San Diego Startup Attorneys & Lawyers
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David Yamaguchi
Startups and small businesses sometimes need someone who can deal with complex transactions on an international playing field. David Yamaguchi specializes in content hosting issues and intellectual property. He concentrates his practice in the United States, Asia, India, and Europe. Whether you are a business giant or a startup, Mr. Yamaguchi can provide legal advice that fits your needs.
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Dean Sage
Dean Sage is an attorney at law with over seven years of experience. He is licensed to practice law in California and obtained his legal degree from the University of Michigan Law School. Dean is experienced in dealing with legal matters related to real estate law, tax law and business formation. He is also skilled in legal research and writing, as well as drafting and negotiating commercial contracts.
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Daniel E. Goodrich
Daniel E. Goodrich is a corporate counselor with over six years of experience. He has been licensed to practice law in multiple states, including California and the District of Columbia. Daniel holds a Juris Doctorate degree in law, which he obtained after graduating from the University of San Diego School of Law. Daniel primarily specializes in mergers and acquisitions. He founded his own legal firm, DG Law, in December 2012.
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Troy Krich
Mr. Krich is a practiced civil litigator with experience in business, employment, and construction litigation. In addition, Troy applies a significant portion of his servic... read more
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Michael Wales
Michael graduated from the prestigious Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law in 1991 and was admitted to practice law in Arizona in 1991 and in California in 1993. Michael is ... read more
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Michael P. Martin
Mike is a 1993 graduate of the University Michigan Law School (JD) and the University of Michigan Graduate School of Business Administration (MBA) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a... read more
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Alicia Dearn
Alicia I. Dearn is an experienced trial lawyer and businesswoman. For twenty years, Ms. Dearn has been a trusted advisor for businesses and individuals alike in the areas o... read more
N. Mauricio Reznik
N. Mauricio Reznik, Esq. founded Reznik Law Group after practicing extensively in business and civil litigation. He works with clients at all stages of the civil process, o... read more
John Giust
John is experienced in both transactional and litigation matters having practiced law at some of the best firms in the US. He is an electrical engineer with a background in... read more
Sabrina Green
Sabrina is an owner/managing partner of Stratton & Green in San Diego.
Specializes business formations, business agreements, complex business litigation.
Labor/emplo... read more
Johnny Manriquez
Johnny Manriques is a patent attorney with extensive experience in dealing with cases that involves intellectual property law and related legal matters. He has more than 14 years of experience and is licensed to practice law in California. Johnny is registered with the State Bar of California. He has a Juris Doctor degree in law. Johnny recently started his own firm, but worked with Procopio Cory for three years prior to starting his own law office.
Tom Shnaider
Thomas has over 15 years of experience and is the founding partner of Shnaider, a corporate, business, and contracts & licensing law firm. He provides cost-effective service to clients, whether they are individuals or Fortune 100 companies in the US and internationally. In addition to law, he is a licensed real estate broker with expertise in real estate transactions and real estate law.
Joseph Lesko
Joseph Lesko provides legal advisory services to small to medium sized businesses. He has 20 years of experience and have represented numerous clients, including BioRibbon Health, Sygiene Inc and Motive Interactive. Joseph also has experience in dealing with employment and security related legal matters. He has been the president of Blackcastle Strategies since 2014. Joseph has also worked at Pubs Arena Digital Media and Spritzr.
Kalyan Pokala
Whether you are a business or an individual, you need an attorney you can count on. Kalyan Pokala practices in both general business law and immigration, a unique practice mix. He loves helping people through legal problems and prides himself on providing individualized service to everyone that walks into his office. Mr. Pokala takes the notion that the law is a serving profession to heart.
Sean Gosselin
Sean is a versatile attorney licensed in California and Massachusetts and has helped clients flourish by providing legal counsel and consulting for small businesses, startups, and real estate companies. He works with a "team first" attitude and maintains a positive outlook even through challenging situations. He is known for building internal and external relationships with attorneys, engineers, and business professionals.
Linda Allen
Linda Allen heads the Peak Business Law team, which was established in 1999. Her vast experience working in the US and international business communities allows her to focus on providing outstanding service to corporations who want to establish, maintain, or expand operations in the US and abroad. Before she established her own firm, she worked as Managing Attorney at Decker Law Group.
Nedeen Nasser
After working at several tax law firms and as in-house counsel for DPx Gear, Nedeen Nasser opened her own firm to offer business advocacy services to clients. A speaker of Spanish and Arabic, she specializes in international business management as well as IP licensing, trademark and copyright filing, management and enforcement, IRS representation, and business litigation.
Colin Breeze
Colin Breeze is a corporate attorney with 19 years’ experience. He specializes in litigation matters and is exceptionally skilled in dealing with legal cases related to real estate law. Colin holds a Juris Doctor degree in law, which he obtained from the University of Chicago Law School. He is licensed to practice law in California and New York. Colin has been a partner attorney at the Breeze Law Firm since January 2007.
Kevin Buckley
Kevin Buckley is a business lawyer with almost two decades of experience. He has worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies in the past, as well as with entrepreneurs. Some of his clients include WebListers, Dermala, CureMetrix and Jaan Biotherapeutics. Kevin is licensed to practice law in Missouri and Pennsylvania. He obtained his degree in law from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Kevin has been a shareholder at Torrey Pines Law Group since April 2013.
Steve Lucero
Steve is the founder of the Lucero Law Firm, a business that offers legal services relating to personal injury, civil rights, and criminal defense. He is very attentive to the goals and needs of his clients and prides himself on aggressive advocacy. In addition to earning his law degree, Steve is a graduate of the prestigious National Trial Practice Institute.
Rachel Waters
Rachel holds a JD/MBA from Wake Forest University. After serving as a federal law clerk, Rachel worked in litigation and advertising counseling with a major national law fi... read more
Tina Gehres
With over seventeen years of legal and business experience, Tina Gehres is uniquely suited to the needs of small businesses and individuals. Her practice involves business, commercial, contracts, and estate planning law. Formerly a Corporate Counsel, Director of Human Resources, and Senior Accountant, Tina is licensed in California, Michigan, and Missouri and multiple federal courts.
Kieran De Terra
Kieran De Terra is a business lawyer that has been licensed to practice law in California for the past two years. He has a Juris Doctor degree in law, which he obtained after graduating from the University of San Diego School of Law. Kieran specializes in providing legal assistance to start up businesses, with a primary focus on trademark and copyright law. He has been an attorney at Wilkinson Mazzeo PC since January 2016.
Marco Torres
Marco Torres is a corporate attorney with over 16 years of experience. He primarily specializes in tax law, but has also gained experience in real estate law, bankruptcy and other corporate-related legal practice areas. Marco is licensed to practice law in California and received his degree in law from the University of California. Marco founded his own legal office in March 2008, where he now acts as the managing attorney.
John Mccarthy
John McCarthy has been a corporate attorney for the past decade. He is licensed to practice law in California and obtained his J.D. in law after he graduated from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law. John has won several awards for his career as a corporate attorney, including the Best of the Bar award by the San Diego Business Journal. Since January 2010, John has been managing his own law firm, McCarthy Law.
Samir Singh
Samir Singh is experienced as both an attorney and an entrepreneur, having founded two companies. He has been licensed to practice law in California. Samir has a Juris Doctor degree in law, which he obtained from the University of Washington School of Law. Samir primarily specializes in drafting, negotiating and reviewing commercial contracts. He is able to assist startup companies and entrepreneurs with all their legal matters. Samir founded Triton Bridge in September 2017.
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Nikki Semanchik
Nikki Semanchik is a corporate attorney who has more than six years of experience. She is licensed to practice law in California and obtained her Juris Doctorate degree in law after she graduated from the California Western School of Law. Nicki specializes in providing her legal assistance to startup companies and entrepreneurs. She is also experienced in dealing with non-profits. Nicki founded her own legal firm, the Semanchik Law Group, in 2017.
Omri Ben-Ari
My practice focuses primarily on Labor and Employment prosecution and defense. I began as a Plaintiffs attorney and currently serve as Outside General Counsel for several c... read more
Autumn Moody
Autumn Moody is an attorney at law with over one decade's worth of experience. She has been licensed to practice law in California and obtained her legal degree from the California Western School of Law. Autumn primarily specializes in dealing with legal matters that involve labor and employment law. She is also skilled in dealing with commercial contracts. Autumn founded her own legal firm, The Moody Firm, in November 2017.
Jonathan Paul
Jonathan Paul has over 20 years of experience as in-house counsel for companies ranging from a start-up with less than ten employees to a publicly traded technology corpora... read more
Thomas Rist
Experienced, tireless representation.
Tom Rist has been operating his own law office for 11 years. He has experience in labor and employment law, injury cases, fataliti... read more
Julia Williams
Ms. Williams is a 2006 UCLA Law graduate. She began her legal career in complex business litigation. After a decade of litigation practice, Ms. Williams determined that her... read more
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Michael Lancaster
Michael is an experienced contracts attorney serving individuals and companies throughout the state of California. He previously served as an associate at an Am Law 100 law... read more
Jack Pogosian
Jack Pogosian has experience in civil litigation, as well as SSI/SSDI administrative law. He is an expert negotiator, having settled hundreds of civil cases, as well as pre... read more
Linsey Levine
Versatile and strategic leader with strong experience in business, compliance, law, operational strategy, and cybersecurity. Strong communicator with a passion for problem-... read more
Sushil Rungta
A seasoned and highly experienced tax and business lawyer focused on helping businesses exceed their potential. An astute attorney who also counsels on business strategy, n... read more
Catherine Klaus
Nothing excites Catherine more than helping companies solve their legal issues and achieve their strategic objectives! She has devoted the entirety of her over 10 year lega... read more
Tom Gallagher
Mr. Gallagher is a Real Estate and Business Law attorney based in San Diego, California. A California native with training in conflict resolution and negotiation. Tom is an... read more
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Andrew Campbell
Villanova Law graduate (2012) with MBA from Temple University Fox School of Business (2018). Experienced legal and management professional who is an expert in legal researc... read more
Tracy Jones
Tracy J. Jones has been a civil litigator since graduating from law school in 2008. For the first six years, she prosecuted wage/hour class actions, insurance bad faith cas... read more
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Erin Funderburk
California licensed attorney with over 10 years of extensive legal experience in the areas of estate planning, international and domestic finance, debt management and recov... read more
Andrew Brodkin
Andy Brodkin Legal is here to assist aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners navigate the legal complexities of starting and managing a business. As an independent... read more
Matthew Rifat
Los Angeles and San Diego partner providing transaction, litigation and regulatory defense to healthcare and other licensed professional clients throughout California and A... read more
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Lionel Bochurberg
Lionel Bochurberg specializes in international business law and owns an established law firm that deals with upscale clients, including SOITEC SA, Impulse Analytics, the Quantum Energy Storage Corporation and Eurogiciel. He has been recognized as one of the best in-house corporate counsels in 2010. Lionel graduated sum cum laude with a PhD in law from the University of Paris in 1992. Lionel now operates his own legal practice in California.
Kenneth Rose
Kenneth Rose represents employers and executive-level employees on California, federal, and international employment law issues. He also offers workplace investigations, expert testimony, employment law training, auditing of employment policies, and mediation. Mr. Rose is one of the few attorneys in the US experienced in assisting multinationals with employment law issues in foreign countries.
Anthony Girolami
Anthony Girolami is a San Diego-based attorney with 24 years of experience advising American and foreign firms on international corporate transactions, particularly related to energy. Anthony is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and is admitted to practice in California, New York, and Brazil as a Foreign Legal Consultant. He holds a J.D. from University of San Diego School of Law.
Kim Pham
Kim Pham currently serves on the legal counsel for two Southern California corporations- Alteryx, Inc. and The Upper Deck Company. With those two clients, Pham helps draft, review and analyze contractual agreements. She also performs compliance-related duties and conducts legal research on company-specific issues. Holding a JD degree from the San Diego School of Law, Pham is an experienced legal writer and also earned a BS degree in finance.
Vanessa Mcgill
Vanessa has earned an impeccable reputation by providing the finest legal services in a uniquely streamlined manner. Serving a rapidly growing number of clients across the US, Vanessa assists entrepreneurs with every facet of their business from formation to IP protection. Her strength is the ability to provide high quality, yet affordable legal services.
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Adam Stone
Adam Stone is an ambitious lawyer who is ready to take on your new business formation and any other legal business issue that you may have. With just a little over three years of experience, Mr. Stone is focused on helping with commercial contracts such as collections, equity compensation, and even labor and employment law. Mr. Stone has experience working with major telecommunication agencies and helping with criminal and civil courtroom suits.
Mark Y. Liu
Mark is a corporate and transactional attorney specializing in capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and venture capital financings. He advises companies in a variety of corporate transactions including initial public offerings on the NYSE and Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. Mark also guides companies in developing and implementing corporate governance and compliance programs.
Ryan Minarovich
The healthcare industry has a lot of unique and complicated rules and regulations. Mix that with technology and you have an area of the law that many attorneys simply will not touch. That is not the case with Ryan Minarovich. Mr. Minarovich focuses on digital health and mobile health industries. His experience includes dealing with FDA regulations, health privacy laws, and other compliance matters.
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Jeffery Graham
Jeffery is an attorney with Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP and practices small business, immigration, and employment law. He assists individuals and businesses in legal matters including business transactions, immigration, and civil litigation. Jeffery has also successfully served pro bono clients such as the San Diego County Bar Association’s Service Members Civil Relief Act Program.
Jared Roark
Attorney Jared Roark first began his career as a law clerk at Alexander & Associates in January 2013. After passing the California Bar in July of 2013, he became an attorney at Alexander & Associates and currently practices business litigation, trust contests, probate, estate planning, and asset protection. Attorney Roark has a personal mission to properly educate families and individuals on why they need to have a well-written will and estate in place. Attorney Roark is licensed to practice law in the US District Court and in the State of California.
John Abbene
John Abbene is a partner at the firm Abbene & Alcock in San Diego, California. He is licensed in California and has been practicing law for nearly thirty years, specializing in corporate and business law. In addition, he is experienced in real estate law, taxation, health care law, and employee benefit and retirement plans. John holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and he is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Omar Nassar
Sometimes real estate transactions need an expert touch, and that is where Omar Nassar comes in. Mr. Nassar has been involved in the real estate market as an investor, real estate agent, broker, landlord, developer, and an attorney. He has participated in hundreds of real estate transactions and his wide variety of experience is invaluable to many real estate clients.
Matthew Odgers
Matthew is the owner and founder of Odgers Law Group, a firm based in San Diego that works primarily with entrepreneurs and healthcare professionals in the dental and medical fields. Before establishing his firm, he spent a year teaching English in Korea and studied international law in China. He continues to devote part of his practice to pro bono legal work.
Rick Waltman
Rick is a California attorney with experience in regulatory compliance, environmental law, energy law, employment law, legislation, and civil litigation. He received a number of awards and published five of my original works in legal journals at the University of San Diego School of Law. His experience includes work with the California Department of Justice and multiple law firms.
Randy Berholtz
Randy is a business and legal executive whose career includes 14 years as a senior corporate executive and general counsel to three public life sciences companies and a private group of Chinese and US life science companies. His clientele is as diverse as his expertise, which includes venture capital and technology licensing. Randy has taught several courses in two universities.
Matthew Hamilton
Matthew Hamilton is the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for GlyEco, Inc. His responsibilities vary - he is required to draft, negotiate and review major contracts as well as administer corporate government functions and counseling management on a wide range of issues. Matthew was awarded the CALI Award regarding Writing for Law Practice. He attended Arizona State University College of Law and received his Juris Doctorate in 2012.
Elizabeth Chu
Currently, Elizabeth Chu is an Attorney for Zeeto.io. She was a legal and judicial intern for many big companies, one of which was Housing Opportunities Collaborative. She is experienced in creating agreements, complaint terms of use and privacy policies for your websites. Chu studied on the Dean's scholarship, and in both 2012 and 2013 she received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award. She graduated from Thomas Jefferson School of Law with her J.D.
William Mayer
William Mayer has over 27 years’ experience as a corporate attorney. He is experienced in dealing with legal matters related to employment law, intellectual property law and real estate law. William is also experienced in drafting and negotiating commercial contracts. He is licensed to practice law in California and received his Juris Doctor degree from the California Western School of Law. William has been a trustee and general counselor at San Diego Museum of Man since 2009.
Jason Woltman
Jason Woltman is a business lawyer that primarily focuses on assisting startup companies with their legal matters. He is experienced in dealing with commercial contracts, labor and employment law, mergers and acquisitions, and financial-related legal matters. Jason is licensed to practice law in California and obtained his legal degree from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law. He recently started his own law firm, the Woltman Law Group.
Kymeshia Morris
Kymeshia Morris is a business law who has been practicing law in California for over five years. She has a Juris Doctor degree in law, which she received after her graduation from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Kymeshia primarily focuses on negotiating, drafting and reviewing commercial contracts. She is also skilled in legal research and writing. Since June 2012, Kymeshia has been an attorney at San Diego Esquire.
Jonathan Spangler
Jonathan Spangler is an attorney at law with over 22 years of experience. He is licensed to practice law in California and is also a registered member of the California Patent Bar. Jonathan obtained his Juris Doctorate degree in law from the University of Dayton School of Law. He primarily specializes in patents, with a particular focus on legal matters that involves trademark and copyright law. Between 2001 and 2016, Jonathan serves as the VP at Nuvasive.
Joshua Kagan
Joshua Kagan is a corporate attorney with a decade of experience. He has been licensed to practice law in California and holds a J.D. in law, which he obtained from the Southwestern Law School. Joshua specializes in trademark and copyright law. He is also skilled in drafting, negotiating and reviewing commercial contracts. Since September 2012, Joshua has been serving as a legal counselor at PCH North America.
San Diego Startup Lawyers
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Why Hire a Startup Lawyer?
Starting a new business in San Diego, California, is complex and requires many different tasks. You'll have to decide how to incorporate, follow legal requirements when hiring employees, and understand the legal regulations around raising money and/or working with a venture capital firm. Working with a startup lawyer can help reduce the stress on startup business owners.
Hiring a startup lawyer might seem like it's too expensive, but working with one can prevent a number of legal issues. Fighting against a lawsuit in court can cost thousands of dollars. You also need to make sure that your company is in compliance with governmental regulations, both on a federal and state level, and presents its services legally to the public.
Another major reason to hire a startup attorney is to work with other partners or members of the corporation. While you might get along well at the start, business can make it difficult to continue in a professional partnership. It's crucial to have legal agreements in place to protect the interests of the company as well as those involved when the business first starts.
Startups often rely on the services of an experienced lawyer when forming a business entity, deciding whether to incorporate, hiring staff members, negotiating contracts with suppliers and customers, obtaining patents and/or trademarks (if needed), and raising capital. The laws in California are different from those in other states, so choosing a lawyer who has experience with startups in the state is important.
Startup owners have options when it comes to hiring an attorney. The real value of legal counsel comes as you determine what your company needs and how to go about filing documents, completing paperwork, and obtaining any legal protection on products, designs, or other intellectual property. Startups must also make sure to follow all tax laws when obtaining capital from investors.
How to Find the Best Startup Lawyer
While there are a number of good lawyers in San Diego, not all of them have the experience and understanding of the unique needs of startup business owners. When seeking the top startup attorney, business owners should look for one that has strong knowledge of contracts, intellectual property, employment and tax laws, and corporate law.
Make sure that the attorney you choose is responsive and reachable. Many startups encounter urgent concerns and problems, and they will need help quickly. Waiting for several days to hear back from a lawyer defeats the purpose of hiring one. You can get an idea of how responsive the lawyer is when first scheduling a meeting. If you don't hear back with availability within the same day, you may want to consider working with someone else, unless he or she is out of the office for any reason.
A business owner will work closely with the startup attorney on a variety of tasks, so it's important to feel comfortable on a personal level. A personality fit is crucial to establishing that connection. If you don't feel comfortable, it's best to find a different attorney.
Finding the best startup attorney also comes down to your expectations and approach to risk. If you focus more on the benefits that come with taking more risks, it may not work well to have an extremely cautious lawyer. But having someone who understands those risks and can help you make informed business decisions that work for the company is important.
During your initial consultation, talk to the attorneys you meet about resources they have available. If they have a lot of experience in the industry in which your company operates, they may have good contacts to help grow your business and achieve success. Experienced lawyers tend to know a lot of people, which is helpful as your startup expands.
Questions for a Startup Lawyer
- Do you have experience working with startups?
- In what stages have the companies you've worked with been in?
- How well do you understand the industry in which my company operates?
- Will you be the attorney working with my startup, or will it be assigned to someone else in the firm?
- What is the fee structure when providing legal assistance to startups?
- How accessible are you in urgent situations?
- What is your preferred method of communication?
- What is the focus of your legal practice?
- Can you describe your past experience working with startup companies?
- How much have you dealt with technology in your practice?
- How long have you been practicing law?
- Do you have enough time to take on a new startup client?
- Have you ever helped your clients secure funding?
- Do you have any connections to investors who might be interested in investing in my company?
As you start your new business in San Diego, consider these benefits of hiring a startup attorney and finding the right team to help your company succeed.
Why use UpCounsel to hire a San Diego Startup Attorney?
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On UpCounsel, you can find and connect with top-rated San Diego startup attorneys & lawyers that provide a range of startup law services for startups and entrepreneurs that are starting a business. Any of the top-rated San Diego startup lawyers you connect with will be available to help with a variety of your startup law related legal needs on-demand or on an ongoing basis in the city of San Diego, CA.
From primarily dealing with things like business formation, contracts, leases, equity financing, securities, and intellectual property protection, the San Diego startup lawyers on UpCounsel can help you with a variety of specialized and general startup law related legal matters. No matter what type of startup law needs you have, you can easily hire an experienced San Diego startup lawyer on UpCounsel to help you today.
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