Few consider corporate law a cauldron of creativity. Perhaps that's what sets Finigan apart — she sees in complex business matters the opportunity for expression and the chance to help her clients find innovative approaches to managing their business.
Take her recent work as lead counsel in the reorganization of Stok LLC's ownership structure, for example. The real estate services firm asked for help moving toward a more organic decision-making hierarchy that was driven by consensus and would look something "like a tree."
Finigan found a way to turn that vision into a viable corporate governance structure that brought Stok's inclusive philosophy to the fore.
"We were talking about the flexibility that some of these corporate structures allow," Finigan recalled. "I think we've taken it to the limits of what flexibility will allow.
"They don't really see corporate governance and structure as something that limits them," she added. "They see it as something that allows them to push the bounds of what's important to them, and what's important to them is that everyone has a say."
Finigan was corporate counsel last year in Coblentz's representation of Uber Technologies Inc. in its $123.5 million real estate purchase in downtown Oakland.
Finigan called Uber the "holy grail" of clients not only for the complexity of the projects but for the flexibility they afford.
"What I really like about them is the way partnerships and LLCs are set up. You almost have the flexibility to do anything you want," she said. "Anything the two parties want to reflect in the particular agreement, you can do it."
Aside from her successful corporate practice, Finigan also demonstrates a strong commitment to pro bono work.
She currently serves as a director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, a nonprofit that works to advance the legal rights of communities of color and low-income persons, immigrants and refugees.
— Logan Noblin
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