how many time will a startup need to visit a lawyer

by Prof. Michael Morissette 6 min read

What does a startup lawyer do day to day?

Jun 02, 2020 · Depending on the number of legal issues you need to handle monthly, sometimes it’s better to employ a lawyer full-time. If you’re not interested in hiring a legal advisor, at least look through the legal services offered in your region. Put aside a …

What does it take to be a startup lawyer?

Apr 24, 2020 ¡ What You Should Know. Startupopinions April 24, 2020. When you are still working on getting your business off the ground, you may want to keep the number of employees to a minimum. This includes any work you may need to outsource as well. Thus, you are going to have to think long and hard about hiring a lawyer for your startup.

Should you move your law firm to a startup?

Dec 17, 2019 ¡ Does your startup need a lawyer? You can find the answer to this question and more information about this by keeping on reading this article. 1. Legal Business. The first reason for which a startup should consider hiring a lawyer is to keep the business legal. You want to make sure that your business is not violating any laws and that ...

Should you hire a startup law firm or go inhouse?

First of all, if you are starting the business with a co-founder you’ll need a lawyer to draw up proper founders collaboration agreement. No one ever expects a partnership to sour, but it does countless times (just look at the divorce rate). Without proper agreements in place, you risk having a co-founder you’re no longer on good terms with ...

image

Know-How an Attorney Can Help Your Business

Before going any further, it is important to understand how a lawyer can help your company. With this insight, you will find it easier to determine whether you should take on such an expert for your organization.

When Should You Hire an Attorney?

Now, taking into consideration everything a lawyer can do for you, should you hire one from the moment your business gets off? Well, this is entirely up to you, but for the most part, it is unnecessary.

Hiring the Right Lawyer for Your Startup

The final step of your journey involves hiring the best possible attorney for your startup company. You should be mindful that just because a lawyer has a good reputation, doesn’t necessarily mean that they are a suitable fit for your new business.

Get Ready for 2019: New California Labor Laws That Will Impact Your Business

California Gov. Jerry Brown recently completed acting on the 1,217 bills that came across his desk this year. He has signed 1,016 of them into law, with the majority taking effect...

Five Examples How GDPR Affects US Small Businesses

Size has no bearing on an organization’s GDPR compliance obligations. GDPR requires process and technology changes across many functional areas. UpCounsel attorney Michael Witt...

When is the Right Time for Startups to Secure Legal Advice?

An attorney can flag legal gray areas that could sap startup founders’ time by attracting lawsuits and government investigations. Click here for advice for founders.

What You Need to Do After Forming an LLC

Attorney Seth Heyman lists eight steps your must take to protect your business before launch and two steps to take afterward.

Who is Salil Gandhi?

As Salil Gandhi, an emerging companies partner at Goodwin Procter in New York City, describes it, “ Startup lawyers act as outside general counsel for high-growth startups throughout the lifecycle.” The day-to-day translates to “counseling startup clients through the formation process and capital raising from angels and venture capitalists, advising on legal and business issues that arise as the companies scale and grow, and then eventually helping them sell the business or take the company public in an IPO. ” Gandhi’s practice mostly involves representing startup companies themselves, but he also represents venture capital (VC) funds when they invest in startups.

Is a startup a risky endeavor?

Startups are inherently risky endeavors. As Whistler Managing Director Kathleen Mon sees it: “ Startups are disruptors. If you want that life, you have to be about that life. If you want to work in this space, you can't expect to follow the typical legal career path.

Do corporate lawyers prefer business?

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a corporate lawyer secretly—or, in many cases, not so secretly—would prefer a career in business. Any recruiter who speaks regularly with corporate/transactional associates at big law firms invariably hears that their eventual goal is to move over to the business side, or at least to get closer to the business. But what many of these attorneys fail to realize is that there are ways to continue practicing law while still getting to flex those business muscles as a key member of the top-level strategic team at fast-paced, growing companies. Now, does that sound like something you might be interested in?

Experience with startups

Choose a lawyer who is experienced in working with startups in your industry and building those startups into successful companies. If the lawyer is part of a large firm that has a startup or ‘emerging companies’ practice, you may have a ‘1-stop-shop’ benefit that includes the various specialty areas startups will eventually need as they grow.

Law firm culture

A law firm’s culture can be very relevant to its clients. In firms with a collaborative or ‘team’ culture, your lawyer is better able to leverage the collective knowledge of his or her colleagues to offer more effective and efficient legal counsel, quicker responses and business-friendly answers.

Connections to capital

Don’t underestimate the ‘non-legal’ services that your lawyer can provide. In addition to representing startups, some firms also have a venture capital practice where they represent VCs in their fund formation and investment activities.

Cost

Early-stage startups are often cash constrained and attorney billable hourly rates are high. A good startup lawyer is sensitive to this and may be willing to offer a flexible fee arrangement to unfunded startups. These arrangements can take many forms, and a good startup lawyer will be happy to discuss options with you.

Chemistry

A great legal advisor is important as you launch and grow your company. Choose a lawyer who is smart, accessible, interested in you and your company, easy to talk to, and is someone you can count on to be available and honest with you. You’ll be working with your lawyer through exciting and occasionally difficult times – choose wisely!

What does incorporation of a business do?

Incorporating your business creates a legal separation between the individual entrepreneur (s) and the business itself, possibly shielding you from personal liability for the business’s debts and other liabilities. Think of your entity as an independent vessel that conducts business: it holds IP, employs talent, pays taxes and enters into contracts. The primary party to any transaction relating to the business is the entity, and not the founders themselves.

What is partnership agreement?

Where there is more than one founder, a Partnership Agreement (operating agreement or corporate bylaws, depending on your entity's form) is essential to resolve future conflicts and avoid expensive litigation . Some of the issues you might want to think about are profit sharing, equity splits, decision-making, and division of responsibilities, amongst others. A common mistake entrepreneurs make is to wait too long to enter into these agreements. It is difficult to predict when or how your vision might differ with a co-founder, and you want to have a strategy in place to deal with the issue. A seasoned startup lawyer can help you navigate potential landmines and agree on mutual solutions.

Business Structure

Some of determining whether or not you’ll need an attorney to start a small business will depend on what business structure you’re going to set up.

Types of Attorneys

Be aware of different types of attorneys help people set up small businesses as well.

image

Legal Assistance Is A Worthy Investment

  • Creating a startup can be expensive and working with a tight budget can mean sacrifices for any business owner. Getting legal help should not be one of those sacrifices. Paying for legal services from a lawyer may feel like a privilege for later when there’s more money in the budget to spare, but preventative measures and competent legal assistance are key if you want to avoid spendin…
See more on bizcounsel.com

Starting A Solid Partnership

  • Although there are many things you can take care of by yourself when it comes to starting a company, there are some things better left to a legal professional.In fact, though this may come as a surprise, it doesn’t always take long for some startups to encounter legal problems. A couple of early struggles a startup might run into due to a shaky legal foundation include: 1. Tensions b…
See more on bizcounsel.com

Establishing A Board

  • There is a lot of work involved in starting a company. Being the founder of a business doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll always be in charge of every decision. Though startups tend to avoid establishing a board complete with bylawsand a solid governing structure, lawyers can make sure you take all the necessary steps required to make the most of your company. They can help wit…
See more on bizcounsel.com

Writing The Terms of Service

  • As exciting as putting your product or service into the world is, it also comes with tedium and hefty legal responsibilities. Sooner rather than later you’ll run into the trouble of writing terms of service. Although you can be sure your customers probably won’t read them, being as boring and detailed as they are, someone has to write them out and establish legally binding terms of servic…
See more on bizcounsel.com

Summary

  • Creating a company is a difficult process, especially if you’re attempting to do it alone. Building a strong relationship with a lawyer early in your company’s development can be a real advantage down the road.They can help you every step of the way. Of all the issues you might encounter while founding a business, legal challenges should not be one of the things you have to worry ab…
See more on bizcounsel.com