Business Contract Attorney
Delina Yasmeh drafts, reviews, and redlines business contracts for California entrepreneurs, creators, and founders, written to hold up when the deal is tested, not just to document it.
Get Started →The contract you sign determines what you can enforce.
Most business disputes are not about what happened. They are about what was written down. A contract without clear payment terms, intellectual-property ownership language, and termination provisions is not a contract. It is a handshake with more words.
California courts enforce contracts based on what the document says, not what you intended. Where your contract is silent on a term, California's Commercial Code fills the gap with a default rule that may not be the rule you would have chosen. Delina drafts contracts that address those gaps explicitly, so the agreement holds up when it is tested, in diligence, in a dispute, or in front of a court.
Creators and digital entrepreneurs face specific contract issues that generic business templates do not address: content licensing rights, exclusivity windows, approval rights over how their name and likeness are used, and kill fees. These are not minor details. They determine whether a brand deal is profitable or a liability.
If your business involves partnerships or co-founders, a proper LLC operating agreement is the foundational contract governing your business relationship, before any client-facing contracts come into play.
Contract drafting and review for every business relationship.
Master Service Agreements & SOWs
MSAs and statements of work that separate the durable framework terms from the project-specific deliverables, with a data processing addendum where personal data is involved, so one agreement carries multiple projects without renegotiation.
Founder & Co-Founder Agreements
Equity allocation, vesting and reverse vesting, acceleration triggers, the good-leaver and bad-leaver framework, IP contributions, and the dispute-resolution mechanics that keep a founder departure from becoming litigation.
NDAs & IP Assignment
Mutual and unilateral NDAs, plus the Confidential Information and Invention Assignment Agreements drafted to comply with California’s carve-outs, including the specific notice an invention assignment needs to be enforceable.
Brand Deal & Creator Contracts
Sponsorship, licensing, and brand-partnership agreements with the usage windows, category exclusivity, name-and-likeness approval rights, and kill fees that determine whether a brand deal is profitable or a liability.
Independent Contractor & Vendor Agreements
Contractor and vendor agreements calibrated to California’s AB5 worker-classification framework, with the IP assignment and the limited restrictive covenants California’s non-compete law actually permits.
Counterparty Review & Redlines
When the other side sends the draft, Delina flags the one-sided indemnification, the over-long survival periods, the IP overreach, and the missing late-payment terms, and produces a redline that moves the deal to standard commercial terms without expanding the negotiation.
What most people want to know.
Do I need a business contract attorney for a small business?
Every business relationship that involves money, deliverables, or intellectual property should have a written contract. The question is not whether you need a contract, it is whether the contract you have actually protects you. Templates are better than nothing. Attorney-drafted contracts are better than templates.
What is the difference between a business attorney and a contract attorney?
A business attorney advises on the full legal picture: entity structure, tax strategy, contracts, and compliance. A contract attorney focuses specifically on drafting and reviewing agreements. Delina does both, she understands how your contracts fit into your broader business and tax strategy.
How much does it cost to have a contract drafted in California?
Contract drafting fees vary based on complexity. A straightforward service agreement may be $500 to $1,500. A licensing agreement or partnership agreement involving IP rights, revenue sharing, or equity will cost more. Delina structures all engagements through a tailored engagement model.
The contract types clients ask for by name.
Partnership Agreement Attorney
Agreements for general partnerships, LPs, and LLPs, with the buy-sell mechanics that govern when a partner exits.
Read →Licensing Agreement Lawyer
Inbound and outbound licenses for trademark, copyright, software, and brand IP, with scope, royalties, and termination calibrated to the deal.
Read →Retainer Agreement Attorney
Recurring-engagement contracts for consultants, agencies, creative professionals, and fractional executives.
Read →Further reading on business contracts.
How does a MSA work?
Master service agreement basics, explained without the fluff. Learn how an MSA works, what it must include, and when a template isn't enough.
How do I protect myself as a 1099 employee?
How serious is signing an NDA?
How to Write an Independent Contractor Agreement That Actually Holds Up
Can You Make an NDA Agreement Yourself?
Is an MSA the same as an NDA?
What are the 7 requirements of a valid contract?
Ready to stop operating on handshakes?
Every business relationship that involves money or intellectual property should have a written contract that reflects the actual deal. Tell us your situation, what agreements your business needs and what they should say.
Get Started →