Biography
Ms. Austin is an executive with over 20 years experience building successful businesses through strategy development, funding roadmaps and operations in start-up and rapid growth companies. Ms. Austin started Austin Legal Group in January of 2009. Her practice areas include corporate and securities transactions as well as land use entitlements.
In June of 2009 she was recruited by California Vision, Inc. due to her legal expertise in land use and environmental regulatory issues, broad business success, and significant start-up operations expertise. Prior to joining California Vision, Ms. Austin spent six years in the legal profession representing private citizens, businesses, military and government entities on land use, zoning and planning, litigation, environmental regulation and permitting as a private attorney and at the specialty law firm Worely Schwartz Garfield and Prairie. As an attorney, Ms. Austin’s clients have included several large materials construction companies with revenues in excess of $3 billion, master planned communities with 1,500 to 3,000 private homes, and the City of San Diego.
Prior to obtaining her law degree, Ms. Austin provided strategic and business planning advice and consulting services to early-stage technology companies. As Managing Director of Knowledge Transfer from 1996 to 2003, Ms. Austin worked with companies to define technology and product development strategies, evaluate and develop business and operational plans, create funding roadmaps, and prepare executives for public speaking engagements. During this time she was also a business plan and panel reviewer for the Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology and the City of San Diego Emtek Program. She was a Board Member for the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (now WITI), Navajo Community Planners, Inc., and The Foundation of Gage Elementary School.
For the past 3 ½ years Ms. Austin has also represented medical cannabis collectives and cooperatives with regard to regulatory compliance and funding strategies. Austin Legal Group currently represents dozens of collectives and cooperatives seeking to obtain operating permits from local municipalities. As a seasoned securities attorney, Ms. Austin also advises collectives and cooperatives on funding strategies and the public markets.