California · United States
Contract Lawyers for California Businesses
International contract lawyers, working remotely for startups and companies across California, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, and the Bay Area.
Tell us about your contract.
A contract to draft, one to review before you sign, or an existing non-compete you’re worried about, share the details and we’ll come back with a clear scope and fixed fee.
Or reach us directly
WhatsApp us · contact@mylegalpal.com
WhatsApp us · contact@mylegalpal.com
California Contract Law
California has some of the most distinctive contract rules in the country, an almost total ban on non-competes, a notoriously strict test for who counts as an independent contractor, and its own comprehensive data privacy law layered on top of whatever federal rules apply. A contract drafted for a generic US template, or for a different state’s assumptions, can contain clauses that are simply unenforceable here, or worse, expose you to penalties for including them at all. We draft and review contracts with California’s specific rules built in from the start.
Non-competes are void in California, almost without exception.
Under Business and Professions Code Section 16600, “every contract by which anyone is restrained from engaging in a lawful profession, trade, or business of any kind is to that extent void.” California’s Supreme Court has read this broadly: in Edwards v. Arthur Andersen LLP (2008), the Court explicitly rejected the “narrow restraint” exception that other states recognise, holding that even a reasonably tailored non-compete, limited in time, geography, and scope, is still void here. If you’re used to non-competes being enforceable when “reasonable,” as in Texas and most other states, that assumption doesn’t carry over to California.
This isn’t limited to employees. The ban applies to independent contractors too, and California’s strict ABC test for worker classification means labelling someone a contractor doesn’t create a workaround.
Two 2024 amendments made this stricter still. SB 699 (Section 16600.5) voids non-competes against California residents regardless of where or when the contract was signed, meaning a non-compete drafted under another state’s law can still be unenforceable the moment the person is in California. AB 1076 (Section 16600.1) required employers to send written notice, by February 14, 2024, to current and former employees that any non-compete they’d signed was void, with civil penalties of up to $2,500 per violation for failing to do so. The one meaningful exception that survives is a non-compete tied to the sale of a business’s goodwill, everything else needs to be built around confidentiality and trade secret protection instead, which remain fully enforceable on their own terms.
Worker classification
California applies a strict “ABC test” to determine whether someone is genuinely an independent contractor or should be classified as an employee, a standard significantly tougher than the looser tests used in most other states. Getting this wrong in a consultant or contractor agreement isn’t a drafting technicality, it can trigger back-pay, benefits, and tax exposure well after the relationship has ended. This matters constantly for California’s tech and startup companies, which rely heavily on contractor relationships that need to be structured correctly from the outset, not just labelled correctly.
California has its own privacy law, on top of federal rules.
The California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended and expanded by the California Privacy Rights Act, gives California residents specific data rights that most other states don’t provide, and imposes obligations on businesses collecting their data regardless of where the business itself is based. For SaaS, tech, and consumer-facing companies, this shapes your terms of service, privacy policy, and data processing agreements directly, generic US privacy language often isn’t enough on its own.
How it works
Share your requirement
Tell us the deal, the parties, and your priorities. Send an existing contract to review, or describe what you need drafted.
California-specific assessment
We flag anything that won’t hold up under California’s rules, non-compete language, worker classification, or privacy terms, before it becomes a problem.
Drafting or review
A fixed fee confirmed before work begins. No surprise billing.
Delivery with guidance
A clean document with a plain-language note on the key clauses and what’s actually enforceable here.
Revisions and support
Adjusted until the contract reflects exactly what you need, ready to sign.
Contracts we draft and review.
Startup and technology contracts
- Founders’ and shareholders’ agreements
- SAFE agreements and convertible notes
- SaaS and software licensing agreements
- Terms of service and privacy policies (CCPA/CPRA-aware)
- API and data licensing agreements
- Master service agreements
Employment and contractor agreements
- Employment agreements and offer letters (non-compete-free by necessity)
- Independent contractor agreements, structured for the ABC test
- Confidentiality and trade secret agreements
- Non-solicitation agreements
- Severance agreements
Commercial and investment contracts
- Vendor and supplier agreements
- Joint venture and partnership agreements
- Preferred stock purchase agreements
- Commercial leases
- NDAs
An international legal team that actually accounts for California’s rules.
My Legal Pal works with California startups and businesses remotely, drafting and reviewing commercial contracts as an international legal team. We build California’s specific rules, on non-competes, worker classification, and data privacy, into every relevant contract from the start, rather than handing you a generic US template. Fixed fees, agreed before we start, and fast turnaround.
For anything requiring representation before a California court or advice on a California-specific statutory question outside contract drafting, we’ll help you engage locally licensed counsel where needed.
Contract Lawyers for California: FAQs
Can I include a non-compete clause in a California employment contract?
Almost never. Under Business and Professions Code Section 16600, non-competes are void in California, with a narrow exception for the sale of business goodwill. Confidentiality and trade secret protection are the enforceable alternative.
I have employees who signed a non-compete before moving to California. Does that still apply?
Generally no. Under 2024 amendments (Senate Bill 699), California voids non-competes against California residents regardless of where or when the contract was signed, and employers are required to have notified affected employees that the clause is void.
How do I know if my contractor should actually be classified as an employee?
California applies a strict ABC test, significantly tougher than most states. We review your specific arrangement and structure the agreement, and the actual relationship it reflects, accordingly.
Does the CCPA affect my contracts, or just my privacy policy?
Both. If you collect data from California residents, your terms of service, data processing agreements, and vendor contracts may all need CCPA and CPRA-aware provisions, not just your public-facing privacy policy.
Do you work remotely, or do I need to meet in person?
Entirely remotely, over video calls, email, and WhatsApp. No in-person meetings required.
How much does contract drafting or review cost?
We quote a fixed fee per contract, confirmed in writing before any work starts. Share what you need and we’ll come back with a precise quote.
Related services
All 50 states, our full US contracts practice.
Our core contract drafting service.
Master Service Agreements for ongoing relationships.
Contracts built for California’s actual rules.
Tell us what you need, and we’ll come back with a clear scope and fixed fee.
