Smith Shapourian Mignano PC is a women- and minority-owned boutique law firm in San Francisco. We represent micro venture capital funds, technology startups, and industry-adjacent service providers who are forming and scaling their companies, fundraising, 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
January 13, 2022 - 12 - 1 pm PST - "How to Craft DEI Policies: The Role of Written DEI Policies in Recruiting, Retaining, and Advancing the Equity of Women and/or Minorities in Law Firms" for the Bar Association of San Francisco
According to the American Bar Association’s Winter 2020 report, “[t]he legal profession is generally perceived as lagging behind other professions and industries in the area of diversity and inclusion (D&I). Although there are many notable exceptions, women and minorities are often under-represented at law firms and in-house law departments, particularly in leadership positions. They also often receive lower compensation than non-diverse attorneys and are excluded from, or overlooked for, other important law firm and law department roles, opportunities, and benefits.” Lindsey S. Mignano will moderate a panel comprised of Terrance Evans of Duane Morris, David Nied of Ad Astra Law Group, Cristina Piechocki of Littler Mendelson, and Vidhya Prabhakaran of Davis Wright Tremaine in which they discuss how law firms can implement non-performative, impactful written DEI policies so that more women and/or minorities become equity partners in law firms.
March 15, 2022 - 12 - 1:15 pm PST - "Legal Careers - Everything You Always Wanted to Know" for the Bar Association of San Francisco
The field of corporate law provides rich opportunities for lawyers to interact with emerging and growth companies, venture capital funds, corporate venture capital clients, and private equity clients. Lawyers generally assist companies with a full range of “legal services,” including formation, flips, and financings, mergers & acquisitions, licensing deals, commercial contracts, executive compensation, labor & employment, and corporate governance. Neda Shapourian will be speaking on the panel with Danny Lopez of Orrick, William Newsom of Cooley, Eric Hsu of Wilson Sonsini, and Angela Kwok of AmyriAD Pharma, Inc. regarding what practitioners from law firms and corporations do on a day-to-day basis, and their perspectives on hiring. Matthew Lewis of Morgan Lewis Bockius will moderate.
March 22, 2022 10 - 11:30 am PST - "Venture Capital Fund Formation, Fund Management, and Deployment of Capital: Top Tips for VCs in 2022" for Strafford
The panel will examine the formation and structuring of VC funds and discuss the various relationships between the fund and its limited partners, fund managers, and portfolio companies. The panel will also discuss different ways to approach deploying venture capital and investment documents and terms, including voting rights, preferred stock, and more. Angela Lyons-Justus will speak on the panel with co-panelists Rita Astoor of Carta and Bobak Emamian of Debut Capital.
April 7, 2022 - 12 - 1:15 pm PST - "Doing Business Internationally: How Companies can Fundraise, Expand, and Hire in the US and Abroad" for the Bar Association of San Francisco
Angela Lyons-Justus will speak on a panel comprised of Jonathan Goldworthy of Bird & Bird and Kiki Stannard of Zedra regarding why some foreign companies may set up subsidiaries versus flip when coming to the United States; what American companies need to know when expanding or hiring abroad in Europe and Asia in terms of employment, immigration, and intellectual property protection; tax ramifications of cross-border operations; and when setting up a PEO is advisable or not.