LEGAL RESOURCES FOR ENTREPRENEURS
Legal questions are in inevitable part of building a venture and all teams will have to contend with them at some point. At the outset they may be more basic — what kind of legal entity should the venture be? — while other times more specific, and potentially complicated, issues arise. While few entrepreneurs start a venture as an excuse to file legal paperwork, it nonetheless behooves all entrepreneurs to at least have a sense of the landscape and what the critical issues are. That’s the spirit in which we’ve built this page – to give you a starting point for further research on the questions that may matter to you and your venture. Please note (and we can’t emphasize this enough!) that this should not be construed as formal legal advice. If you have any doubts or questions about that please note the disclaimer below.
LEGAL BASICS
Issues of entity, incorporation, how to structure a venture.
FINANCING
What a venture needs to know about financing and taking investment.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
How to think about what — at least for many ventures — is one of their most important assets.
EMPLOYMENT
Some of the main legal issues regarding employment contracts and work arrangements.
INTERNATIONAL ISSUES
One of Brown’s strengths is it’s global footprint and here are some of the legal issues that go with it.
COMMON FORMS
Some of the forms that deal with many standard venture situations.
LEGAL BASICS
Topics to Include
When do I need to consider establishing a freestanding entity?
Structure – what is the appropriate legal form? LLC? C-Corp?
What about B-Corps and 501(c)3’s?
How should founders divide equity?
Current Resources:
Public Benefit Corporation (Delaware) Document Generatore from Cooley Go: https://www.cooleygo.com/documents/pbc-incorporation-package-delaware/
Orrick Legal Guide for Stripe Atlas (pdf): https://stripe.com/files/atlas/orrick-legal-guide.pdf
FINANCING
Topics for Consideration:
What are the implications and responsibilities of taking financing?
Is there an optimal time, legally speaking, to acquire outside funding?
What does a “typical” venture financing look like and how is it structured?
Can I raise financing as a B-Corp or Non-Profit?
Resources:
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Topics for Consideration:
How do I know if my venture has (or potentially has) Intellectual Property?
What are the different kinds of intellectual property? How are they different from one another?
What is the process for making a claim to intellectual property and what should I do to get started?
Current Resources:
EMPLOYMENT
Topics:
Resources:
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INTERNATIONAL ISSUES
Topics
What are the primary legal considerations that international students should think about while attempting to launch a US-Based startup?
What types of visas are there for international students?
Are there other non-visa issues that international founders should be aware of?
Resources:
COMMON FORMS
Some Common Forms provided by the National Venture Capital Association: https://nvca.org/resources/model-legal-documents/
Disclaimer:
Each document or reference source is intended to serve only as a starting point, and will need to be tailored to meet your specific requirements. These documents and reference sources should not be construed as legal advice for any particular venture, facts or circumstances. Needless to say, neither Brown University nor the Jonathan M. Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship assume any responsibility for any consequence of using these documents or reference sources.