“I’ve always considered Grellas Shah to be one of the best law firms for startups. They’ve got a lot of experience without the overhead of larger firms.”
— Darby Wong (Clerky)
San Francisco’s Boutique Business Litigation & Startup Firm
Grellas Shah LLP is a full-service boutique law firm with its San Francisco office at 550 California Street, Suite 1040 — right in the heart of the Financial District. We represent startups, technology companies, founders, executives, investors, and closely-held businesses across San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and California in both complex business litigation and startup, technology, and venture law matters. Our attorneys bring AmLaw-caliber trial and transactional experience combined with the founder-focus, agility, and reasonable pricing of a true boutique.
CHAMBERS 2026 Ranked in Litigation: General Commercial
2 OFFICES San Francisco • New York
BOUTIQUE FIRM Big-firm experience. Founder-focused.
Practice areas
Complex business litigation and startup / technology / venture law for San Francisco companies, founders, and investors. Our two anchor practices are supported by the full range of corporate services growing companies need.
Commercial Litigation
When a San Francisco business dispute escalates — shareholder actions, contract fights, trade-secret claims, securities litigation — you need lawyers who have handled the toughest cases. Our litigation team brings AmLaw-caliber depth to complex commercial disputes from pre-litigation strategy to trial and appeal.
Startup, Technology & Venture Law
From day-one formation through Series financings and exit, Grellas Shah counsels San Francisco startups through the full arc of company-building. We handle entity structure, equity, SAFEs, priced rounds, contracts, IP, and M&A — with the attention only a boutique can provide.
Founder & Shareholder Disputes
Founder disputes are among the most damaging events a startup can face. When co-founders disagree on direction, equity, or control — or when boards and management end up at odds — we bring rare startup fluency combined with real litigation muscle.
Trade Secret & IP Litigation
San Francisco’s economy runs on ideas — and the fights that erupt when they’re copied or stolen. We litigate trade-secret misappropriation, employee-mobility disputes, technology and copyright claims, and complex IP matters on both plaintiff and defense sides.
Corporate, Contracts & M&A
Entity formation, corporate governance, commercial contracts, licensing, joint ventures, financings, and M&A from term sheet through closing. Whether inking a partnership, closing a Series A, or selling the company, we handle it end-to-end.
Employment, Securities & Regulatory
Executive-level employment disputes, stock-option litigation, securities claims, and regulatory inquiries. Grellas Shah has counsel and courtroom experience across the full spectrum of business-related matters SF companies encounter.
WHY GRELLAS SHAH
Big-Firm Experience. Boutique Focus.
Chambers & Partners Recognized
Ranked in the Chambers & Partners Spotlight California 2026 guide for Litigation: General Commercial — the international benchmark for law firm rankings.
AmLaw Experience, Boutique Scale
Our partners built their trial and transactional records at leading AmLaw firms before founding Grellas Shah. San Francisco clients get big-firm caliber work with the direct partner attention only a boutique offers.
Founder-Focused, Conflict-Free
Unlike large firms tied to every VC and later-stage acquirer, we maintain a founder-focused practice free of divided loyalties. When we represent a startup, we represent the startup.
SERVICE AREA
Proudly Serving San Francisco & the Bay Area
From our Financial District office at 550 California Street, we serve companies, founders, and investors across San Francisco and the Bay Area — with an additional office in New York.
San Francisco Neighborhoods
- Financial District
- SoMa
- Mission Bay
- Mission District
- Potrero Hill
- Dogpatch
- Nob Hill
- Pacific Heights
- Marina
- Presidio
- North Beach
- Hayes Valley
- Castro
- Noe Valley
Peninsula & Silicon Valley
- Palo Alto
- Menlo Park
- Mountain View
- Sunnyvale
- Cupertino
- San Jose
East Bay
- Oakland
- Berkeley
- Emeryville
- Alameda
San Francisco (Primary)
550 California Street, Suite 1040San Francisco, CA 94104
New York
447 Broadway, 2nd Floor #576New York, NY 10013
OUR TEAM
Meet the Partners Serving San Francisco
Partners with big-firm pedigrees and boutique commitment — working directly with clients, not delegating to layers of associates.
George Grellas
Founding Counsel
Dhaivat Shah
Partner
David Siegel
Partner
Mital Makadia
Partner
Mital Makadia is a trusted advisor to startup founders, serving as outside general counsel to early-stage and growth-stage technology companies across a wide range of industries. She works closely with founders…
Seth Kugler
Partner
Seth Kugler focuses on complex commercial litigation including disputes related to corporate governance and breach of fiduciary duties, trade secret and IP misappropriation, breach of contract, real estate, and defamation….
Recognized in Chambers & Partners Spotlight California 2026
Ranked in Litigation: General Commercial — the international benchmark for law firm rankings.
CLIENT VOICES
What San Francisco Founders & GCs Say
Grellas Shah delivered big-firm caliber legal work without the big-firm bureaucracy. Our partner was personally involved on every substantive issue — and the outcome exceeded what we expected.
— Founder, San Francisco Technology Company
We came to Grellas Shah after being frustrated by the impersonal service and conflicts at a large firm. They understand what founders actually care about — and they fight for the company.
— CEO, Series A Startup, SoMa
When a former executive tried to misappropriate our trade secrets, Grellas Shah handled the litigation start to finish. Their trial team was outstanding.
— General Counsel, SF Bay Area Tech Company
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of San Francisco clients does Grellas Shah typically represent?
What makes Grellas Shah different from a large San Francisco law firm?
Do you handle both litigation and transactional startup work?
Where is your San Francisco office located?
550 California Street, Suite 1040, San Francisco, CA 94104 — in the Financial District. We also have an office in New York (447 Broadway, 2nd Floor #576).
What if my dispute involves a competitor, former employee, or co-founder?
How do we get started?
Let’s Work Together
Our litigation team has depth of experience representing clients in the full range of business, tech/IP, securities, employment, and white-collar-defense matters — from founder disputes to complex commercial claims.
Based in San Francisco and serving clients throughout Silicon Valley and California, we represent businesses, founders, executives, and investors in complex disputes and deals.