Startup Lawyer

We structure equity with vesting terms, secure IP ownership before launch, and review investor rights before capital raises lock in obligations that limit founder control.

Secure Your Legal Advantage

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500+

Your brand deserves to be yours, no question. Join 500+ others who’ve secured trade marks built to grow, scale, and stand out globally.

$10M +

With over $10 million recovered, our clients move forward with renewed clarity, free from delays, distractions, and the weight of unresolved matters.

2,000 +

We’ve helped over 2,000 companies scale, advising on the deals, hires, and legal frameworks behind expansion, funding, and ownership.

40 Years

With 40 years of experience, we’ve all seen the challenges you’re facing. We’ll help you avoid the mistakes others have made.

Where founders go wrong, and what a startup lawyer fixes early

Startups rarely fail because of a single legal mistake. It’s usually a basic setup issue that only becomes obvious later when a raise is delayed, a founder walks, or ownership gets challenged.

We focus on the legal work that matters early when it’s still fixable.

Structuring the business properly

We issue founder shares with vesting (usually four years with a one-year cliff), draft a shareholder agreement with leaver clauses and board rights, and make sure equity reflects contribution, not just handshake deals.

Example: A startup had two founders listed as 50/50 shareholders from day one. Six months in, one left. Because there was no vesting or leaver clause, their full shareholding remained, and new investors pulled out due to the imbalance.

We also help set thresholds for drag-along and pre-emptive rights, to avoid deadlocks at raise or exit. If you’re offering team or adviser equity, we create the necessary resolutions, plan rules, and offer documentation, so it’s not just an informal promise.

Preparing for investors

We prepare and review shareholder agreements, IP assignment deeds, founder terms, and instruments like SAFEs or convertible notes. We make sure the terms match your stage and that they won’t cause issues in due diligence.

Example: A founder signed a convertible note without a valuation cap. When they tried to raise again, the next investor saw it as an uncapped risk and asked for a full rewrite. That delayed the deal and added legal costs on both sides.

Protecting ownership and IP

We ensure the company owns what it uses, especially where IP was created by a freelancer, founding contractor, or pre-incorporation contributor. We prepare IP assignment deeds that identify the work, confirm transfer of rights, and remove ambiguity about ownership.

Example: A startup used a contractor to build their MVP. They assumed the IP belonged to the company. When a licensing deal came up, the contractor claimed ownership. There was no assignment clause in the contract, and the deal stalled.

We also advise on trademark strategy, when to file, in what classes, and how to avoid registration under a personal name or unrelated entity, which can cause disputes later on.

Advice when new risks emerge

We handle early issues that often surface once the company starts trading such as employment disputes, platform liability, or privacy compliance questions.

Example: A founder hired a developer as an “independent contractor” but didn’t document it. After a disagreement, the developer claimed employee entitlements. The lack of a signed contract or agreement made it hard to defend.

We also flag common exposure points: collecting customer data without a compliant privacy policy, using misleading trial terms, or automating marketing without spam law coverage.

What’s Included When You Work With Our Startup Lawyers

These are the core deliverables we prepare for early-stage startups as they formalise their structure, raise capital, or make their first hires.

Shareholders Agreement

IP Assignment & Audit Summary

Capital Raise Documents

Founder-Facing Legal Advice

Advice on cap table structuring, adviser equity, and ESOP preparation
Guidance on employment law basics and risk exposures
Clarification of document terms, compliance obligations, or board processes
Ongoing legal input during the engagement is scoped clearly, with no open-ended billing

Commercial document drafting

Fully tailored, not template-based

Ask more from your startup lawyer

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What You’re Probably Googling at Midnight

Do I need a startup lawyer before I raise capital?

Yes. Investors will expect a clean company structure, proper founder agreements, and clarity on who owns what. A good startup lawyer ensures your company is “due diligence ready.”

Can I use templates instead?

Templates don’t account for context. If you’re splitting equity with co-founders, raising capital, or assigning IP, your terms need to reflect real risk, not assumptions.

What’s the difference between a startup lawyer and a general commercial lawyer?

A startup lawyer understands founder psychology, fast timelines, cap tables, and investor expectations. Commercial lawyers may be technically competent but aren’t always founder-aligned or startup-paced.

How much does it cost to work with a startup lawyer?

We offer fixed-fee packages for early-stage needs (e.g. shareholder agreements, website legal), and flexible ongoing arrangements for scaling startups. You’ll always know what you’re paying for before you pay.

Do you help with trademarks and IP?

Yes. We can register trademarks, draft IP assignment deeds, and advise on licensing, especially important when you’re working with contractors or outsourced developers.

Is Lazarus Legal only for tech startups?