1901 Harrison St, Suite 1100  ·  Oakland, CA 94612 (510) 617-6183  ·  [email protected]

Fortune 500 Counsel.
For Your Business.

With over 15 years defending the world's largest corporations, Miriam Ortiz now provides small and mid-sized businesses with the robust legal infrastructure typically reserved for the Fortune 500.

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Proactive Legal Strategy

Moving beyond reactive litigation to design internal policies, audit compliance, and streamline operations — neutralizing risk before it reaches a courtroom.

Industries Served

From D2C startups scaling toward an exit to established hospitality groups — strategic oversight to protect your brand and build a foundation for sustainable growth.

J.D., Santa Clara University

Admitted to the State Bar of California. Director of Legal Programs @ LBFSV. Decades of litigation defense and corporate operations experience.

Legal Operations &
Compliance Strategy

15+
Years of Legal Experience
J.D.
Santa Clara University School of Law

My practice focuses on the high-impact "heavy lifting" of corporate operations — designing internal policies, auditing marketing compliance, and streamlining labor workflows to neutralize risk before it reaches a courtroom.

Whether you are a fast-growing D2C startup scaling toward an exit or an established brick-and-mortar hospitality group, I provide the strategic oversight necessary to protect your brand, manage user relationships, and build a foundation for long-term, sustainable growth.

Having spent years defending Fortune 500 retailers and global tech platforms, I understand how the best legal departments operate — and I bring that same caliber of infrastructure to businesses that need it most.

Practice Areas

Cannabis Industry Collections & Receiverships

One of the few practices in California equipped to handle commercial debt recovery in the cannabis space — an industry that urgently needs sophisticated legal collection strategies.

Learn About This Practice

Debt Recovery

Strategic collection of outstanding debts between cannabis businesses and their counterparties.

Receiverships

Court-appointed receivership actions to preserve and recover assets in cannabis business disputes.

Promissory Notes

Enforcement of promissory notes and loan agreements in cannabis transactions.

Asset Preservation

Writs of attachment and emergency relief to prevent asset dissipation.

A Strategic Approach

01

Assess & Understand

A thorough evaluation of your business operations, existing legal exposure, contracts, and compliance posture — identifying vulnerabilities before they become liabilities.

02

Strategize & Build

Design and implement internal policies, operational safeguards, and legal infrastructure tailored to your industry, growth trajectory, and risk profile.

03

Protect & Grow

Ongoing counsel and representation — resolving disputes efficiently when they arise while maintaining the proactive legal framework that keeps your business moving forward.

Professional Experience

A career built on litigation defense for major corporations, now dedicated to delivering that same caliber of legal strategy to growing businesses.

General Counsel & Solo Practitioner

Law Office of Miriam Ortiz — Oakland, CA
Present

Providing small and mid-sized hospitality and retail leaders with Fortune 500-level legal operations, compliance strategy, and litigation defense.

Director of Legal Programs

LBFSV
Leadership Role

Directing legal programming and strategic initiatives for the organization.

Attorney — Litigation Defense

Manning & Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez, Trester LLP
Previous

Defended Fortune 500 corporations across a broad range of complex commercial litigation matters at one of California's premier defense firms.

Senior Paralegal

De La Pena & Holiday — San Francisco
Apr 2007 – Dec 2010

Supported a six-attorney team with civil litigation and transactional matters including construction defect, business, and entertainment law.

Education

Santa Clara University School of Law
J.D., 2002 – 2005

Juris Doctor. Admitted to the State Bar of California, License #281888.

Ready to Protect Your Business?

Whether you need ongoing general counsel, litigation defense, or specialized cannabis industry collections — let's discuss your legal needs.

Call (510) 617-6183
Office: 1901 Harrison St, Ste 1100, Oakland, CA 94612