Services
Our clients turn to us because they need help and they want to hear from people whose judgment they can trust.
We provide valuable insight on our clients' legal issues by delivering legal solutions within a business context. We don't speak legalese. We explain the law, and we consider the business imperatives and risks that our clients are weighing. In doing so, we provide legal guidance considered with our clients' business needs in mind, drawing upon our 25+ years of experience to achieve meaningful outcomes that allow our clients to return to focusing on what they do best - successfully operating their businesses.
Corporate
No matter the size of your business, you need counsel who can provide valuable advice on a variety of corporate issues. We regularly advise our clients on general corporate transactional matters including entity formation, contract negotiation and drafting, corporate governance, capital raises, mergers and acquisitions, and entity dissolutions.
Business Litigation
Whether you need pre-litigation counseling, effective dispute resolution strategies, or representation in the courtroom, we are here to support your business. We regularly advise and represent clients in a variety of business litigation matters including contract disputes, shareholder and partnership actions, and ADA website accessibility claims.
Construction
Construction presents both opportunities and risks. We represent public and private clients, general contractors, subcontractors, architects, and engineers as they navigate this landscape. We support clients with a unique approach that combines legal and business consulting services to identify risks and implement customized improvements. When disputes do arise, we focus on securing insurance coverage, negotiating prompt resolution, and helping clients avoid repeating the same mistake twice.
Food & Beverage
The food and beverage industry is exciting and dynamic, requiring counsel with specialized legal knowledge and industry experience. Bill’s clients turn to him for assistance with industry specific contracts focusing on co-manufacturing, ingredient supply, warehousing, and distribution. He also assists with labeling and advertising, regulatory compliance, consumer complaints, and market withdrawal and recall actions.
Green Business
Based on our prior experience and success in helping to create the benefit corporation in California, we are often contacted by social entrepreneurs and non-profits seeking to form or restructure a business that prioritizes environmental and social considerations.
We help founders define and protect their eco-social values through corporate governance. We help non-profits scale the impact of their revenue-generating programs by attracting investors while protecting their missions through benefit corporation structures. We also advise larger, established companies on change management processes to implement environmental practices.
Renewables
We’ve been at the center of the solar industry for the past 20 years. Donald is long-time general counsel to the California Solar and Storage Association with his finger on the pulse of this constantly-changing industry. We advise contractors, owners, and financiers on all aspects of the project development, design, and construction process, as well as the various ownership, leasing, and power purchase agreement structures available. Our contract templates are in use throughout California and the nation. Our specialized knowledge and unrivaled experience helps clients achieve their goals with minimal surprises.
Real Estate & Land use
REAL ESTATE: Our office assists clients with a broad spectrum of complex commercial real estate transactions. We counsel landowners when acquiring, developing, constructing, financing and selling their real property. We represent both landlords and tenants with office, retail, industrial and ground leases. Stratagem’s clients also include real estate professionals such as architects, engineers and brokers. The firm’s areas of expertise include: purchase and sale, acquisition and construction financing, leasing, unlawful detainer issues, co-tenancies, brokerage relationships, easements and licenses, lot line adjustments, adverse possession and prescriptive rights, CCR’s and other title restrictions, and deed of trust foreclosure.
LAND USE: Stratagem LLP also assists clients through all phases of the entitlement process for development and use of real property. We help both small property owners and large developers navigate the often complex web of land use regulations controlling the use of real property. Working intimately with a client’s project team, our attorneys serve as a liaison to staff of the oversight agency to speed project approval, appear before governmental boards and commissions, and coordinate appeals of administrative determinations. We have expertise in: design review, conditional use applications, variances, zoning determinations, CEQA environmental review, historic preservation issues, and administrative appeals.
