Forming a California LLC

There are five steps when forming a LLC in California

Reserving the name

Filing the Articles of Organization

Obtain a Federal Employer’s Identification Number (FEIN)

Operating Agreement

Initial Statement of Information

 Reserving the LLC Name

• Determine whether your name choice is available
• Reserve the name of the company

STEP TWO: Once the name is reserved, we will send you an email to confirm the name reservation. Shortly thereafter, we will draft the following documents for your review and approval:

• Articles of Organization
• IRS Form SS-4 (Application for Tax Identification Number)

After the Articles and SS-4 are approved, we will file the Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State and obtain a Tax Identification Number (FEIN).  In California, the Secretary of State is severely backlogged, so Articles are usually returned to us within 3-4 weeks of filing.  For clients who require expedited service, the Secretary of State can file Articles on an expedited basis.  The fee, however, is substantial, so it is always our preference to create a game plan to avoid the expedited filing fees.

STEP THREE: While we are waiting for the Articles to be returned to us, we will draft the following documents for your review and approval:

• Operating Agreement
• Initial Statement of Information

We encourage all clients to provide us with detailed comments on all documents.  Once revised and finalized, we will handle the following additional tasks:

• File the Initial Statement of Information with the Secretary of State

Our firm is dedicated to making the process easy and convenient for our clients.  We provide regular status updates, as well as the option to sign all documents electronically.  Our lawyers are available by phone, email, and in person to answer questions, revise documents and form your new company with extraordinary personal attention.