Gem Legal PC
Big law experience. Founder mentality. Your attorney.
GEM Legal is a boutique startup and venture capital law firm built for founders who want more than a transactional attorney. We handle everything from entity formation to fundraising to exit — with the depth of big law experience and the accessibility of someone who is genuinely on your team.
Startup and Venture Capital Legal Services, Nationwide
Our Services
At Gem Legal PC, we provide the following legal services.
Entity Formation & Structuring
The structure you choose on day one follows you all the way to your exit. I'll tell you what's right for your specific situation and why — and set it up correctly so investors don't think twice about it later.
Corporate Governance & Counseling
Your day-to-day legal partner. Board meetings, corporate formalities, founder disputes, equity allocation — I handle the legal infrastructure so you can focus on building.
Fundraising & Financing Transactions
From your first SAFE to your Series C, I've structured and negotiated every kind of financing arrangement. I represent both companies and investors, which means I know exactly what the other side is thinking — and how to get you the best outcome.
Mergers & Acquisitions
End-to-end support on your most important transaction. I've closed deals at every stage and on every side of the table. When it's time to exit, you want someone who has been there before.
Employment & Equity Matters
The right agreements from the start attract the right people and prevent the wrong problems. Employment agreements, contractor arrangements, equity compensation plans — built to scale with you.
Fractional General Counsel Packages
Not ready for in-house counsel but need more than occasional legal support? GEM Legal's fractional GC packages give growth stage startups consistent, senior legal counsel at a fraction of the cost.
We are ready to help you.
Connect with us.
Startup and Venture Capital Legal Services Lawyer
About Gem Legal PC
I'm Shannon Calamia Izett, the founder of GEM Legal PC.
I left big law because I wanted to be the attorney I always wished my founders had. Someone who picks up the phone. Someone who reads a term sheet and tells you what it means for your business in three years — not just whether it's legally sound today. Someone who has sat on enough sides of the table to know what's actually at stake.
I've represented early stage startups, growth companies, and public companies. I've worked with banks, private equity funds, and investment funds. I've seen deals close and deals fall apart. I know the difference between the two — and I know how to keep you on the right side of it.
Building GEM Legal made me a better attorney. I understand what you carry as a founder because I carry it too. The competing priorities, the late nights, the decisions that feel impossibly big — I get it. And I show up for my clients the same way I show up for my own business.
My goal is simple. When you have your next idea, I want to be the first call you make.
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Gem Legal PC
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1186 Bay Tree Dr.
Gilroy, CA 95020
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