START 🌱 SMART
“... Waiting for perfect is never as smart as making progress.”
~Seth Godin
What Exactly is Startup Law?
Startup law is the practice of efficiently and methodically integrating several legal practice areas in an assiduous way to lay a foundation from which founders can launch, operate, and grow a new business venture. Startup lawyers develop close relationships with founders, who rely on their legal counselor to guide them in chasing their dream. The founders' drive to bring to life a vision they think can be scaled and monetized for a healthy return is all the reason needed to seek expert legal advice. But, despite their awareness of the complexities of the modern legal landscape, they typically have a limited budget.
Whether you are a team of innovators with a smart solution to a problem you think will disrupt an industry, or your new business is just you taking the leap of faith to be a solopreneur, or you want to start a local community business, it is wise to retain experienced legal counsel. As a startup attorney, I can advise and represent the budget-conscious startup client in connection with all aspects of launching a startup, including the following:
- Advising founders on most advantageous entity type and state of formation
- Advisor agreements
- Assignment agreements (for assigning intellectual property works and information to company)
- Bylaws (for corporation), operating agreements (for LLC's), partnership agreements
- Capitalization table
- Checking availability (and reserving if needed) company name
- Employee stock ownership plans, and ancillary documents
- Financing agreements (SAFE's, convertible notes, series seed financing docs, venture capital financing docs)
- Initial company resolutions
- Non-disclosure agreements
- Obtaining EIN (federal tax ID number for a business entity)
- Preparing and filing "DBA's" (fictitious name applications)
- Preparing and filing any statements or other documents in state of formation
- Preparing and filing formation document for the relevant entity type
- Qualifying business to do business in foreign jurisdictions (i.e., in other states)
- Restricted stock purchase agreements, and ancillary documents
- Shareholders' agreements
- Trademark applications
- Trademark searches
- 83(b) Election form (for founders to file with IRS)
Startup Packages
Cost-Smart Bundled Services For Entrepreneurs
Startups have special needs. You choose from a suite of flat-fee packages specifically designed for startups. The goal is to balance the demands of the strict budget of a startup with the need to structure a new venture safely and intelligently, providing you with value-added services coupled with the benefit certainty in budgeting when you most need it. Click here to learn about Startup Package billing models.
DOWNLOAD DOCUMENT TEMPLATES DIRECTLY
For business owners, sole proprietors, and budding entrepreneurs not quite ready to formally retain a business attorney, I am working on an online document e-Store. It will include a library of simple, common business documents. Some will be downloadable for free, and others available for purchase. They will be fillable contract templates. Click here to visit the future home of the future home of the WLF Document e-Store for more details.
START NOW
I would love the chance to get to know you and your startup plans, for you to consider me a resource to help protect your interests as you follow your dreams and turn your idea into a reality. Make an appointment today for a free consultation