An apparatus comprising: (a) a body (22, 122); (b) a shaft assembly (30, 130) extending distally from the body; and (c) an end effector (40, 140) located at a distal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the end effector comprises: (i) an ultrasonic blade (42, 142), wherein the ultrasonic blade is configured to vibrate at an ultrasonic frequency, and (ii) a clamp arm (44, 144) comprising a clamp pad (46, 146), wherein the clamp arm is movable toward the ultrasonic blade to compress tissue between the clamp pad and the ultrasonic blade in two stages, wherein the clamp arm is configured to compress tissue with only a distal portion of the clamp pad during the first stage, wherein the clamp arm is configured to compress tissue with the distal portion and a proximal portion of the clamp pad during the second stage, such that the tissue compression begins at the distal portion and subsequently progresses toward the proximal portion; and characterized in that the clamp arm comprises a resilient feature, wherein the resilient feature is configured to resiliently bias the distal portion of the clamp pad toward the ultrasonic blade, wherein the resilient feature is configured to deform during a transition from the first stage to the second stage. (a) a body (22, 122); (b) a shaft assembly (30, 130) extending distally from the body; and (c) an end effector (40, 140) located at a distal end of the shaft assembly, wherein the end effector comprises: (i) an ultrasonic blade (42, 142), wherein the ultrasonic blade is configured to vibrate at an ultrasonic frequency, and (ii) a clamp arm (44, 144) comprising a clamp pad (46, 146), wherein the clamp arm is movable toward the ultrasonic blade to compress tissue between the clamp pad and the ultrasonic blade in two stages, wherein the clamp arm is configured to compress tissue with only a distal portion of the clamp pad during the first stage, wherein the clamp arm is configured to compress tissue with the distal portion and a proximal portion of the clamp pad during the second stage, such that the tissue compression begins at the distal portion and subsequently progresses toward the proximal portion; and characterized in that the clamp arm comprises a resilient feature, wherein the resilient feature is configured to resiliently bias the distal portion of the clamp pad toward the ultrasonic blade, wherein the resilient feature is configured to deform during a transition from the first stage to the second stage. (i) an ultrasonic blade (42, 142), wherein the ultrasonic blade is configured to vibrate at an ultrasonic frequency, and (ii) a clamp arm (44, 144) comprising a clamp pad (46, 146), wherein the clamp arm is configured to compress tissue with only a distal portion of the clamp pad during the first stage, wherein the clamp arm is configured to compress tissue with the distal portion and a proximal portion of the clamp pad during the second stage, such that the tissue compression begins at the distal portion and subsequently progresses toward the proximal portion; and characterized in that the clamp arm comprises a resilient feature, wherein the resilient feature is configured to resiliently bias the distal portion of the clamp pad toward the ultrasonic blade, wherein the resilient feature is configured to deform during a transition from the first stage to the second stage.