SSM PC ("SSM") is a women- and minority-owned boutique law firm in San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, and Austin. We represent micro venture capital funds, technology companies, 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 26, 2023 - 5:30 PM PST - Interview with Melissa Reaves at "Founders Live Seattle" at The Collective
Kelly Lawon-Abbott of SSM will be MC'ing as the Seattle City Leader for Founders Live Seattle. This month, there will be a special interview with Melissa Reaves from Story Fruition, LLC, about her upcoming book, "The Storyteller's Mind Movie: Become an Emotionally Connected Leader Through Your Storytelling Skills." After the interview, join us for drinks, networking, and help us choose one of five startups to win the top prize for this Founders Live Pitch Contest.
January 26, 2023 - 12:00 PM PST -"Leveraging the Power of We: Attorneys Forming Partnerships and Other Associations" for BASF's Solo and Small Firm Section
Teela Smith of SSM, Cassidy Chrivers of Barron & Newburger, and Christopher A. Karachale of Hanson Bridgett will speak on a panel moderated by Katherine Zarate Dulany of Zarate Dulany Law to regarding options available to leverage help from other attorneys, along with various corporate, tax, and legal ethics considerations when forming partnerships and other associations.
January 26, 2023 - 5:30 PM PST - "How to Raise Money: Current VC Financing Stats and Trends in 2023" for Founders Live
As San Francisco's City Leader for Founders Live, Lindsey S. Mignano of SSM, alongside First Republic Bank and Broad Spectrum Insurance, will be hosting a dinner-and-drinks Pitch Contest for Founders Live. Prior to the Pitch Contest, SSM and VC panelists will provide a short informative panel about what it takes to raise money for early stage companies, how to approach investors, and how to structure seed v. priced round investments.
March 3, 2023 - 12 - 2 pm PST - Presentation for SwissNex SF
Lindsey S. Mignano will present for the SwissNex Climate Tech Cohort on March 2, 2023 over lunch at SwissNex San Francisco. They will discuss the current state of venture financing for climate tech companies as well as how to flip into a US vehicle to procure American venture financing. This event is invite only.
March 16, 2023 - 5:30 pm PST - "How to scale and build Out Startup Teams After Financing Event" for Founders Live
As Founders Live San Francisco City Leader, SSM is excited to host a pitch contest between five startups and a panel titled "How to scale and build Out Startup Teams After Financing Event". As more early stage startups receive larger amounts of investment at the seed and Series A than ever before, the next question becomes, how does a founder grow and scale startup teams and preserve enough financial runway for a rainy day? Join us for an informative panel where we’ll be discussing topics such as how to attract and retain diverse talent, how to ensure that your financial runway is sound in times of expansion, and how to best work with your investors after a raise to ensure success. Join us for food, wine, beer, networking and great tips on how to grow your business. Panelists
March 28, 2023 - 4:00PM PST - 5:15PM PST - "Venture Capital Financing and Mergers & Acquisitions in 2023" for Bar Association of San Francisco
Lindsey Mignano of SSM will be moderating a panel comprised of Daniel Parames of Cooley, Theresa Tate of Morrison & Foerster, Liana Whittleton of WSGR, and Danny Lopez of Orrick regarding "Venture Capital Financing and Mergers & Acquisitions in 2023" for the Bar Association of San Francisco. The startup financing and market for acquisitions had a red-hot 2021, but fast-forward through 2022 and to the start of 2023, and startup funding and M&A deal activity has slowed substantially. In 2022, Crunchbase reported that global venture funding totaled $445 billion, a 35% year-over-year decline from the $681 billion startups raised in 2021. This represented an even steeper pullback than was experienced after the 2008 financial crisis or dot-com bubble, per Preqin data reported byBloomberg. What does this trend mean for the companies raising capital or seeking acquisition, the venture or private equity funds deploying capital, and the corporate lawyers representing them in these transactions, in 2023? How will the current economic market in 2023 affect the negotiating power of the parties, and the ways in which corporate counsel may advise their clients? Join us for a panel comprised of experts in the Emerging Companies/Venture Capital (EC/VC) and M&A fields as we talk shop about these issues and more.