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Background

Catherine Ann Zakaluk

Associate

Background
  • Email
  • 415-421-6500
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Areas of Expertise

  • Corporate
  • Corporate Securities
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Technology Transactions
  • Venture Capital & Emerging Companies
  • Debt Financing
  • Overview
  • Experience
  • Activities

Drawing on her experience as in-house counsel, Cat Zakaluk brings a practical, business-minded perspective to advising companies on corporate transactions and day-to-day legal matters.

Cat maintains a broad corporate practice focused on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and emerging companies, corporate governance and commercial transactions. She advises companies throughout their lifecycle on matters including entity formation and restructuring, equity financings, corporate governance and complex commercial agreements.

Before joining Shartsis Friese, Cat served as in-house legal counsel to a multinational legal technology company, where she advised business leaders across a wide range of corporate and commercial matters. Her experience included leading the U.S. legal work on corporate reorganizations and a significant debt refinancing, managing corporate governance matters and negotiating commercial agreements. Working directly with executives and business teams gave Cat firsthand insight into the operational considerations that shape legal decisions and informs her practical approach to client service.

Earlier in her career, Cat advised startups and emerging companies on venture financings, entity formation, founder and equity matters, and commercial agreements.

Education

University of California College of the Law; San Francisco; J.D., 2024

Santa Clara University; Santa Clara, CA; B.S., political science and B.A., history, 2020

Bar Admissions

California

Experience

Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Transactions

  • Led the U.S. legal work for a multinational legal technology company in connection with a corporate debt refinancing, including preparing corporate approvals and transaction documents and coordinating the U.S. closing process.*
  • Advised a multinational legal technology company on a corporate reorganization involving the conversion of a U.S. holding company from a corporation to a limited liability company.*
  • Led a statutory merger of affiliated U.S. entities, including analyzing transaction structure and contractual assignment issues and preparing merger documents and corporate approvals.*

Venture Capital & Emerging Companies

  • Advised emerging companies on SAFE financings, preferred stock financings, entity formation, founder equity, and capitalization matters.*
  • Drafted and negotiated commercial agreements for emerging technology companies, including confidentiality, services, and other strategic agreements.*

*Work performed as in-house counsel or at another firm.

Professional & Community Activities

UC Law San Francisco Science & Technology Law Journal, Editor in Chief, 2023-2024

What's Happening

  • Speaking Shartsis sponsors 2026 American Arbitration Association (AAA) – International Centre for Dispute Resolution Technology Conference.  Litigation Partner Kajsa Minor Co-Chair.
  • Speaking Reducing Property Taxes and the State of the Real Estate Market

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Let's Connect

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San Francisco, CA 94105-2496

Phone: 415-421-6500 Email: hello@sflaw.com Fax: 415-421-2922

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