San Diego Startup Attorneys & Lawyers

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David Y.

David Yamaguchi

239 reviews
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 S.

Dean Sage

67 reviews
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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Troy K.

Troy Krich

22 reviews
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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Daniel E. G.

Daniel E. Goodrich

21 reviews
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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Michael W.

Michael Wales

12 reviews
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. M.

Michael P. Martin

8 reviews
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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David L.

David Lizerbram

3 reviews
After graduating from the USC School of Cinema-Television and Marshall School of Business, I received my J.D. from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. My firm was founded i... read more
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Matthew R.

Matthew Rifat

2 reviews
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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Alicia D.

Alicia Dearn

12 reviews
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
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N. Mauricio R.

N. Mauricio Reznik

10 reviews
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
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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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Legal Services Offered by Our On-Demand San Diego Startup Attorneys

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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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."

Scott Woods
SVP & General Counsel

"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."

Sean Conway
Co-founder & CEO

"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."

Tristan Pollock
Co-founder & COO

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