Bay Area Business Law Firm for Growth Companies, Founders, and Business Owners
Sutter Law, P.C. is a business law firm for growth-stage and established companies and the people who build, run, and invest in them. We represent companies, founders, business owners, executives, investors, and funds on the transactions, contracts, financings, governance matters, and disputes that arise as businesses scale, with experienced counsel and without the staffing model and overhead of a large law firm.
Our attorneys work directly with clients. The lawyer who understands your business stays involved, whether the matter is an enterprise agreement that needs to close this week, a financing, an acquisition, a dispute with a co-founder or partner, an executive equity package, or an ongoing outside general counsel relationship.
We also represent startups from formation onward, from founder equity and a first friends-and-family or angel investment through seed financing, venture capital, acquisitions, and exit. Call (415) 341-2888 or book a free consultation below.
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Experienced Counsel Without the Big Law Staffing Model
Growing companies, business owners, and executives often reach a point where their legal matters are too important for ad hoc advice, but a large law firm may be more expensive and more heavily staffed than the matter requires. Sutter Law is designed for that middle ground: experienced business attorneys who remain directly involved, understand the business and the people behind it, and can move between day-to-day legal work and major transactions.
Clients come to us for direct access, responsive communication, and better visibility into legal spend, and every new client relationship starts with a free consultation. We focus on the legal issues that affect economics, control, timing, operations, and risk rather than adding layers of review that do not improve the business decision.
Business Law Help for Individuals
You do not need to be a company to work with us. Founders, business owners, executives, and investors come to Sutter Law for advice on business matters that affect them personally, from an equity grant or partnership agreement to a buyout or a dispute with a co-founder. If you are not sure whether your situation is a fit, a free consultation is a good place to start.
Founders & Co-Founders
Founder equity and vesting, co-founder agreements, and disputes over ownership, control, or a founder’s departure.
Business Owners & Partners
Forming or restructuring a business, partner and shareholder agreements, buyouts, and buying or selling a company.
Executives & Key Employees
Reviewing and negotiating offer letters, compensation, stock options, severance, and exit packages before you sign.
Angel Investors & Shareholders
Reviewing SAFEs, notes, and stock investments, investor rights, minority shareholder rights, and secondary sales.
Outside General Counsel
Many growing companies need regular legal support but do not need a full internal legal department. Sutter Law serves as outside general counsel for companies that want a senior attorney who understands the business, answers questions quickly, and can coordinate larger matters when they arise.
Our work includes commercial contracts, board and governance matters, employment issues, equity matters, financings, acquisitions, disputes, privacy, intellectual property, and AI-related legal questions. We also support lean in-house legal teams with overflow work, transactions, and specialty matters.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Sutter Law represents strategic buyers, founders, business owners, and private companies in acquisitions and exits, including owners selling the business they built. We handle tuck-in acquisitions, asset purchases, stock purchases, mergers, technology acquisitions, acqui-hires, and founder-led sales from initial deal discussions through closing.
Our M&A work includes letters of intent, deal structure, legal due diligence, purchase agreements, disclosure schedules, earn-outs, indemnification, equity rollover, key-employee arrangements, closing, and post-closing matters, coordinated with tax and financial advisors on structure and Section 1202 QSBS issues.
Financing from Friends and Family Through Venture Capital
Companies raise capital differently at each stage. An early friends-and-family or angel investment may be documented with a SAFE, convertible note, or direct equity issuance. Seed rounds introduce institutional diligence and more formal investor rights. Venture capital rounds add preferred stock, board rights, protective provisions, liquidation preferences, and increasingly complex governance.
We represent companies, founders, and individual and institutional investors across that lifecycle, including angel and pre-seed financings, seed rounds, SAFEs, convertible notes, Series A and later venture capital rounds, growth equity, venture debt, credit facilities, and secondary transactions.
Commercial Contracts
Commercial contracts are where legal advice meets revenue and operations. We draft and negotiate enterprise MSAs, SaaS agreements, licensing agreements, reseller and channel arrangements, vendor contracts, DPAs, security addenda, statements of work, and other technology transactions.
For companies with recurring contract volume, we also develop standard templates, fallback provisions, negotiation playbooks, and contracting processes that help sales and procurement teams move faster while keeping material legal risks consistent across deals.
Shareholder, Founder & Investor Disputes
Ownership disputes can disrupt financings, acquisitions, governance, and day-to-day operations. We represent companies, boards, founders, executives, shareholders, and investors in disputes involving control, equity, fiduciary duties, executive departures, minority shareholder rights, books-and-records demands, investor conflicts, and post-closing earn-outs.
We focus first on protecting the client’s position and finding a business resolution where possible. When necessary, we pursue or defend claims in mediation, arbitration, or litigation.
Private Equity
We represent private equity investors, family offices, independent sponsors, portfolio companies, and owners taking private equity capital, including platform and add-on acquisitions, minority and growth investments, recapitalizations, management equity, rollover transactions, portfolio company matters, and exits.
For owners receiving private equity investment, we pay particular attention to what happens after closing: rollover equity, incentive equity, governance rights, employment terms, liquidity rights, and the conditions that affect the value of the owner’s retained stake.
Corporate Structuring and Governance
As companies grow, their corporate structure often needs to change. New business lines, operations in other states or countries, financing requirements, liability separation, and acquisition planning may require subsidiaries, holding companies, reorganizations, conversions, or changes to governance.
We advise on California and Delaware entities, subsidiaries, holding-company structures, foreign qualification, reorganizations, conversions, board and officer matters, corporate housekeeping, and preparation for financings or exits.
Shareholder Agreements, Equity Plans and Secondary Sales
Equity becomes more complicated as a company grows. Founder arrangements evolve into multi-class capitalization, investor rights, option and RSU plans, executive grants, transfer restrictions, tender offers, and secondary sales.
We advise companies, founders, executives, employees, and shareholders on shareholder and buy-sell agreements, equity incentive plans, secondary transactions, tender offers, transfer restrictions, rights of first refusal, drag-along and tag-along provisions, 83(b) elections, QSBS planning, and related governance.
Intellectual Property, Privacy and AI
For technology companies, intellectual property, data, privacy, and AI increasingly overlap. A customer contract may address data use and model training. An acquisition may depend on clean IP assignments. An enterprise sale may require a DPA, security addendum, and detailed representations about AI functionality.
We advise on trademark portfolios, licensing and technology agreements, IP ownership and assignments, CCPA/CPRA and GDPR compliance, DPAs, AI governance, AI vendor agreements, data rights, and AI-related diligence.
Startups and Emerging Growth Companies
We continue to work with founders from the beginning. We form companies, prepare founder stock and vesting documents, address 83(b) elections and IP assignments, and document early investments from friends and family, angel investors, accelerators, and seed funds.
As financing becomes more institutional, we handle SAFEs, convertible notes, seed rounds, preferred stock financings, venture capital, board governance, commercial contracts, employment matters, and equity plans, so clients can continue with the same firm as they grow.
Who We Represent
Our clients range from individual founders and business owners to established private companies managing complex transactions and operations. We regularly represent:
- Growth-stage technology companies
- Established privately held companies with revenue and complex operations
- Boards of directors and executive teams
- Founders, co-founders, and business partners
- Entrepreneurs and owners of closely held and family businesses
- Executives and key employees negotiating compensation, equity, or severance
- Shareholders and LLC members protecting their ownership rights
- Individual angel investors, as well as venture capital investors, private equity investors, family offices, and funds
- Early-stage startups from formation through financing and growth
- Lean in-house legal teams that need overflow or specialty support
Our clients operate across software and SaaS, artificial intelligence, fintech, blockchain, digital media, professional services, commercial real estate, healthcare, e-commerce, and consumer products.
Counsel That Can Stay With the Company as It Grows
A company’s legal needs change quickly. Formation and founder equity become friends-and-family and angel financings. Seed financing becomes institutional venture capital and board governance. A standard customer agreement becomes an enterprise MSA with privacy, security, and AI requirements. A financing may lead to a secondary transaction, acquisition, or exit.
Our practice is structured around that progression. The same firm that helps with day-to-day corporate and commercial work can step into a financing, acquisition, shareholder dispute, or other significant matter without requiring the company to start over with new counsel.
Why Companies Choose Sutter Law
Experienced Attorneys Directly Involved
Clients work directly with the attorneys responsible for their matters. Senior lawyers remain involved in the legal analysis, negotiations, and business decisions rather than appearing only at the beginning or end of an engagement.
Responsive Communication
Business decisions often cannot wait several days for legal input. We prioritize prompt communication and generally respond to client questions the same or next business day.
Business-First Advice
We explain the practical risk, available options, and business consequences so you can make a decision with confidence. The objective is not simply to identify every theoretical legal issue; it is to help you move forward with an informed understanding of the tradeoffs.
Predictable Ways to Budget Legal Work
Depending on the matter, we offer hourly billing, flat fees for defined projects, capped fees, and monthly outside-counsel arrangements. For larger transactions, we discuss scope, staffing, and expected fees before substantial work begins.
Bay Area Counsel With National and International Reach
Sutter Law is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and regularly handles matters involving California and Delaware entities, counterparties throughout the United States, and international founders, investors, subsidiaries, and commercial relationships. Meet our attorneys →
Support for In-House Legal Teams
Companies with an internal legal function use Sutter Law when their team needs additional capacity or transaction experience without adding permanent headcount. We can handle contract overflow, financings, M&A, corporate governance, equity matters, disputes, privacy, intellectual property, AI, and other projects that would otherwise require additional internal resources or separate specialist firms.
We can work directly with the general counsel or legal team, take ownership of a defined workstream, or serve as additional deal counsel during periods of unusually high volume.
What Our Clients Say
★★★★★
“Worked with this firm for a long time. Every single person is friendly, knowledgable and professional. I strongly recommend them for any legal needs, large or small”
Stavros Lee
Google review
★★★★★
“Eric Milliken and the team at Sutter Law have been extremely helpful to our angel investment organization and several startups we have worked with. With any legal issue or question we have had, Sutter has provided excellent legal advice and guidance. Eric is very generous with his time and is our go to recommendation for anyone in the startup space needing legal assistance.”
Philip King
Google review
★★★★★
“I used Sutter law when forming my corporation, the service was excellent, they answer all my questions and did a great job explaining every step of the way. Would definitely recommend them.”
Servando Fregoso
Google review
★★★★★
“The Sutter team has been extremely helpful at getting my startup up and going and our contracts together so we could work with clients.
Habeeb and Eric are extremely supportive to startup founders and I recommend them. :)”
Sean Bovell
Google review
★★★★★
“They ensured my position was protected from start to finish. The result was a smooth and confident outcome. The team were a pleasure to work with at every step, highly recommended.”
Barry Watts
Google review
★★★★★
“Sutter Law is a great legal team that has helped our company from the beginning, first from setting up our corp in a professional manner (along with speaking with our accountant to determine the right corporate structure) to guiding us along the way through the pitfalls of business for the past 11 years. What we like most is that they are down-to-earth humans with compassion and truly want us to succeed (we are a very small company and it’s tough in the big city). We appreciate their legal help and friendship over the years and recommend their services to anyone. Good folk.”
Orange Sky Adventures
Google review
Read more client reviews (11)
★★★★★
“I have trusted Eric and his team across several companies and have been a client for over a decade. I could not recommend a winning professional more highly. Unmatched skill. Deep integrity. Great value. I intend to be a client for life.”
Corey Hunter · Google review
★★★★★
“Eric and his team are exceptional in both design and execution in helping Early Stage Startups get moving in the right direction. Personally, can attest to the fact that I’ve never heard any negative feedback from anyone in the 10+ years I’ve been dealing with Sutter Legal. A legal no-brainer for any Startup that wants to succeed in the Startup world.”
George Parrish · Google review
★★★★★
“We’ve worked with lawyers from around the country and Eric and his team are the BEST! Top notch legal advice and super friendly and knowledgeable. A joy to work with and that’s saying something when it comes to lawyers =)”
Zac Cataldo · Google review
★★★★★
“Eric and his team have been handling my legal needs for 15+ years and I couldn’t endorse anyone more emphatically!
I’ve referred multiple people to Sutter Legal and will continue to do so. Eric’s firm has helped me from hectic startup incorporations to graceful exits, and on all the legal questions in-between. I trust Eric’s advice and experience, and feel lucky to have found an attorney in the Bay who works with such focus, resolve, and ethical clarity.”
Nicholas Reed · Google review
★★★★★
“Sutter Law is a great legal team to work with. We have enjoyed working with Eric Milliken. As you’d expect, Eric is very knowledgeable about law and he understands the practical aspects of business and technology as well. His experience and insights have helped us in many business situations with contracts and other areas. I like his personal approach. Highly recommend him.”
Yash Sharman · Google review
★★★★★
“I received expert legal advice regarding an agreement between my co-founder and me.
Eric was incredibly knowledgeable and took the time to explain everything clearly, offering multiple solutions and providing a comprehensive overview of the topic.
He not only guided me toward the best course of action but also made the entire process easy to understand.
I’m very glad I found them and would absolutely turn to them again for help with company formation, drafting SAFEs, or any other legal matters.
Highly recommend!”
Karl-Gustav Kallasmaa · Google review
★★★★★
“Working with Eric Milliken and his team has been a great experience. Their professional, knowledgeable, and easy to talk to. Eric kept me informed every step of the way and always took the time to explain things clearly. He’s responsive, reliable, and truly cares about his clients. I’d definitely recommend him to anyone looking for a trustworthy attorney.”
Abed Abushi · Google review
★★★★★
“I had a great experience with Sutter Law. Mr. Milliken was very helpful in consulting over my first CIIAA agreement. In addition to being knowledgeable and experienced on CIIAA agreements, I found him to be friendly, egalitarian, and encouraging, which made for a very pleasant experience. I will seek and recommend Sutter Law’s services in the future.”
Oak Hallet · Google review
★★★★★
“Eric was incredibly generous with his time and expertise, providing pro bono advice that was both practical and reassuring during a stressful situation. He was friendly, easy to talk to, and clearly knowledgeable — his guidance gave me a clear path forward when I needed it most. Highly recommend.”
Calvin Yeung · Google review
★★★★★
“I met with Erik Milliken today, and his consult was very practical, respectful, and easy to understand. I was referred to him by a colleague of mine and would easily refer him as well.”
Bryton Mays · Google review
★★★★★
“Talked with Mr. Eric H. Milliken for a consultation and he was very thorough and informative in his opinion about my case. He gave options on how to proceed with my case and told me what the facts are without any misleading info!!
He even went out of his way to refer me to someone who can help me with my particular case.
I highly recommend him as a business owner and will go back to him for more advices.”
Akram Assaf, Floor Choice LLC · Google review
★★★★★ Rated 4.8 out of 5 from 23 Google reviews · Read all reviews on Google →
These testimonials and endorsements do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.
Frequently Asked Questions: Business and Corporate Counsel
How is Sutter Law different from a large law firm?
Our model emphasizes direct access to experienced attorneys, responsive communication, and staffing appropriate to the size and complexity of the matter. Clients are not paying for unnecessary layers of lawyers or large-firm overhead.
Do you offer a free consultation?
Yes. We offer a free initial consultation to discuss your company’s legal needs, answer questions, and explain how we can help. Use the consultation form at the top of this page or call 415-341-2888.
Who do you represent?
We represent growth-stage and established private companies and the individuals connected to them, including founders, business owners, executives, shareholders, and investors. We also represent early-stage startups from formation and their first outside investments through institutional financings and growth.
Do you work with individuals, or only with companies?
We work with both. Individuals regularly come to us for business law matters such as founder and co-founder agreements, partnership and shareholder disputes, buying or selling a business, executive compensation and equity, severance and exit packages, and angel investments. If your matter involves a business, we are happy to talk it through in a free consultation.
Do you work with friends-and-family, angel, and seed financings?
Yes. We advise companies and investors on early financings, including friends-and-family investments, angel and pre-seed rounds, seed financings, SAFEs, convertible notes, and equity issuances. We also help companies prepare for the governance, capitalization, and securities issues that become more important in later venture rounds.
Can we move our matters from our current law firm?
Yes. We can coordinate the transition, review existing corporate and contract records, identify active matters and deadlines, and get up to speed with minimal disruption to ongoing work.
Do you serve as outside general counsel?
Yes. We provide ongoing outside general counsel support for companies without a full in-house legal team and overflow or specialty support for companies with lean legal departments.
Do you offer alternative fee arrangements?
Yes. Depending on the matter, we offer flat fees for defined projects, capped fees, monthly outside-counsel arrangements, and traditional hourly billing.
Where are you located and where do you represent clients?
Sutter Law is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and serves clients throughout California, nationally, and internationally. Many corporate and transactional matters can be handled efficiently without the client being located near our office.
When should we contact corporate counsel?
Ideally before a significant commitment is made. Bringing counsel in before signing a financing term sheet, major customer contract, acquisition LOI, ownership agreement, or other binding document usually provides more options and reduces the cost of correcting issues later.
Business Law Resources from the Sutter Law Blog
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Looking for an Experienced Business Lawyer?
Whether you are a company that needs ongoing outside general counsel, a founder raising an early round, a business owner planning a sale, an executive reviewing an equity package, or a shareholder in a dispute with your partners, Sutter Law can help.
Schedule a free consultation or call 415-341-2888. We serve companies in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and throughout the Bay Area, California, nationally, and internationally.