What Actually Counts as “Personal Data”? Names and email addresses are personal data. But what about an IP address? Device identifier? Location information? Customer ID? Founders can underestimate how much personal information moves through a product because they look only at the information users intentionally type into a form. If you are trying to understand
What Actually Counts as “Personal Data”? Read More »
Explore startup legal advice 2026 and the key trends shaping compliance, fundraising, and risk management for growing companies in San Francisco.
Startup Legal Advice 2026: Key Legal Trends Every Startup Should Monitor Read More »
What is Limitation of Liability and Indemnification? You are reviewing a customer contract and reach the sections on limitation of liability and indemnification. The words sound familiar. But if the deal goes wrong, what do these provisions actually mean for your company? These clauses help allocate risk between the parties. For founders negotiating software agreements, understanding that allocation can matter just
What is Limitation of Liability and Indemnification? Read More »
Using Open-Source Code in Your Commercial Product Your developer finds an open-source library that solves in an afternoon what might otherwise take a week to build. Can you use it in a commercial product? Often, open-source software can be used commercially. But “open source” does not mean “no rules.” The relevant question is what the particular license permits and what
Using Open-Source Code in Your Commercial Product Read More »
Do You Actually Need a Cookie Banner? You visit almost any website and see some version of the same message: “We use cookies.” Does your startup actually need one of those banners? The answer is not determined simply by whether your website uses cookies. It can depend on what technologies you use, what they do, which privacy rules apply,
Do You Actually Need a Cookie Banner? Read More »
Would My Board Minutes Actually Survive a Buyer’s Due Diligence? You are sitting across from a buyer who has just sent over a long diligence request list. Your team has already shared the cap table, incorporation documents, contracts, financial records, and IP assignments. Then the buyer asks for your board minutes. You know the board
Would My Board Minutes Actually Survive a Buyer’s Due Diligence? Read More »
Will I Lose Control of My Company If I Keep Raising Money? Every time I raise another round, my ownership percentage gets smaller. At some point, does that mean I stop calling the shots? Many founders assume control disappears when their ownership falls below a certain percentage. In practice, that is not how startup governance
Will I Lose Control of My Company If I Keep Raising Money? Read More »
Why Am I Still Locked Into This Contract I Want Out Of? You signed a vendor agreement a year ago and barely thought about it again. Now the software no longer fits where your company is headed, so you decide it is time to move on. Then the invoice arrives. It is for another 12
Why Am I Still Locked Into This Contract I Want Out Of? Read More »
What Kills an M&A Deal in Due Diligence, and Is My Portfolio Company Exposed? You finally have a buyer interested in acquiring one of your portfolio companies. The purchase price looks good, and the negotiations are moving forward. But price may not be the biggest risk. The bigger concern is what happens when the buyer’s
What Kills an M&A Deal in Due Diligence, and Is My Portfolio Company Exposed? Read More »
What Am I Missing in My First Executive Offer Letter After Raising a Priced Round? You just closed your priced round and are finally hiring the CFO or VP you have needed for the past year. You pull up a generic offer letter template. Salary, title, start date, done. That approach may work for a
What Am I Missing in My First Executive Offer Letter After Raising a Priced Round? Read More »
Should I Take Cash or Rollover Equity When I Sell My Company? The number on the letter of intent looks impressive. Then you look closer and realize that only part of the deal is actually cash. The rest may be stock in the buyer’s company, an earnout tied to future performance, or another form of
Should I Take Cash or Rollover Equity When I Sell My Company? Read More »
Should I Sign a Term Sheet If It’s the Only One I Have? You have spent months pitching investors. Then finally, one investor sends you a term sheet. Your first reaction may be to sign quickly before they change their mind. But having one term sheet does not mean you have to accept every term.
Should I Sign a Term Sheet If It’s the Only One I Have? Read More »
Should I Push for Reps and Warranties Insurance Before My Startup Gets Acquired? Your acquirer just sent over the deal structure. You see that a chunk of your proceeds will sit in escrow for a year, maybe two, before you can access it. Then you hear that another founder received a much cleaner check at
Should I Push for Reps and Warranties Insurance Before My Startup Gets Acquired? Read More »
How Much Should I Actually Be Spending on a Lawyer Right Now? A founder usually calls a lawyer when something goes wrong. A customer contract becomes difficult to interpret. An employee issue suddenly feels risky. An investor sends over a term sheet with provisions nobody on the team fully understands. The invoice arrives after the
How Much Should I Actually Be Spending on a Lawyer Right Now? Read More »
Does My Portfolio Company’s D&O Insurance Actually Cover Me on the Board? You are about to accept a board seat at a portfolio company. The company already has directors and officers insurance, so everyone assumes you are protected as soon as you join the board. That assumption can be dangerous. Investor appointed directors can face
Does My Portfolio Company’s D&O Insurance Actually Cover Me on the Board? Read More »
Do I Need an IP Holding Company Before My Startup Expands Overseas? Your engineering team in Krakow just shipped a feature that becomes part of your core product. At the same time, a distributor in Singapore is using your trademark on local packaging. Everyone is working for the same business, so it may feel unnecessary
Do I Need an IP Holding Company Before My Startup Expands Overseas? Read More »
Did My Cheap Online Incorporation Actually Cover Everything? You filed your incorporation online, paid a few hundred dollars, and received a PDF packet. It felt like the company formation process was finished. Then an investor asks for your bylaws. Another person asks for your founder’s stock documents. Someone wants to see your cap table. Suddenly,
Did My Cheap Online Incorporation Actually Cover Everything? Read More »
Draft clear tech startup agreements with founder-friendly terms. Learn essential clauses and protect your business from day one.
Tech startup agreements: Drafting Clear Tech Terms for Founders Read More »
Should I Push for Reps and Warranties Insurance Before My Startup Gets Acquired? Your acquirer just sent over the deal structure. You see that a chunk of your proceeds will sit in escrow for a year, maybe two, before you can access it. Then you hear that another founder received a much cleaner check at
Should I Push for Reps and Warranties Insurance Before My Startup Gets Acquired? Read More »
Did I Just Sign Away Exclusive Rights to My Own Product? Your biggest customer has just sent over its contract. The deal is close, and you are focused on the payment terms, implementation schedule, and getting the signature. Then you notice a word buried somewhere in the licensing section: “exclusive.” At first, it may look
Did I Just Sign Away Exclusive Rights to My Own Product? Read More »
