For the founders of emerging companies, the start-up journey is fraught with unknowns. These entrepreneurs face enormous uncertainties — finding funding, recruiting employees, developing a client base — even as they address the fundamental question of whether a market exists for their product. Our attorneys understand the pressures on founders, and earn their trust by working closely with them — often acting as de facto general counsel — to help them make informed decisions through every stage of their company’s growth.
Strategic Business Advice
We add value to start-ups even before they exist. We spend time learning about a founder’s goals so we can help determine the right corporate structure for the business, and we make sure the right documents are in place to best achieve those goals. Following the initial formation stage, we help accelerate the company’s trajectory, structuring and executing financing transactions in all subsequent stages of growth. Since we also represent investors — including angels, venture capitalists and corporate venture capital investors — we can provide a unique perspective, a view from the other side of the table.
Our attorneys roll up their sleeves to dig deeply into our clients’ business models in an ongoing effort to understand their operations, their value proposition and their place in the market. We advise them on all aspects of their business, including hiring decisions, marketing efforts and long-term growth strategies. We know that as start-ups grow, so do their legal needs, and we can provide the same services to these companies — employment, benefits, tax, intellectual property — as we do to global brands.
Preparing for the Exit
Often, the ultimate goal for many of our start-up clients is to sell the companies they build. Our attorneys regularly handle these exit transactions and are well suited to prepare companies for those events. Our deep knowledge of the M&A process informs the advice we give to growing companies as they build toward an exit. We know exactly what buyers are looking for, and we help our clients position themselves for the kinds of growth and success that attract those buyers, so as to facilitate a successful exit at the best possible price.
The Personal Touch
When we begin working with a start-up, we fully expect to make substantial investments of our own time. We view our role as more than simply drafting documents, and provide practical advice and guidance wherever we can. We embrace this advisory role, and we take enormous satisfaction in being an integral part of a company’s growth and ultimate success.
