SSM is a women-owned boutique law firm with attorneys in San Francisco, San Diego, and Seattle. We represent micro-venture capital funds, technology companies, and industry-adjacent service providers who are forming and scaling their companies, fundraising/deploying venture capital, selling to, merging with and/or acquiring other businesses. Additionally, we assist our clients in managing relationships with their former companies, employees, partners, investors, service providers, or customers. We are a completely virtual law firm and rely on innovative legal technology to provide a high-touch service.
Upcoming events
September 27, 2023 - 11:00am PST - 12:00pm PST - "Coming to America: Incorporation, Scaling Sales and Partnerships, and Doing Business in the US" hosted by BridgeBank
Are you a startup founder seeking to incorporate your business or expand into the US market? Do you have questions about how to scale and increase your revenue through strategic partnerships and sales? Are you interested in venture finance opportunities in the US? Join us for an informative panel presented by BridgeBank, SSM, Trinet, and USA Launching Pad as panelists discuss:
Incorporating as a Delaware C Corporation, or flipping your company structure for financing in the US;
Generating leads, increasing sales, and developing partnerships to scale your business and justify a healthy venture raise;
Administrative aspects of owning a business in the United States, such as commercial banking operating accounts, treasury management, things to consider when choosing a bank, staying compliant when hiring your first employee, and providing competitive employee offerings.
October 3, 2023 - 12:00PM - 2:00PM PST - "Protecting your AI Startup: Best practices, risk mitigation, and legal headwinds in the AI Space" sponsored by Wells Fargo Technology Banking Group Join panelists from OpenAI, Touring Capital, SSM, Vouch, and Wells Fargo for a lunch and learn on protecting AI startups. Speakers will share their experience with AI startups, covering key legal issues in the AI space, risk mitigation tools for AI founders and operators, as well as key regulation forecasts.
Link to register for virtual attendance is coming soon
October 10, 2023 - 4:00PM - 5:15PM PST - "How to Raise Money: Structuring Venture Deals Across All Stages of Life" for the Bar Association of San Francisco's Business Law & Barristers Business Commercial and Bankruptcy Section
Lindsey S. Mignano, Rita Astoor of Carta, Michelle Edwards of Perkins Coie, Dane H. Patterson of Goodwin, and Heidi Shortz Walas of Gunderson will present an in-person and Zoom panel entitled, "How to Raise Money: Structuring Venture Deals Across All Stages of Life". Panelists will discuss deal terms in early and late-stage venture capital investments; advantages and disadvantages of using convertible notes or SAFEs, versus Model National Venture Capital (NVCA) Series Seed or A documents in priced equity rounds; essential v. "optional" NVCA clauses; how different perspectives and interests of strategic investors and impact investors affect terms; and legal implications of including foreign investors in rounds for US companies.
October 25, 2023 - 11:00am PST - 12:00pm PST - "Venture Capital Financing: What Corporate Lawyers Should Know About Deal Terms Today" for The Santa Clara County Bar Association's Real Estate and Business Law Section
A discussion on how technology companies structure venture capital investments at the early stage through late stage, from note investments to term sheets/investment agreements in priced rounds. Panelists will also discuss how the terms may be affected by the current macroeconomic climate.
Panelists include:
Lindsey S. Mignano of SSM Legal
Hash Zahed of SPZ Legal
Aravinda Seshadri of Venturous Counsel
Matt Moisan of Crowell
Roger Royse of Hayes Boone
Registration link coming soon
November 7, 2023 - 4:00pm PST - 5:15pm PST - "Fearless Female Founders: How Women Lead and Market" for Barristers Solo & Small Firm Section BASF
Join us for a lively conversation led by female founders of law firms in the SF Bay Area as they discuss what it means to be a female law firm owner and leader, and how gender and race impact the way they lead, market, and manage their teams. Panelists include:
Lindsey S. Mignano, SSM
Amanda Conley, Conley Law PC
Kate Lazarus, Kwun Bansali Lazarus LLP
Katie Burke, Burke Law
Moderator: Courtney Brown, Law Offices of Mary Catherine Wiederhold Registration link coming soon
November 13, 2023 - 12:00pm PST - 1:00pm PST - "When Women Own Firms: How to Lead, Originate, and Develop Business as a Woman" for the Santa Clara County Bar Association
What happens when women own their own law firms? How does this change the way that they lead, mentor, and market their services? Join us for a discussion regarding race, gender, and intersecting social hierarchies as these powerful female law firm owners discuss how they've gotten to where they are today. Subtopics for discussion include:
How do women, those who identify as female, and women of color build a law practice and how might gender and/or race, for example, come into play?
The responsibility of female law firm founders to mentor and sponsor more junior attorneys.
How to build and manage relationships with clients, referral sources, and other third parties external to the firm in light of existing gender and racial biases in larger society.
Panelists include:
Lindsey S. Mignano, SSM
Lydia Hsu, Foster Hsu
Tamara Pow, Strategy Law
Julia M. Wei, Diemer Wei
Ann Robbeloth, Robbeloth Law
Registration link coming soon.
January 25, 2024 - "You Don’t Have to Go It Alone: Harnessing the Collective Power of Solo/Small Firms" for BASF Solo-Small Firm Annual Conference This panel will discuss different ways that solo and small firm practitioners can work with attorneys outside our firms to grow our practices, better serve our clients, and take on bigger and more complex projects across a wide variety of practice areas. The discussion will address various arrangements including co-counseling, consulting, and of-counsel relationships. The conversation will include best practices, practical and ethical considerations, and technological tools for collaboration. Panelists include:
May 8, 2024 - "Flipping for Venture Financing: What Cross-Border Tax Advisors of Early Stage Companies Need to Know" for WSCPA International Tax Conference
Why might a foreign private company need to flip into Delaware to procure early stage venture financing in the United States? When is it appropriate, given tax and cost considerations, and what kinds of tasks (i.e., share valuations, IP valuation, and transfer pricing analyses) will CPAs of early stage companies need to provide during the process? Furthermore, the early stage startup financing and market for acquisitions heavily impacted private early stage technology companies raising capital and/or seeking acquisition in the United States in 2023. How will the current economic market for financing and M&A in Q1 2024 affect the negotiating power of private early stage technology companies, and the ways in which corporate counsel and tax professionals may advise their clients? Join Lindsey S. Mignano, co-Founder of SSM, for a presentation on these items and more. Registration information coming soon.