Each price below says what it covers and what it does not, so you can budget before you call. Government filing fees are never hidden inside a flat rate; they are passed through at cost and listed with the current amount.
Rates shown are for matters under California or federal law. Not sure if we can help?
Reach out.
Discovery Call
30-minute initial call
A no-obligation conversation to find out whether your matter is something we handle and what the likely path looks like. No legal advice is given on this call.
Included
- Whether the matter is inside our practice
- The likely approach and a written quote if it is
- A referral suggestion if it is not
Not included
- Legal advice or document review
Foundation Planning Session
1-hour strategy consultation
A focused hour on a specific question or decision. We analyze the issue, walk through your options and outline a direction, then send you a written summary.
Included
- One hour by video or phone
- Review of up to 10 pages you send at least one business day ahead
- Written summary of the discussion and recommended next steps within 2 business days
Not included
- Drafting or line-by-line document review (quoted separately or billed hourly)
General Consultation
Legal advice, billed hourly
Advice on a specific question, a negotiation, or work that does not fit a flat rate. Billed in tenth-of-an-hour increments against an estimate we agree in advance.
Included
- Written estimate before work starts
- Itemized time on every invoice
- No charge for scheduling or administrative email
Not included
- Court appearances and litigation (not offered)
Contract Review
One agreement, up to 25 pages
Covers up to 2.5 hours of attorney time. Beyond that, $250/hr, only with your written approval.
A line-by-line review of a contract someone else drafted, so you know what you are signing and what to push back on.
Included
- Marked-up copy with comments on each clause that matters
- Written summary of risks, ranked, with suggested changes
- 30-minute call to walk through it
Not included
- Agreements over 25 pages or with multiple exhibits (quoted)
- Negotiating with the other side (hourly, at your option)
- Redrafting the agreement from scratch
Entity Formation
California LLC or corporation
Covers up to 5 hours of attorney time. Beyond that, $250/hr, only with your written approval.
Choose the right structure and get it set up correctly, with the first-year filings on a calendar so nothing is missed.
Included
- Entity-choice call covering liability, tax and investor considerations
- Articles or certificate prepared and filed with the California Secretary of State
- Operating agreement (single-member or simple multi-member) or bylaws with organizational consents
- EIN application, initial Statement of Information and S-corporation election if wanted
- First-year compliance calendar, including the $800 California franchise tax
Not included
- State filing fees, passed through at cost (currently $70 LLC or $100 corporation, plus $20 to $25 Statement of Information)
- The $800 annual California franchise tax, paid to the Franchise Tax Board (corporations are exempt in their first year; LLCs are not)
- Multi-member agreements with custom economics, vesting or investor terms (quoted)
- Registered agent service and out-of-state qualification
NDA Drafting
One mutual or one-way NDA
Covers up to 3 hours of attorney time. Beyond that, $250/hr, only with your written approval.
A confidentiality agreement written for how you actually share information, not a form with the names changed.
Included
- Intake call on what you share, with whom and for how long
- Custom NDA drafted for California law
- One round of revisions after your review
- Short plain-language guide to using it
Not included
- Negotiating changes requested by the other party (hourly)
- A second, differently structured NDA (quoted)
Trademark Registration
One mark, one class, federal filing
Clear the name first, then file it. A search that finds a conflict before you file is the cheapest outcome there is.
Included
- Clearance search of USPTO records, state registrations and common-law use, with a written opinion
- One USPTO application (one mark, one class) prepared and filed
- Responses to non-substantive office actions and USPTO correspondence through registration
- Registration and renewal deadlines calendared
Not included
- USPTO filing fee, passed through at cost (currently $350 per class)
- Additional classes: $250 each plus the USPTO fee
- Substantive office actions such as likelihood-of-confusion refusals (quoted)
- Statement of Use fees for intent-to-use filings, oppositions, appeals and foreign filings
Employment Agreement Drafting
One employment agreement
Covers up to 6 hours of attorney time. Beyond that, $250/hr, only with your written approval.
An employment agreement that works under California law, which is stricter than most templates assume.
Included
- Intake call on the role, compensation and what you need to protect
- Agreement with California-compliant confidentiality, invention assignment with the required Labor Code notice, and at-will terms
- Arbitration provision if you want one, drafted to current California standards
- One round of revisions after your review
Not included
- Employee handbook, equity plan or option grant documents (quoted)
- Negotiating with the employee or their counsel (hourly)
- Agreements for employees outside California
License Agreement Drafting
One software, content or IP license
Covers up to 7 hours of attorney time. Beyond that, $250/hr, only with your written approval.
The agreement that defines what your customers or partners may do with your product, your content or your IP.
Included
- Scoping call on the product, the deal structure and your business model
- Custom agreement: SaaS subscription terms, end-user license, content license or IP license
- Limitation of liability, IP ownership, term and termination drafted to your risk tolerance
- One round of revisions after your review
Not included
- Privacy policy or data processing addendum (separate flat rate on request)
- Negotiating with the counterparty (hourly)
- Open-source license audits
How the caps work
A flat rate with a cap covers the stated number of attorney hours. The caps are set so that the ordinary version of each matter finishes inside them. If your matter turns out to be unusual, we tell you before the cap is reached, and nothing beyond it is billed until you approve it in writing. The cap and the hourly rate beyond it are repeated in your engagement letter.
Need something else?
Privacy policies, terms of service, vendor and partnership agreements, founder agreements and contractor agreements are quoted flat after a discovery call. If you don't see what you need, contact us and we'll discuss a price for your situation.
Clear scope, clear price, and no invoice you did not see coming.
Schedule your Discovery Call
Government fees are current published amounts and change from time to time; the fee in force on the filing date applies. Prices are for matters under California or federal law and may be adjusted for unusual complexity, which we will tell you before you engage us.