I focus on business law: forming a business, buying or selling one, drafting and reviewing contracts, and setting ownership and succession terms.
Yes. My work concerns matters governed by California law, and I work with clients wherever they are based. Most of my clients are in the Bay Area, and I have handled cross-border matters involving Japan, Mexico, and Spain.
No. Reaching out, submitting a form, or an initial conversation does not create an attorney-client relationship. That relationship begins only when we both sign a written engagement agreement. Until then, please do not send confidential or time-sensitive information.
Only in one situation: when a family-owned business is part of the marital estate. I began my career in family law in 2008 and moved into transactional business work, and the place those two meet is a divorce where a business is on the table. General family law matters without a business involved fall outside my practice, and I can point you toward counsel who handles them.
My work is transactional and advisory. When a matter genuinely requires sustained trial litigation, I say so, and I have handed matters to larger firms with the resources that work demands. My clients are in business to run a business, not to live in a courtroom.
No. I practice business law and family law, and I do not hold myself out on tax. When a transaction has tax consequences, I bring in a tax attorney or a CPA and have my client consult with them directly. Some transactions are taxable and some are not, and that determination belongs with someone who does it for a living.
Most of my work is with businesses under several million dollars in value. Owner-operated companies, family businesses, and closely held entities where the people who own it are the people who run it.
No, and I will tell you so in writing at the outset. When I represent a company, I represent the company. I can speak with officers, shareholders, and family members to some extent, but I am not their attorney, and each of them may need their own counsel. Being clear about that from day one protects everyone.