California Bar #279869 — Licensed Since 2011

California-licensed attorney for contract review.
I know the state-specific traps.

California has unique contract laws that can void provisions valid in other states. Non-competes are banned. Consumer protection is aggressive. Indemnification rules differ. I am a California-barred attorney who reviews contracts with CA-specific knowledge.

Sergei Tokmakov, Esq. · CA Bar #279869 · 1,800+ projects completed
1,800+
Projects
700+
5-Star Reviews
CA Licensed
Since 2011
48hr
Turnaround

Pick the tier that matches your situation

Not sure? Email me the contract and I will recommend the right tier.

Quick Scan

Best if you just need a risk snapshot
$149 flat fee
1-2 business days
  • Contracts up to 15 pages
  • Top 5-10 risk clauses identified
  • California-specific issues flagged
  • Plain-English risk summary
  • Go / no-go recommendation
  • Email follow-up included
Start Quick Scan

Review + Revision

Best if you need redlines to send back
$599+ flat fee
3-5 business days
  • Full review (everything above)
  • Redlined markup with tracked changes
  • Replacement language for every flagged clause
  • California-compliant alternative provisions
  • Ready to send directly to the other side
  • 2 rounds of follow-up Q&A
  • Complex or long contracts quoted individually
Start Review + Revision

Rush available: +$150 for 24-48 hour turnaround on any tier.

What a California contract review actually looks like

These are anonymized examples from recent client work with California-specific issues. Every review is done by me personally, not by AI and not by a paralegal.

California Employment Agreement

Tech company employment agreement with 12-month non-compete

Tech employee in San Francisco received offer letter with nationwide non-compete for 12 months post-termination. I flagged the clause as void under Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §16600. Employer attempted to enforce it anyway.

Result: Saved employee from signing unenforceable restriction. Employer removed the clause.
California Real Estate Contract

Commercial lease with personal guarantee

Commercial lease in Los Angeles with unlimited personal guarantee from business owner. Identified anti-deficiency issues under CCP §580b. Guarantee exposed owner to liability exceeding lease value.

Result: Negotiated guarantee cap at 6 months rent. Protected client's personal assets.
California SaaS Agreement

CCPA-triggering SaaS contract missing required DPA

SaaS vendor contract processing California consumer data. No data processing addendum. No CCPA compliance provisions. Client faced regulatory exposure under Cal. Civ. Code §1798.140 requirements.

Result: Drafted data processing addendum meeting CCPA requirements. Vendor signed.
California Contractor Agreement

Independent contractor agreement that failed ABC test (Dynamex)

Gig economy platform contract classified workers as independent contractors. Agreement failed Dynamex ABC test under Cal. Lab. Code §2775. Platform faced misclassification liability and penalties.

Result: Restructured agreement to comply with ABC test. Prevented misclassification liability.

California-specific issues I catch

California contract law is different from every other state. These are the issues I look for that out-of-state attorneys miss.

Non-compete ban (Bus. & Prof. Code §16600) — Non-compete clauses are void in California with narrow exceptions
🔒
CCPA/CPRA data privacy compliance — California consumer data triggers strict privacy requirements
💼
ABC test for independent contractors — Dynamex test governs worker classification in California
Anti-indemnity statute limitations — Civil Code §2782 restricts indemnity in construction contracts
💰
Consumer protection (CLRA) — Consumer Legal Remedies Act provides aggressive consumer protections
🛠
Prevailing wage requirements — Public works contracts trigger prevailing wage obligations
🔁
Auto-renewal disclosure (Bus. & Prof. Code §17600) — Auto-renewal provisions require specific disclosures
📝
California choice-of-law enforceability — Contracts cannot waive California law if substantial CA connection

How it works

Send me the contract

Email the agreement as PDF, Word, or even a photo. Tell me your concerns and what you are trying to accomplish. If the contract involves California parties or California law, mention that.

I confirm scope and timeline

I reply with the recommended tier, the flat fee, and the turnaround time. I will also flag any California-specific issues I notice immediately. No work starts until you approve.

I review every clause with California law in mind

You get a marked-up copy with risks highlighted, California compliance issues flagged, replacement language where needed, and a plain-English explanation of what matters and what does not.

I walk you through next steps

I explain what to push back on and how. If you need the clauses rewritten to comply with California law, I handle that in the Review + Revision tier.

California contract law is different from every other state. I know the difference.

Send me the contract. I will confirm the right tier, the fee, and what I need from you.

Send Me Your Contract →

What clients say about my California contract reviews

700+ reviews on Upwork

California Employment Agreement Review
★★★★★ 5.0

"Very detailed and timely responses to all my queries. He was very knowledgeable of California Employment Contract Law and did a very good job of explaining all the nuances and options. I would recommend and hire again."

$480 · California employment contract review
California SaaS Agreement CCPA Compliance Review
★★★★★ 5.0

"Sergei caught CCPA issues in our SaaS contract that would have exposed us to regulatory risk. He drafted a compliant data processing addendum and explained California privacy law in clear terms. The vendor accepted our redlines without pushback."

$599 · Review + Revision with CCPA compliance
California Independent Contractor Agreement (ABC Test)
★★★★★ 5.0

"I needed someone who understood California's ABC test for contractor classification. Sergei restructured our agreement to comply with Dynamex and explained the liability exposure we avoided. Worth every dollar."

$349 · Full Review with AB5/Dynamex compliance

Frequently asked questions about California contract review

Why do I need a California attorney to review my contract?

California has unique contract laws that differ from every other state. Non-competes are banned under Bus. & Prof. Code §16600. The ABC test governs independent contractor classification. CCPA triggers specific data privacy obligations. Anti-indemnity statutes limit certain provisions. I am California-barred and know these issues by memory. An out-of-state attorney may miss them.

What is the difference between the three tiers?

Quick Scan ($149): I identify the 5-10 highest-risk clauses and give you a plain-English risk summary with California-specific issues flagged. Full Review ($349): I review every clause, flag all risks, check California law compliance, and explain what to negotiate. Review + Revision ($599+): I do the full review and rewrite the problematic clauses with California-compliant replacement language you can send directly to the other side.

What California-specific issues do you look for?

I flag non-compete clauses (void under Bus. & Prof. Code §16600), CCPA/CPRA compliance gaps, independent contractor agreements that fail the ABC test (Dynamex), anti-indemnity violations, consumer protection issues under CLRA, prevailing wage requirements, auto-renewal disclosure violations (Bus. & Prof. Code §17600), and California choice-of-law enforceability.

How long does a California contract review take?

Quick Scan: 1-2 business days. Full Review: 2-4 business days. Review + Revision: 3-5 business days. Rush turnaround (48 hours) is available for any tier for an additional $150. If I need more time for a complex agreement, I will tell you before starting.

Can you help me negotiate the contract?

Yes. The Full Review tier includes negotiation guidance explaining which points are worth pushing on. The Review + Revision tier includes replacement language you can send back to the other side. If you need me to engage directly with the counterparty's attorney, that can be arranged separately.

Do I need to be in California for you to review my contract?

No. I review contracts for clients nationwide. If the contract is governed by California law, or if the other party is in California, or if you live or work in California, my California-specific knowledge is directly applicable. If the contract is governed by another state's law, I can still review it for general risk and structure, though I may flag jurisdiction-specific issues for local counsel.

Send Contract → See Pricing