A lawyer is often the last person a business owner wants to call when starting, acquiring, or operating a business but is often their most valuable resource.
With her many years of experience, Carolyn Tawasha helps her clients navigate through what may seem like an overwhelming number of issues entrepreneurs face as they work toward developing their business plan, structure, and presence. Carolyn takes pride in direct and personal contact and discourages simply “filling in the blanks.” Instead, she believes it is essential for her clients to understand the legal consequences of their business decisions.
Carolyn represents clients through the various phases of their business life-cycle covering a wide range of practice areas, from entity formation and agreements among owners, to financing, lease negotiation, expansion, a variety of ongoing operational matters, and finally through the acquisition or other disposition of their business.
Carolyn was a partner at Kay & Tawasha LLP in San Francisco, California for over twenty-five years and founded her own firm in Oakland in 2017. She served as a Member of the San Francisco Mayor's Committee on Housing and Community Development and taught Business Planning and Legal Writing & Research as an adjunct faculty member of Golden Gate University School of Law. She also worked as an assistant to Roger Bernhardt on the Real Property Law Reporter.
Clients
Carolyn Tawasha works with a variety of clients from diverse industries. They range from landlords and tenants in commercial leasing transactions, to independent bookstores, pottery studios and other retail businesses, and also to chefs and other hospitality industry people and outlets interested in starting or expanding a business. Her clients also include consultants and service professionals. Although she prides herself in representing and offering support to primarily small businesses, she also represents public companies. Some of her clients that began as small businesses are now multimillion-dollar enterprises.
Business clients include: Green Apple Books & Music, Point Reyes Books, Flashlight Books, Revel Architecture & Design, ABC Transportation, 1000 Broadway (Oakland), 100 Pine Street (San Francisco), 300 Feet Out, Bay Tel Communications, One Martial Arts, Harder + Company Community Research, Sarah Kersten Studio, J.P. Kempt Barber & Social, The Petaler, Parkside Lending, Synergy Group.
Restaurant and chef clients include: Traci Des Jardins, Angela Pinkerton, Anchovy Bar, State Bird Provisions, Besharam, Breadbelly, Brewster's, Cala, Californios, Delfina, El Huarache Loco, Frances, Ippuku, Kagawa-Ya Noodle Company, Liholiho Yacht Club, Lord Stanley, Madcap, Matterhorn Restaurant and Bakery, Maven, Monk's Kettle, Nopa, Nopalito, Octavia, Onigilly, Pizzeria Delfina, Ragazza, Reem’s California, Sababa, Sabio on Main, Sharwarmaji, Sol Food, 20th Century Café, The Progress, The Third Rail Bar, Underdogs Tres, Valley Bar & Bottle Shop.
Hospitality and food service clients include: Bi-Rite Family of Businesses, Beehive, Bon Voyage, Dewey’s Wines, La Cocina (pro bono), Ivy Room, La Morra Pizzeria & Catering, Libation Taproom and Bottle Shop, Mr. Tipple’s Recording Studio, Northlight Bar, Palm City Wines, Pie Society, Queens, San Francisco Brewing Co., St. George Spirits, Steven Kent Winery, The Treasury, Water2Table Fish Co.
