Nate Kelly

PRO

Nate Kelly

also known as Nathaniel Greenberg Kelly

4.9
Rating: 10.0

Licensed for 17 years

Litigation Lawyer at San Francisco, CA
Practice Areas: Litigation, Business, Contracts & Agreements ... +2 more

201 Spear Street, Suite 1100, San Francisco, CA

Virtual Consultation Available

Free Consultation

About Nate

Biography

Nate Kelly is a business attorney and startup specialist with extensive deal making and litigation expertise. The Law Offices of Nate Kelly represent businesses and individuals, with a particular specialty in high leverage negotiations, bet-the-company litigation, and business buy-outs.

Do you need a dispute handled professionally without emptying your bank or compromising your rights? Nate Kelly has been recognized as one of the best attorneys in California every year since 2016, and in 2025 was named a California SuperLawyer and Top-100 Bet-the-Company Litigators.

Bet-the-Company Disputes. Complex Commercial Transactions. Breakthrough Outcomes. We advise businesses on mission-critical decisions, protect equity and intellectual property, and negotiate successful resolutions to high-stakes disputes and transactions.

Own your ideas and work product; protect your IP from third party claims and wrongful disclosure. Nate Kelly has been recognized as one of the best attorneys in California under 40 every year since 2016.

Nate Kelly is a uniquely qualified small-cap business and startup specialist, with extensive contract drafting and contract negotiation expertise. Our goal is to create leverage, reduce risk, and preserve upside.

Straightforward and comprehensive business set-up done right by a startup specialist. Nate Kelly's expertise in corporate finance and organization has been recognized by SuperLawyers magazine, which has named him one of the top Business Attorneys in California since 2016.

Practice Areas

5

Practice Areas

Litigation 60%

Representing clients in critical business disputes—from contract breaches and intellectual property violations (e.g., trademark and trade secret protection) to founder breakups, hostile takeovers and securities fraud—we have a $100M+ track record.

16 years | 211 cases

60%
Business 15%

From incorporation to exit, we serve as trusted counsel to early-stage and growth-stage companies navigating formation, fundraising, founder dynamics, IP protection, equity structuring, and commercial scaling.

17 years | 228 cases

15%
Contracts and Agreements 15%

At The Law Offices of Nate Kelly, we provide end-to-end legal support for businesses navigating mission-critical transactions. Whatever the agreement, our role is to create leverage, reduce risk, and preserve upside. We have a $150M+ track record.

17 years | 819 cases

15%
Corporate and Incorporation 5%

From incorporation to exit, we serve as trusted counsel to early-stage and growth-stage companies navigating formation, fundraising, founder dynamics, IP protection, equity structuring, and commercial scaling.

17 years | 308 cases

5%
Intellectual Property 5%

Intellectual property (IP) can be among the most valuable assets of a business. We are dedicated to helping you protect your IP with effective contract drafting and enforcement.

16 years | 107 cases

5%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 15 minutes

Hourly Rates

$ 585-795 per hour

Retainer

Sometimes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

Licenses

Licensed in California for 17 years

State: California

Acquired: 2009

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Law Offices of Nate Kelly

201 Spear Street, Suite 1100, San Francisco, CA, 94105

natekelly.com/

Law Offices of Nate Kelly

9100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 725E, Beverly Hills, CA, 90212

natekelly.com/

Law Offices of Nate Kelly

1968 S. Coast Hwy, Suite #3850, Laguna Beach, CA, 92651

natekelly.com/

Online Presence

Other places you can find Nate online.

Nate Kelly's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

30 Client Reviews

Showing 1 - 5 of 6 reviews | Communication Style

Posted by Linda | May 07, 2025 | Contracts & Agreements

Exceeded Expectations

We just concluded an initial consultation with Nate regarding a contract dispute. He was professional, articulate, and addressed all our concerns. He provided perspectives that we had not considered in our interpretation of the contract. We will certainly be working with him further, should our curre...nt situation require more legal action. Highly recommend!

Posted by Peter | December 20, 2024 | Hired Attorney | Contracts & Agreements

Business Owner

If you have happened upon Nate’s profile in your search for a competent attorney, give him a call. I recommend him highly. .Locating legal counsel can be a daunting task. Finding an attorney that is knowledgeable, intelligent, strategic, patient, honest and empathetic were all qualities I was lookin...g for. Nate checks all the boxes. My case was very complicated, involving contract, business and IP law. At 66 years old, this was not an undertaking I took lightly. Worse was that opposing counsel was one of the state’s most prestigious law firms. I feel very fortunate to have found Nate. Through the duration of the case, Nate worked with me to build out multiple strategies around numerous claims. Nate understood the nuances of the law for each legal area. He patiently explained the legal process every step of the way and was empathetic to my financial needs and ability. Nate is highly communicative and always responded to my calls, texts and emails quickly. You’ll find Nate is personable, affable but don’t let that fool you. Nate is a scrapper if he needs to be. In short, I am very happy with the outcome of my case.

Posted by Tyler | February 22, 2024 | Hired Attorney | Intellectual Property

Excellent contract lawyer, even better in negotiation

Achievable hired Nate to draft and negotiate an intellectual property purchase agreement with our most important business partner. This was a mission critical purchase for our business and it was not guaranteed that we could come to an agreement, as there were multiple issues that needed to be addres...sed in the contract. Nate was instrumental in getting the deal done. We worked closely with him on the drafting of the agreement and each step of the negotiation, which Nate eventually took leadership over and began running directly with the counterparty's lawyer. Not only did he ensure we were informed at each step of the process, he specifically took our detailed feedback and got excellent results on key points of our negotiation. As a startup CEO, one of the best things of working with Nate was how he was able to get quickly up to speed on what our company did and what was relevant about each company to the deal. He was able to clearly articulate what was important and relevant to our business in order to help us make informed decisions during the negotiation. We closed the deal in a timely manner and at the agreed-upon price with no major caveats. We are very happy with Nate's services and will continue to work with him on our important business legal needs. I highly recommend Nate for drafting, negotiating, and finalizing business transactions.

Nate Kelly

Replied last February 26, 2024

Thank you, Tyler. Big things ahead for Achievable!

Posted by anonymous | May 20, 2021 | Employment & Labor

Fast and informative

Nate was fast and very informative which is crucial when it comes to an Employment offer that is time-sensitive. I am a Sr. fashion designer and been offered a role at a leading brand, and Nate has been extremely helpful to help me navigate potential risk factors with my current and upcoming employme...nt agreements. He responded promptly, squeezed me in his schedule on short notice and Pointed out a couple of terms I would have otherwise misinterpreted. Extremely helpful. I will use Nate again in the future should an occasion arise.

Posted by Corbin Jones | October 17, 2017 | Hired Attorney | Business

Nate Helped Me Set a Strong Foundation for My Startup

I called Nate at the beginning of this year to help me as I launched my business and I was impressed from the very first conversation. He was thorough in guiding me through setting up basic legal foundations while looking strategically ahead to what I will need to be cognizant of based on my business... model. He enabled me to focus on the important parts of starting a business with peace of mind. He helped to build general council knowledge into the business plan right away, which helped create a system that saves legal costs in the long run. Nate is supernatural at contract law. Because my business is relatively complex, it was essential to identify the specific points i would need a contract and what that actually looked like. Working with him was engaging because he took the time to whiteboard my whole processes to figure it out. A super helpful exercise that changed the way I was thinking about my service for the better. Nate is also just an awesome guy personally. We have become friends and feel comfortable working with him as I continue to grow my business. If you are looking for an extraordinary lawyer to help you get set up for success, look no further. Nate is your top choice.

Nate Kelly

Replied last November 01, 2017

Wow, Corbin! Thank you for the kind words. Looking forward to building with you.

See All Client Reviews

Nate Kelly's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Nate
Martin N Lijtmaer headshot
Martin Lijtmaer

General practice lawyer | Jun 19

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Nate is a rising star -- few have his communication abilities and his talent. I highly recommend him."

Kenneth D Kronstadt headshot
Kenneth Kronstadt

Litigation lawyer | Apr 03

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Nate is a fantastic attorney to whom I have referred clients in the past for various matters. Each such client has been pleased with Nate's hard work, dedication, and insight."

Elaine Hall-Yee Dai headshot
Elaine Dai

Litigation lawyer | Sep 08

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Amir Soleimanian headshot
Amir Soleimanian

Unknown lawyer | Nov 08

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Jonathan Baird Vivona headshot
Jonathan Vivona

Business lawyer | Aug 03

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"I have worked with Mr. Kelly on several occasions and am amazed by his knowledge of intellectual property, contract and business law. Mr. Kelly has a unique ability to handle complex business issues and has been particularly helpful when advising start-up companies."

Elan S. Raffel headshot
Elan Raffel

Intellectual property lawyer | Jun 08

Relationship: Worked for lawyer

"It has been a pleasure working with Nate. He is professional, hardworking, and very knowledgeable in the areas of IP law and securities. He has been and continues to be a great mentor and teacher, and he is a strong advocate for his clients."

Daniel William Wayne headshot
Daniel Wayne

Business lawyer | Feb 26

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Nate is a bright, energetic and highly knowledgable attorney. I regularly refer business clients to him and am glad to have him as a resource."

Michael Coleman headshot
Michael Coleman

Business lawyer | Apr 05

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I have known Nate for many years. He is a smart and capable attorney who is passionate about his work. He strives to achieve the best results for his clients. I endorse Nate highly."

Dorinda Jo Myers headshot
Dorinda Myers

Litigation lawyer | Feb 12

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"When you find yourself in need of a litigation attorney it is important to retain a lawyer who is competent, knowledgeable and tenacious. Mr. Kelly is well respected in the legal community for those reasons."

Ali R. Yousefi headshot
Ali Yousefi

Unknown lawyer | Jan 22

Relationship: Other

"I endorse this lawyer."

Daniel R Perlman headshot
Daniel Perlman

General practice lawyer | Jun 13

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I have worked on a couple matters with Nathaniel and was professional, knowledgeable and proved to give great counsel. I highly recommend him."

Jonathan M Kashani headshot
Jonathan Kashani

Litigation lawyer | Jun 10

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer."

Cambria L Lisonbee headshot
Cambria Lisonbee

Criminal defense lawyer | May 09

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. I have worked with Nate on a few cases and have found him to be professional, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to work with."

Rabeh M. A. Soofi headshot
Rabeh Soofi

Unknown lawyer | May 08

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I worked with Attorney Kelly on a lawsuit involving difficult circumstances. I was impressed by his desire to go to great lengths to provide client satisfaction, even under tough circumstances. He clearly has a lot of heart and wants to do a great job for clients. He showed he really cares about clients, and is creative in finding ways to help. I enjoyed working with him and believe that clients will as well."

Jack Lewis Siegel headshot
Jack Siegel

Litigation lawyer | Jan 29

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I worked with Mr. Kelly analyzing a complicated copyright infringement litigation matter involving a litigious corporation and a blockbuster film. His attention to detail and razor sharp analytical skills streamlined our litigation strategy. I would recommend Mr. Kelly to anyone seeking a top notch attorney who can understand the complex issues attendant to high-stakes litigation."

Aanand Mehtani headshot
Aanand Mehtani

Litigation lawyer | Aug 11

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Scott Ryan Ball headshot
Scott Ball

Business lawyer | Apr 03

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Nate is a hardworking, very intelligent attorney. He handles a wide variety of cases, and does them well. I fully endorse him."

Zein E Obagi Jr headshot
Zein Obagi

Business lawyer | Mar 26

Relationship: Supervised lawyer

"I endorse the work Mr. Kelly performed preparing a contract. The contract was an international distribution agreement with exclusivity terms. He performed the work in a timely manner, and took into account many of the unique needs of my client's business."

Joshua Upin headshot
Joshua Upin

Business lawyer | May 17

Relationship: Other

"I endorse this lawyer. Nathaniel is exceptionally bright, a wonderful person to work alongside, and a consumate pragmatist. These characteristics combine to make him a stellar attorney."

Benigno Aguilar Panahon III headshot
Benigno Panahon

Unknown lawyer | Feb 15

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Nate is an intelligent and creative attorney. I highly recommend Nate to anyone seeking both an effective and personable attorney."

View All Endorsements
Jonathan Baird Vivona headshot
Jonathan Vivona

Bankruptcy and debt lawyer

Elan S. Raffel headshot
Elan Raffel

Litigation lawyer

Daniel William Wayne headshot
Daniel Wayne

Landlord or tenant lawyer

Michael Coleman headshot
Michael Coleman

Appeals lawyer

Daniel R Perlman headshot
Daniel Perlman

DUI and DWI lawyer

Jeffrey Neal Stivers headshot
Jeffrey Stivers

Family lawyer

Anoush Hakimi headshot
Anoush Hakimi

Real estate lawyer

Aaron Daniel Aftergood headshot
Aaron Aftergood

Contracts and agreements lawyer

Kenneth D Kronstadt headshot
Kenneth Kronstadt

Litigation lawyer

Timothy Richard Owen headshot
Timothy Owen

Litigation lawyer

Todd Gregory Friedland headshot
Todd Friedland

Intellectual property lawyer

R.J. Manuelian headshot
R.J. Manuelian

Criminal defense lawyer

Rabeh M. A. Soofi headshot
Rabeh Soofi

Litigation lawyer

Adam Sean Gauthier headshot
Adam Gauthier

Estate planning lawyer

Jonathan M Kashani headshot
Jonathan Kashani

Personal injury lawyer

Cambria L Lisonbee headshot
Cambria Lisonbee

Criminal defense lawyer

Joel David Farar headshot
Joel Farar

Slip and fall accident lawyer

Diana Friedland headshot
Diana Friedland

Employment and labor lawyer

Jack Lewis Siegel headshot
Jack Siegel

Litigation lawyer

Joshua Upin headshot
Joshua Upin

Real estate lawyer

Experience

Rating:  10.0 (Superb)

Honors

2026

America’s Top 100 Bet-the-Company Litigators, America’s Top 100

2026

Super Lawyer, Southern California Super Lawyers

2025

America’s Top 100 Bet-the-Company Litigators, America’s Top 100

2025

Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers

2022

Rising Star, Southern California Super Lawyers

2022

Rising Star, Northern California Super Lawyers

2021

Rising Star, Northern California, SuperLawyers

2021

Rising Star, Super Lawyers

2021

Rising Star, Southern California, Super Lawyers

2020

Rising Star, Southern California, Super Lawyers

2020

Rising Star, Super Lawyers

2019

Rising Star, Southern California, Super Lawyers Magazine

2019

Rising Star, Super Lawyers

2018

Rising Star, Southern California, Super Lawyers

2018

Rising Star, Northern California, Super Lawyers

2018

Rising Star, Super Lawyers

2017

Rising Star, Northern California, Super Lawyers

2017

Rising Star, Southern California, Super Lawyers

2017

Rising Star, Super Lawyers

2016

Rising Star, Super Lawyers

2016

Rising Star, Southern California, Super Lawyers

2016

Rising Star, Northern California, Super Lawyers

2006

American Jurisprudence Award, University of Southern California, Gould School of Law

2006

Merit Scholarship, University of Southern California, Gould School of Law

2005

Dean’s Scholar Graduate, University of Maryland, College Park

2005

Merit Scholarship, University of Southern California, Gould School of Law

Work Experience

2009 - Present

Owner, Law Offices of Nate Kelly

2009 - 2010

Supervising Discovery Attorney - Securities Class Action, Glancy & Binkow

2007 - 2009

Attorney, Kaye Scholer LLP

2006 - 2006

Law Clerk, Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA)

Associations

2016 - Present

University of Southern California Alumni Association

Ambassador

2009 - Present

State Bar of California

Attorney Member

2004 - Present

Phi Beta Kappa

Member

American Bar Association

Attorney Member

Beverly Hills Bar Association

Attorney Member

2017 - 2018

Delegation to the CCBA

Vice Chair

2016 - 2019

Bar Association of San Francisco, Barristers Club

Intellectual Property Section Executive Committee Member

2016 - 2019

Conference of California Bar Associations

Executive Committee Member, BASF Delegation

2016 - 2019

University of Southern California Law School Bay Area Alumni Association

Chair

2015 - 2019

Bar Association of San Francisco

Member

2015 - 2016

Lawyers in MENSA

Member

2009 - 2014

CALIFORNIA YOUNG LAWYERS ASSOCIATION (CYLA)

Member

Sample of Legal Cases

Pineapple Express Denies Fraud Claims From Multiple Lawsuits

Coachella Sues Moechella, Saying the DC Protests Infringe on the Music Festival’s Trademark

(Unresolved)

The Chainsmokers Limited, Mood-Altering Shades With Futuremood

Major Endorsement / Investment Deal

Lil Yachty Is Latest Investor As Sunglasses Brand Futuremood Expands Its Pop Culture Lens

Major Endorsement

Complex Business Litigation / Derivative Action

Court Approved Settlement

Data Company v. Silicon Valley Unicorn

$900,000 Settlement

Contractor v. Former Employer (Securities Co)

Settled for $140,000 – 140% of claim.

Budhraja et al v. Paliwal et al

More than $300,000 recovered – 110% of claim.

Cleary Canadian v. Clearly Kombucha

Summary judgment of dilution claim; settled infringement claim with client retaining rights to Clearly Kombucha mark.

Securities Fraud Litigation

Settlement achieved 100% of value

Breach of Contract

Settlement - return of monies paid

RenewAge v. Enlightened Energy et al

Money judgment; Closure of competing business.

Trademark Defense

Favorable Settlement - Client maintains mark

Trade Secret Dispute

Favorable Settlement in favor of client in amount equal to fair licensing fee plus attorney's fees

National Distribution Agreement

Contract Completed.

International Franchise Agreement

Successful Completion of International Franchise Agreement

Business Client v. Former Employee

Settlement - cease and desist along with damages.

See More Legal Cases

Education

2008

University of Southern California, Gould School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

2005

University of Maryland, College Park

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2017

Creators Network Lunch and Learn with Nate Kelly, Esq. Get Paid Faster

2014

The Great Debasers Podcast The Law of Jerry MaGuire

Publications

Activity

Avvo Rating

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Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution