Founder guides
Short, practical guides for getting ready to work with a business lawyer.
How to write a short summary for your lawyer
Tell your lawyer what happened, who is involved and what you need answered. A simple way for founders to prepare a short summary before a first call.
Read →Which intake questions does your firm really use?
A practical way for business lawyers to review intake questions: check what helps prepare the first call, what gets repeated and what can wait.
Read →What to prepare before you meet a business lawyer
A short checklist of facts and documents to gather before a first meeting with a business lawyer, so the time goes to your questions.
Read →Got a demand letter? What to gather first
The letter, the contract, the messages and the dates: what to gather, and what a lawyer will ask, when someone says your business owes them or broke a promise.
Read →First retail or distribution deal: what to gather
Before you sign with a retailer or distributor, these are the facts about your product, your supply chain and your brand that a lawyer will want.
Read →First big customer contract: what to have ready
The customer’s draft, any security or privacy questionnaire and your own terms: what to gather, and what a lawyer will ask, before you sign with a larger customer.
Read →Signing a commercial lease? What to have ready
The landlord’s draft, the space, the permits and your plans: what to gather, and what a lawyer will ask, before you sign a lease for a store, office or kitchen.
Read →Manufacturer or co-packer deal: what to have ready
Your agreement, your formula or design, and who has seen what: what to gather, and what a lawyer will ask, before you sign with a manufacturer or co-packer.
Read →Collecting customer data? What to have ready
What you collect, who handles it and what your privacy notice says: what to gather, and what a lawyer will ask, once your business collects personal data.
Read →Launching an AI feature? What to have ready
Your AI provider’s terms, the data it sees and what you tell customers: what to gather, and what a lawyer will ask, before customers use an AI feature you built.
Read →Raising your first round: what to have ready
Your cap table, earlier SAFEs or notes and your formation documents: the records and questions to bring to a lawyer before you take investor money.
Read →Who owns what your business built?
Code, designs, recipes and content are often made by founders, contractors and partners. Know who made what before an investor, buyer or partner asks.
Read →Your first hire: what your lawyer will ask
Contractor or employee, who owns their work, and what you have promised. The facts to gather before you bring on your first hire.
Read →Picking a brand name? What to have ready
The name, where you use it, who registered the domain and accounts: what to gather, and what a lawyer will ask, before you launch or file for a brand name.
Read →Co-founder split on a handshake? What to gather
Who owns what, who built what and what was promised: what to gather, and what a lawyer will ask, when co-founders want to write down their split.
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