SALEHPOUR LEGAL 

We are honored to announce that Ms. Salehpour has been named a 2026 Super Lawyer! She still remembers her first client call after leaving a large corporate law firm. Nervous, excited, and determined to build something of her own. Over the years, she and Salehpour Legal have had the privilege of helping founders, startups, and growing businesses navigate complex legal and business challenges, from SaaS agreements and AI contracts to commercial transactions, digital health

A founder recently came to me wanting a full legal review on a tight budget. A full review wasn’t feasible, but I still wanted to provide real value. Instead of covering everything, I guided them to a targeted approach, focusing on the three issues most likely to create real risk in their upcoming deal. That approach: • Protected what mattered most • Kept the deal moving • Made sure legal guidance was applied where it mattered, even on a limited budget Legal strat

One of the most expensive mistakes founders and business owners make is waiting too long to involve the right legal counsel. When legal is brought in reactively, options are narrower, leverage is reduced, and fixes are more costly. Early strategic input doesn’t mean reviewing everything. It means identifying where legal judgment will actually shape outcomes. Timing with experienced, strategic counsel can matter more than the size of the budget. Founders & executives:

A limited legal budget doesn’t have to mean limited protection, it just needs the right strategy. Many founders mistakenly think a small budget can cover every risk and deliver a comprehensive, end-to-end legal review. In reality, effective legal support is about scope, prioritization, and timing. When budgets are tight, the most successful founders work with attorneys who: • Focus on the highest-risk issues first • Use limited-scope reviews and guidance strategical

I was recently featured in Tangerine Search’s newsletter on AI, hiring, and data responsibility. A few risks I see repeatedly: · Sensitive hiring use cases not in compliance with emerging state regulations · Handling candidate data without proper policies or training · Misaligned contracts that expose confidential info or create liability The fix? Involve legal early, not as a blocker, but as a strategic partner. Align policies, contracts, and training t

Most lawyers handle paperwork. I help founders grow. Clients call me a strategic partner, not just their attorney: “She built hiring agreements that let us confidently grow our team, stopped us from walking into risky deals, and made sure we walked away standing tall.” “She made everything clear, flagged risks we didn’t even know to ask about, and communicated in language a non-lawyer can understand.” 💡 The right legal guidance isn’t just paperwork, it anticipates ri

One of my most memorable tech transactions involved a later-stage startup licensing software that included third-party open-source components as part of a multi-party government contract, a potential minefield of IP, compliance, and downstream commercialization risk. Here’s how we navigated it: 1️⃣ Mapped each component to confirm commercial-use viability 2️⃣ Structured licensing terms that aligned with the business model 3️⃣ Drafted safeguards protecting the company’s IP

🚨 Is your business protected or being blocked by your contracts? Founders and executives, too many businesses treat contracts as paperwork. That’s how growth gets blocked later. Here’s the framework I use with clients to turn contracts into strategic tools: 1️⃣ Define the Purpose – What must this agreement accomplish? Services, SaaS, licensing, partnerships? Clear scope, roles, and duration prevent friction. 2️⃣ Identify Legal & Business Risks – Liabilities, regulatory expos

Mergers and acquisitions can accelerate growth or quietly destroy value if handled poorly. Here’s what the strongest deals get right (on both the buy-side and sell-side): 1️⃣ Define the “Why” Growth, tech, talent, market expansion, every decision should map back to this. 2️⃣ Pressure-Test the Fit Early Financials matter, but so do culture, operations, and competitive positioning. 3️⃣ Do Real Diligence Contracts, IP, data, liabilities, and regulatory exposure. Surprises

🚨 If your contracts don’t account for future growth, they are time bombs waiting to explode. I’ve seen startups not get expert input and sign agreements that felt “fine” to them at the time, only to create major obstacles 12 months later. The most common issues I see: • Intellectual property clauses that unintentionally give away rights to future innovations • Pricing structures that don’t scale with the business model • Compliance gaps that ignore how tech and data