Should I Use a SAFE or a Convertible Note for My First Raise? Your first check is coming in. The investor says they are flexible on structure. Now you have to decide: SAFE or convertible note. Most first-time founders either pick the one they have heard of before or defer to whatever the investor prefers. Both […]
Should I Use a SAFE or a Convertible Note for My First Raise? Read More »
My Business Partner and I Can’t Agree. What Happens to Our Company? You built this together. Now you cannot agree on where it should go next. One of you wants to sell. The other wants to keep building. Or one wants outside funding and the other does not. The company gets stuck. And the longer it stays stuck, the more it
My Business Partner and I Can’t Agree. What Happens to Our Company? Read More »
Apple Just Named Its Next CEO. Do I Have a Succession Plan? Tim Cook has reportedly positioned John Ternus as a leading successor. The transition appears planned, quiet, and structured. It was planned. It was quiet. Apple’s succession planning has been designed so the company can transition without disruption. Most founders have not thought about what happens if they cannot
Apple Just Named Its Next CEO. Do I Have a Succession Plan? Read More »
What Happens to My Equity If I Get Fired After Acquisition? You built this. You signed the acquisition documents. Then, six months later, your new parent company restructures. Your role is eliminated. You leave. But what happens to the equity you expected to vest over the next two years—is it gone? The answer depends on what you
What Happens to My Equity If I Get Fired After Acquisition? Read More »
Discover how startup counsel in San Francisco helps founders navigate legal challenges and scale faster than competitors.
Startup Counsel San Francisco: How Local Counsel Accelerates Growth Read More »
The R&D Tax Rule Just Changed. Is My Startup Getting Full Benefit? You have heard that something changed with R&D tax deductions. The details are unclear, the deadline may be approaching, and your accountant may not have raised it yet. This is the moment to bring it up yourself. The One Big Beautiful Budget Act (OBBBA), signed on
The R&D Tax Rule Just Changed. Is My Startup Getting Full Benefit? Read More »
My Supply Chain Is Breaking Down. When Does That Become a Legal Problem? Your supplier just told you they cannot deliver. Costs have jumped significantly as high as 40%. Your contract says delivery is guaranteed. Or does it? And if it does, can you actually enforce it when the whole industry is facing the same pressure? Supply chain
My Supply Chain Is Breaking Down. When Does That Become a Legal Problem? Read More »
Am I Protecting My Ownership? What Pro-Rata Rights Actually Do? You invested in the seed round. The company is growing. Now Series A is closing. Without pro-rata rights, your ownership percentage can be significantly diluted in future rounds. The new investors get in. You get diluted. And you had no say in it. Pro-rata rights give
Am I Protecting My Ownership? What Pro-Rata Rights Actually Do? Read More »
Can I Renegotiate My Vendor Contracts Because of Tariffs? Your costs just went up significantly. Your vendor says their prices are going up too. You have a signed contract. The economics no longer work, and you are not sure whether the contract locks you in or gives you room to renegotiate. The answer depends on what your
Can I Renegotiate My Vendor Contracts Because of Tariffs? Read More »
Prepare your startup for investor scrutiny with our due diligence checklist and proven strategies to strengthen your financial and operational readiness.
Due Diligence Startups: Preparing for Investors Read More »
Is My Company Deal Ready? Legal Steps to Prepare for a Sale, Merger, or Strategic Investment “We have interest. How fast can we get the company ready?” That question comes up more often than it should. And the answer is almost always the same: not as fast as you think. Companies that move quickly through a sale, merger, or strategic investment are
From Startup to Scale-Up: Is Our Legal Structure Keeping Up with Business Growth? “We have grown faster than we expected. Has our legal setup kept up?” Most founders spend real time and money getting their legal structure right at formation. Then the company starts moving fast: new hires, new investors, new markets, and new revenue. And the legal infrastructure quietly stops fitting. The structure
From Startup to Scale-Up: Is Our Legal Structure Keeping Up with Business Growth? Read More »
Can My Investors Force Me to Sell My Company? You are not ready to sell. The product is still evolving. The timing feels off. But your lead investor disagrees. Buried in your stockholders’ agreement is a clause that may give them the right to force an exit you do not want, on terms you did not choose. It is called a
Can My Investors Force Me to Sell My Company? Read More »
When I Buy Out My Other Co-Founder: What Do the Documents Need to Say? “We have agreed on the number. Now how do we make sure this holds?” That is where most co-founder buyouts start to break. The number feels like the hard part. It is not. What creates problems later is everything that was assumed, implied, or never
When I Buy Out My Other Co-Founder: What Do the Documents Need to Say? Read More »
What Legal Red Flags Should I Catch Before Funding a Startup? “This deal looks clean. But what breaks the moment you wire funds?” That’s the question every investor should be asking before closing. In startup deals, the pitch sells upside. Legal diligence reveals risk. And that’s where deals either hold together or start to unravel. Investors routinely discover
What Legal Red Flags Should I Catch Before Funding a Startup? Read More »
What Legal Risks Do International Investors Face When Funding U.S. Startups “The deal is done. The money is wired. So why is everything suddenly complicated?” That’s a moment many international investors reach. Cross-border startup investing moves fast, until U.S. law gets involved. And in 2026, with increased enforcement and regulatory scrutiny, the margin for error is shrinking. Deals that look
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Congress Just Changed How Startups Can Raise Money. Are You Paying Attention? You have been pitching at demo days, accelerator events, and university programs. You probably assumed that was fine. For years, the rules around general solicitation, meaning publicly promoting a fundraise to unverified investors, have created legal risk when founders raise capital in open settings under certain exemptions. A
Congress Just Changed How Startups Can Raise Money. Are You Paying Attention? Read More »
VCs Are Pulling Back Because of Tariffs. What Does That Mean If You Are Raising Right Now? You have been building your deck. Refining your pitch. Getting warm intros. Now you are hearing “not the right timing” more than you expected. It is not just you. Investor caution has increased in response to macroeconomic uncertainty, including global trade tensions and tariffs. A
My Next Round Came in at a Lower Valuation. How Much Equity Am I About to Lose? Nobody raises expecting a down round. But valuations reset. Runway runs short. And the term sheet that arrives looks very different from the last one. Inside it, in many cases, is an anti-dilution provision that can significantly affect how equity is redistributed, often before founders fully
My Next Round Came in at a Lower Valuation. How Much Equity Am I About to Lose? Read More »
Protect your startup from litigation risks with proactive legal strategies, compliance frameworks, and practical steps to minimize exposure.
Litigation Risk Startups: Proactive Strategies To Stay Safe Read More »
