Chelsea M. Bonini
Chelsea founded Kiski Law, P.C. in August 2010 after working with McQuaid, Bedford & Van Zandt, HiTech Law, P.C. (combined 2001-2008) and Hanson Bridgett LLP (2008-2010). Chelsea earned her J.D. at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2001. Chelsea has also been a Licensed Real Estate Broker with the California Department of Real Estate since 2011.
Chelsea advises clients on general business and corporate law matters, including formation, corporate governance and compliance, regulatory matters, data protection & privacy, financing, equity compensation, real estate transactions, and employment matters. Chelsea also counsels clients in connection with business transactions and agreements to ensure that her clients are protected and can transact day-to-day business with ease, including drafting and negotiation of software licenses, service agreements, consulting agreements, non-disclosure agreements, joint development and strategic alliance agreements.
Chelsea had the opportunity to serve as the first ever In House Corporate Counsel for Lundberg Family Farms from February 2015 through October 2020 where she was responsible for developing the in-house legal department and procedures, training company personnel in contract review and strategy, and reviewing all internal legal matters for the research & development, agricultural, farming, finance & business, sales, marketing, administration, and manufacturing departments as well as interfacing with outside counsel.
Chelsea is a fierce advocate for education, housing, mental health awareness, disability rights and inclusive communities. Chelsea was a kindergarten and first grade teacher in the South San Francisco Unified School District in the mid-90’s, and in 2018 she co-founded Not Without Us, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation dedicated to uniting and serving the community of persons with disabilities and advocating for systems of equal opportunity, justice and anti-ableist policies and practices.
Chelsea was elected to the San Mateo County Board of Education in November 2020, and she also continues to serve on the San Mateo County Commission on Disabilities and to Chair the Commission's Youth and Family Committee. Chelsea previously served as a School Board Trustee in the San Mateo-Foster City School District from 2013-2017 and as a Personnel Commissioner for the San Mateo County Office of Education from 2018-2020. Chelsea has served on the NAMI San Mateo County Board of Directors and also as an Adjunct Professor at Santa Clara University School of Law for the Entrepreneur's Law Clinic.
Drawing on her background as a former teacher, school board trustee, and public entity counselor, Chelsea also advocates for families navigating the special education system — helping parents secure appropriate IEPs and 504 plans for their children, and representing families in special education disputes and due process proceedings. Chelsea brings a rare combination to this work: a former classroom teacher, a background counseling public entities and school districts from the inside, and years of personal service on school boards and disability commissions. That perspective allows her to anticipate how districts think — and to advocate more effectively for the families and students on the other side of the table.
B.S., Elementary Education & Psychology, Russell Sage College, Troy, New York (1994)
J.D., University of California, Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco, CA (2001)
M.A., Educational Administration & Leadership, San Francisco State University (2025)
[email protected]
415.531.0508