is a vital step if you want to protect your San Diego business. Use the resources available to you to find a legal representative qualified to help you in your situation.
Why use UpCounsel to hire a San Diego Contract Attorney?
Average experience
You always get experienced professionals and high caliber work.
Faster
Your work gets done quickly because professionals are always available.
More cost effective
We use technology to cut traditional overhead and save you thousands.
UpCounsel has been talked about in:
Legal Services Offered by Our On-Demand San Diego Contract Attorneys
The San Diego contract attorneys & lawyers on UpCounsel are dedicated to helping businesses save time, money, and peace of mind with contract drafting and review, negotiations, litigation support, discovery, commercial business transactions, and more.
Our independent contract attorneys are available on-demand to provide contract legal services for businesses or to support your in-house general counsel to help lighten the load for transactional matters or litigation support.
Although the work of the San Diego contract attorneys found on UpCounsel often varies. They are highly experienced in legal contract activities such as commercial contract negotiations, document review in response to document subpoenas, request for production of documents, legal research, draft legal briefs, along with providing a full range of other contract legal services to businesses of any size.
Improve Your Legal ROI with Affordable Contract Attorneys that service San Diego, CA.
What Our Customers Have to Say
"UpCounsel gives me access to big-firm lawyers minus the big-firm price tag. I work with several attorneys on the platform and there are never surprises...I always receive quality legal work at competitive rates that larger firms simply cannot match."
"Every startup needs to know about UpCounsel. We found great attorneys at great prices and were able to focus our resources on improving our business instead of paying legal bills."
"Before UpCounsel it was hard for us to find the right lawyer with the right expertise for our business. UpCounsel solves those problems by being more affordable and helping us find the right lawyer in no time."
This is the most recent 20 reviews out of 1582 reviews for Commercial Contracts attorneys in California

Assist with Other Commercial Contract Matter
"Eric helped me with edits to a University Endowment Agreement, as part of establishing a memorial scholarship. Eric was very professional, flexible, and responsive in our work together."
Joe L
.
Marina del Rey,
CA,
7 days ago
Assist with Other Commercial Contract Matter
"An absolute shyster. Overbilled for hours worked, had his brain dead partner perform unauthorized work that had to be corrected and charged me twice for. As retaliation after complaining he filed for dismissal with prejudice of a lawsuit based on a settlement that was void due to nonpayment within the allotted timeframe, AFTER he was fired and sent me a change of attorney form. Proceeded to lie on his final billing by stating he discussed a dismissal with prejudice on 2/7/2025 (the day after he was fired) when emails clearly prove no such conversation took place until after he filed the unauthorized dismissal with prejudice on 2/10/25. Had to file a bar complaint, stay far away."
Jon R
.
Los Angeles,
CA,
7 days ago

Review Subscription Agreement and Supporting Documents for Private Credit Investment
"Derek reviewed a subscription agreement at short notice. I provided comprehensive feedback. I would work with Derek again, anytime."
Uwe B
.
Los Angeles,
CA,
9 days ago
Assist with Other Commercial Contract Matter
"Excellent Service."
Ruby S
.
San Diego,
CA,
about 1 month ago

Review Service Agreement
"Fast feedback, clear communication and great individual approach! Highly Recommend!"
Gene A
.
South San Francisco,
CA,
about 1 month ago

Service Agreement
"Alisha went above and beyond in helping me to negotiate a service agreement that is in my favor. The original agreement was one sided and now it's actually fair. I am submitting another project to her as we speak. I don't plan to use anyone else for this work because Alisha is second to none! Do yourself a favor and work with her!"
Samuel D
.
Los Angeles,
CA,
about 2 months ago

Review of Separation Document from Startup
"I needed an attorney to review a legal document within 5 hours. Seth responded very quickly and helped me review the document and answered my questions. It was nice working with him."
Danqing Z
.
Burlingame,
CA,
3 months ago
Simplified Consulting Agreement
"Jon is a fantastic listener and helped me review IP and other potentially-troublesome terms in a consulting agreement."
Amin A
.
Cupertino,
CA,
3 months ago
Review Terms of Service
"Jake made the process quick and simple. He answered all my questions and was very knowledgeable. I look forward to working with him again in the future!"
Patrick A
.
Temecula,
CA,
4 months ago

Service Agreement Services
"I highly recommend Jack Liechtung. His expertise was invaluable in navigating a business transaction. He was easy to work with, readily available, and provided clear, straightforward advice. Jack helped us achieve a positive outcome in a situation that could have ended badly."
Kolja R
.
San Carlos,
CA,
5 months ago
.jpg)
Consult on SaaS Agreement
"I enjoyed working with Damian Guzman. We had a time sensitive matter he was helping us with and he got it across the finish line for us."
Sujay K
.
Cupertino,
CA,
6 months ago

Review Licensing Agreement
"Great response time and super job, exceeded my expectations!"
Andrew S
.
Ventura,
CA,
7 months ago

Other Commercial Contract Matter
"Paul's thorough analysis, quick turnaround time, and eager attitude has made him an absolute joy to work with, and we've worked on almost half a dozen startup business related contracts already. Don't hesitate to hire Paul if you have any ambiguity you need resolved!"
Ali A
.
Canoga Park,
CA,
8 months ago
Service Agreement
"Annabel is great!"
Jonathan H
.
Los Angeles,
CA,
8 months ago

Review Non-Disclosure Agreement (Commercial)
"Lauri was a great help. Responses were quick."
Nancy K
.
San Leandro,
CA,
8 months ago

Draft Service Agreement
"Working with Troy was easy and pleasurable. What I found extremely useful is his business acumen on top of his legal knowledge. Troy was able to provide practical advice."
Zhenya R
.
Chatsworth,
CA,
8 months ago

Assist with Other Commercial Contract Matter
"Rosetta was very nice to work with. She was responsive and efficient and was able to work well within my budget."
Fatima A
.
San Francisco,
CA,
8 months ago
Legal Document Review Assistance Needed
"Stacy is knowledgeable, professional, and answered in details all the questions I had for her with great suggestions and advice."
Chris C
.
San Francisco,
CA,
10 months ago

Review SaaS Agreement
"I chose Brandon after meeting with six different UpCounsel attorneys. His experience stood out over many others, and I'm very happy with the choice. He was incredibly helpful in developing our customer-facing legal documents (T&C, DPA, SLA, SA, etc). His turnaround time for the documents was fast, and each document was thoroughly built to protect our business."
Ron B
.
San Diego,
CA,
11 months ago
Consult on Licensing Agreement
"Ali is very professional and easy to work with."
John Y
.
Lakehead,
CA,
11 months ago
Related Articles
Preferred Dividends
- 7 min read
What Are Preferred Dividends?
Preferred dividends are the dividends that are accrued paid on a company’s preferred stock. Any time a company pays dividends, preferred shareholders have priority over common shareholders, which means dividends must always be paid to preferred shareholders before they are paid to common shareholders. If the company is unable to pay all the dividends, then claims to any preferred dividends will take precedence over claims to dividends on common shares.
Dividends are payments that a company distributes to its shareholders. Unlike the interest paid on bonds, dividend payments are not mandatory. Many startups do not pay dividends because they want to use any available money to grow the business instead.
Preferred dividends are link to preferred shares, which are a type of equity in the
...
Read MoreClickwrap
- 12 min read
What Is a Clickwrap Agreement?
Clickwrap is an online agreement between a user and a company that requires the user to click a box or a button before they download content, make a purchase, or use a website. The box or button confirms that the user agrees to an online contract with the company, and substitutes for the user's signature.
In a clickwrap agreement, in order to use a website or download content, the user has to check a box saying they've read and agree to the terms and conditions that apply to the website or software. Sometimes the agreements are many pages long and difficult to read. They usually contain two things:
- A checkbox or button
- A notice telling you that you agree to the terms if you click the box
Clickwrap agreements are also called:
- Clickthrough agreements
- Clickwrap licenses
Types of clickwrap (and brow
...
Read MoreKey Takeaways
- Authorized shares represent the maximum number of shares a corporation can legally issue, as defined in its Articles of Incorporation.
- Issuing all authorized shares upfront can limit a company’s flexibility for future fundraising or equity compensation.
- Increasing the number of authorized shares requires formal amendments and shareholder approval.
- Not all authorized shares are issued immediately; some are reserved for strategic purposes like mergers, acquisitions, or stock options.
- There are tax, governance, and dilution considerations when setting or adjusting authorized share counts.
- Differences between authorized, issued, and outstanding shares can impact valuation, control, and reporting.
What are Authorized Shares?
Authorized shares are the number of stock shares a company may issue to investors or employees at the time they incorporate and stock shares that the company board of direct
...
Read MoreKey Takeaways:
- Convertible Debt Overview: Convertible debt allows a company to borrow funds with the intention of converting debt into equity at a future date, providing both initial liquidity and potential ownership stakes for investors.
- Convertible Bonds: These are a form of convertible debt, often chosen to keep market perception stable while providing investors with both interest payments and potential future equity.
- Importance to Startups: Convertible debt is valuable for start
...
Read MoreDMCA Protection
- 5 min read
What Is DMCA Protection?
The DMCA, or the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, protects creative works on the internet and contains the legal foundation for rights management in digital works. It covers things such as articles, videos, and photographs.
The DMCA protects both copyright owners and internet service providers (ISP), otherwise known as online service providers (OSP). To warn would-be content thieves away, you can use a DMCA Protection Badge on your website.
Copyright Owners
The DMCA gives copyright owners a simple and straightforward way to get their content removed from websites that don't have permission to use it. They can do this by sending a DMCA takedown notice to the ISP that hosts the offending content. ISPs are required by law to obey the notice as long as it meet
...
Read More