San Francisco Contract Attorneys & Lawyers
How it Works
Brig Ricks
Michael Mowery
Monica Winghart
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Damian Guzman
Liz Oliner
Joshua Garber
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Rhea De Aenlle
Jesko Onken
Lon Lazar
Mark Foster
San Francisco Contract Lawyers
Why Hire a Contract Lawyer?
When you have a short-term need for legal assistance, hiring a contract lawyer is the perfect solution. Studies show more than half of all law firms use contract attorneys to meet demand during peak periods. They're not the only ones. Contract lawyers are also used in the following businesses:
- Startup firms
- Small to medium businesses
- Government departments
- Finance companies
In fact, any business needing legal assistance may hire a contract lawyer.
For legal practices, the benefits of contract lawyers are obvious. A practice can bring in a contract lawyer who specializes in a particular area to satisfy a new client, essentially making itself a full-service firm. There are contract lawyers who specialize in a number of legal areas, including:
- Family law
- Bankruptcy
- Environmental protection
- Asylum seekers and refugees
- Contracts law
Since contract lawyers are hired for short-term projects, they're often more affordable than keeping an attorney on retainroughlyer. Studies show contract attorneys cost businesses a third of the amount that a permanent hire would cost to do the same work.
Some of the duties a contract lawyer in San Francisco may perform include:
- Researching legal cases
- Preparing and reviewing legal documents
- Advising clients on legal matters
Contract lawyers can also help employees enjoy a better work-life balance. With an extra pair of hands in the office, other workers could cut back on overtime and reduce their stress levels. This is great for business, as it prevents burnout and helps workers stay productive.
Top contract attorneys are also good at what they do. Don't make the mistake of thinking they take contract work because they can't land a full-time legal role. Contractors typically enjoy the flexibility and diversity their jobs provide. Remember, they have earned the same degrees, passed the same bar exams, and obtained the same licensing as any other attorney in San Francisco.
How to Find the Best Contract Lawyer in San Francisco
Make sure the contract lawyer you intend to hire has passed the State Bar of California exam. This is a requirement for licensure in all California cities, including San Francisco. After passing the exam, lawyers have five years to apply for admission to the State Bar of California.
Ensure that the lawyer's licensure is current. All attorneys in California must complete 25 hours of legal education every three years to maintain their license for practicing law.
If you're looking for a contract lawyer who specializes in a particular area of law, look for an attorney with certification in that area through the State Bar of California. The Bar offers certification in:
- Admiralty and maritime law
- Appellate law
- Bankruptcy law
- Criminal law
- Estate planning, trust, and probate law
- Family law
- Franchise and distribution law
- Immigration and nationality law
- Legal malpractice law
- Taxation law
- Workers' compensation law
In addition, the State Bar of California recognizes national certification obtained through the following bodies:
- The American Board of Certification
- The National Board of Legal Specialty Certification
- The American Board of Professional Liability Attorneys
- National Elder Law Foundation
- National Association of Counsel for Children
While certification isn't required to specialize, it does show the attorney has a real commitment to the chosen area.
If you know other business people who've used contract lawyers, ask them about their experiences. You can also learn what other people think of specific contract lawyers working in San Francisco through online testimonials.
While it's important to know which contract lawyers are performing well, it's also vital to know which contract lawyers may not get results for you. One good way is consulting the State Bar Court of California website. It has a searchable database of all attorneys working in the state, including any public records of discipline. You can order these records, which explain the reasons for any disciplinary action, from the State Bar Court.
Questions for a Contract Lawyer
- Do you exclusively take contract work?
- How long have you been taking contract work?
- What kind of work have you been doing lately?
- How much experience do you have with the type of work we'll be doing?
- How would you approach our project?
- Are there any areas of the project that are outside your comfort zone?
- How do you normally work? Are you happy to work in our office, at least part time?
- Do you ever subcontract your work to other lawyers?
- Can you extend your contract if the project takes longer than we expect?
- Are you open to working overtime if we need you?
- Would you be open to taking future assignments with us if this contract goes well?
- Do you have malpractice insurance?
- What is your fee structure?
A contract attorney may work for your company for just a few days or a few months. The choice is yours! When you have a short-term need for legal expertise, trust one of San Francisco's best contract lawyers to fill it.
Why use UpCounsel to hire a San Francisco 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 Francisco Contract Attorneys
The San Francisco 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 Francisco 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 Francisco, 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 1577 reviews for Commercial Contracts attorneys in California
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,
5 days ago
Legal Advice for Creating a Sub-Lease Agreement and Business Separation for Medical Practice
"Eric was fast and readily available for a phone call when needed."
Khanh P
.
Los Angeles,
CA,
23 days 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,
about 1 month 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,
about 1 month 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,
3 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,
3 months ago
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,
4 months ago
Review Licensing Agreement
"Great response time and super job, exceeded my expectations!"
Andrew S
.
Ventura,
CA,
6 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,
6 months ago
Service Agreement
"Annabel is great!"
Jonathan H
.
Los Angeles,
CA,
6 months ago
Review SaaS Agreement
"Thanks David!"
Stedman H
.
San Francisco,
CA,
6 months ago
Review Non-Disclosure Agreement (Commercial)
"Lauri was a great help. Responses were quick."
Nancy K
.
San Leandro,
CA,
7 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,
7 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,
7 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,
8 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,
9 months ago
Consult on Licensing Agreement
"Ali is very professional and easy to work with."
John Y
.
Lakehead,
CA,
10 months ago
Assist with Other Commercial Contract Matter
"Very easy to work with, get everything done for me transparently and affordably"
Michael H
.
Elk Grove,
CA,
11 months ago
Non-Disclosure Agreement (Commercial)
"Sean consistently excels in reviewing my contracts with punctuality, precision, and a genuine care that sets him apart. His services have not only saved me considerable time and effort, but have also provided me with peace of mind. His thorough approach and timely delivery are invaluable."
Kevin P
.
San Jose,
CA,
11 months ago
Review Distribution Agreement
"Outstanding job on the contract review and redlining."
Nabil S
.
Mountain View,
CA,
11 months ago