Startup Legal Review™
Most startups don't know their legal health until an investor finds the problems. A Startup Legal Review changes that — it's a systematic diagnostic across every legal layer of your company, so you can fix issues on your timeline, not someone else's.
What's inside
- Entity & structure audit — Delaware vs. local entity, authorized share classes, organizational resolutions, registered agent status
- Equity health check — founder vesting schedules, cap table accuracy, option pool adequacy, prior SAFE/note issuances
- IP ownership review — PIIA coverage gaps, pre-formation IP, contractor assignments, open source exposure
- Employment compliance — offer letter quality, classification review, equity grant documentation, key employee agreements
- Contract assessment — customer agreements, vendor terms, missing NDAs, unfavorable change-of-control provisions
- Findings memo — prioritized list of issues with severity ratings and recommended fixes
- Remediation roadmap — what to fix now vs. before fundraising vs. before exit
Who this is for
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Frequently asked questions
What does a Startup Legal Review cover?
A Startup Legal Review covers five critical areas: (1) Corporate structure — entity type, jurisdiction, authorized shares and organizational documents; (2) Equity — founder vesting, option pool, cap table accuracy and prior issuances; (3) IP — ownership of all code, products and brand, PIIA coverage, trademark status; (4) Employment — agreements, classification, compensation documentation; (5) Contracts — key commercial agreements, customer terms and vendor agreements.
When should I do a legal review?
The best time is before you need one — specifically 8–12 weeks before a fundraising round, before signing a significant enterprise contract, before hiring your 10th employee, or before entering a new market. Issues found proactively are 10–20x cheaper to fix than issues found during investor due diligence.
How long does a startup legal review take?
A comprehensive legal review typically takes 5–10 business days, depending on how complete and organized your documents are. Our process involves an initial diagnostic, document collection, analysis across five areas, and a findings memo with prioritized action items.
What are the most common legal issues found?
The most common findings: IP not fully assigned to the company; missing founder vesting or informal equity arrangements; no PIIA agreements for early contributors; cap table discrepancies — options granted without board resolutions; and employment vs. contractor misclassification.
Want us to run a legal review on your company? We'll identify the issues and fix them before they cost you a round.