Smith Shapourian Mignano PC is a women- and minority-owned boutique law firm in San Francisco, representing startups and small businesses. We are an innovative and enterprising law firm, utilizing up-to-the-minute technology to maximize our efficiency and effectiveness so as to offer clients a high-touch, high-quality experience.
Our clients include growth-stage tech and cannabis entrepreneurs who are forming and scaling their companies; traditional small businesses, micro-funds, and professional services firms who seek to form, buy, sell, merge or dissolve; and businesses or founders involved in disputes with their former companies, employees, partners, investors, service providers, or customers.
Our clients include growth-stage tech and cannabis entrepreneurs who are forming and scaling their companies; traditional small businesses, micro-funds, and professional services firms who seek to form, buy, sell, merge or dissolve; and businesses or founders involved in disputes with their former companies, employees, partners, investors, service providers, or customers.
upcoming events
January 27, 2021 - 12 - 1:15 pm PST - Panel for the Bar Association of San Francisco
Lindsey S. Mignano will moderate a panel entitled "Succession Planning: Considerations in Estate Planning, Employment & Ethics" with panelists Bryan Kirk, the Director of Financial and Estate Planning at Fiduciary Trust Company International, Adam Koss of KOSS FIRM, and Katherine Zarate Dulany of Zarate Dulany Law. Panelists will discuss ownership rules for professional corporations and law firm partnerships (CA Rule 5.4 and CA Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 3.157); issues with transferring law firm shares or partnership interests into a trust to avoid probate; whether a retiring “Of Counsel” can be properly classified as an independent contractor under AB5 in California; implications for “fee sharing” with retiring “Of Counsel” under Rule 1.5.1; and competency concerns arising from an untimely death.
Lindsey S. Mignano will moderate a panel entitled "Succession Planning: Considerations in Estate Planning, Employment & Ethics" with panelists Bryan Kirk, the Director of Financial and Estate Planning at Fiduciary Trust Company International, Adam Koss of KOSS FIRM, and Katherine Zarate Dulany of Zarate Dulany Law. Panelists will discuss ownership rules for professional corporations and law firm partnerships (CA Rule 5.4 and CA Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 3.157); issues with transferring law firm shares or partnership interests into a trust to avoid probate; whether a retiring “Of Counsel” can be properly classified as an independent contractor under AB5 in California; implications for “fee sharing” with retiring “Of Counsel” under Rule 1.5.1; and competency concerns arising from an untimely death.
February 4, 2021 - 9 am PST - Panel for Vouch Insurance
Lindsey S. Mignano, Travis Hedge of Vouch Insurance, Priya Saprisad of Mayfield Fund, Frank Mastronuzzi of Punch Financial, and Tim Young of Eniac Ventures with present a panel on the current state of the industry for early-stage startup founders, including topics such as Q1 2021 financing and acquisition trends in a Covid world for national and international startups; what early-stage American VCs are looking for in 2021 and the new realities of fundraising virtually; strategies for raising a pre-seed (ex. $500K) v. Series Seed (ex. $1-4M) v. Series A ($5-20M+) round in 2021 from your couch; and building and insuring a team after a successful venture raise.
Lindsey S. Mignano, Travis Hedge of Vouch Insurance, Priya Saprisad of Mayfield Fund, Frank Mastronuzzi of Punch Financial, and Tim Young of Eniac Ventures with present a panel on the current state of the industry for early-stage startup founders, including topics such as Q1 2021 financing and acquisition trends in a Covid world for national and international startups; what early-stage American VCs are looking for in 2021 and the new realities of fundraising virtually; strategies for raising a pre-seed (ex. $500K) v. Series Seed (ex. $1-4M) v. Series A ($5-20M+) round in 2021 from your couch; and building and insuring a team after a successful venture raise.
February 4, 2021 - 12 - 1:30 pm PST - Panel for the Contra Costa County Bar Association
Lindsey S. Mignano and Siegmar Pohl of Kilpatrick Townsend will speak on a panel entitled "Benefit Corporations v. "B Corps": What Are They and Why Do They Matter?" regarding benefit corporations (also known as public benefit corporations in Delaware), which allow social entrepreneurs to create for-profit corporate entities with goals of enacting a positive impact on society, workers, the surrounding community, and/or the environment, in addition to reaping a profit. This informative CLE provides the audience with a preliminary introduction to this type of business entity, an explanation of why a social entrepreneur might want to incorporate this entity, and requirements of and funding opportunities for (public) benefit corporations.
Lindsey S. Mignano and Siegmar Pohl of Kilpatrick Townsend will speak on a panel entitled "Benefit Corporations v. "B Corps": What Are They and Why Do They Matter?" regarding benefit corporations (also known as public benefit corporations in Delaware), which allow social entrepreneurs to create for-profit corporate entities with goals of enacting a positive impact on society, workers, the surrounding community, and/or the environment, in addition to reaping a profit. This informative CLE provides the audience with a preliminary introduction to this type of business entity, an explanation of why a social entrepreneur might want to incorporate this entity, and requirements of and funding opportunities for (public) benefit corporations.
February 24, 2021 - 2 - 3:15 pm PST - Panel for the Bar Association of San Francisco
Lindsey S. Mignano will moderate a panel entitled "Women & Minority Owned Law Firms: Addressing Intersectionality in Law Practice and Ownership of Law Firms" with panelists Natasha Allen of Allen and Hatcher, Ann Cun of Accel Visa Attorneys, Aravinda Sheshadri of Venturous Counsel, and Nnena Ukuku of Venture Gained Legal. This panel is being put on by the Barristers Racial Justice Initiative, Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area, and Black Women Lawyers Association of Northern California.
Lindsey S. Mignano will moderate a panel entitled "Women & Minority Owned Law Firms: Addressing Intersectionality in Law Practice and Ownership of Law Firms" with panelists Natasha Allen of Allen and Hatcher, Ann Cun of Accel Visa Attorneys, Aravinda Sheshadri of Venturous Counsel, and Nnena Ukuku of Venture Gained Legal. This panel is being put on by the Barristers Racial Justice Initiative, Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area, and Black Women Lawyers Association of Northern California.
