Launching a company is exciting and fast-moving, and legal details are easy to postpone. But the decisions made in the first few months, such as who owns the company, who owns the ideas, and what the first contracts say, are often the hardest to undo later. We give founders a solid legal foundation so they can focus on building the business.
Your startup legal checklist
- Company setup. Choosing the right entity and state of formation, especially if you expect to raise outside investment. See our Business Formation & Advisory page.
- Founder agreements. How equity is split, vesting schedules so that a founder who leaves early does not keep a large stake, roles and decision-making authority.
- Protecting what you create. Assigning inventions, code, designs and brand assets to the company, and securing your name early through trademark registration.
- Your first location. Before you sign an office, studio or storefront lease, have it reviewed. See Commercial Lease Review.
- Your first team. Offer letters, contractor agreements, confidentiality agreements, and getting employee versus contractor classification right from day one.
- Customer-facing terms. Terms of service, privacy policies, and website accessibility so you are not an easy target for ADA claims.
- Early fundraising. Friends-and-family rounds, SAFEs, convertible notes and priced rounds, structured and documented properly.
Our approach
Startups need a lawyer who moves at their speed and respects their budget. We offer clear scopes of work for launch packages, prioritize the items that truly cannot wait, and build a plan for what can come later. As the company grows, we grow with it.