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If you are a founder or co-founder of a startup, you are undoubtedly excited about the opportunities for your business. However, as your business grows, it is worth knowing:
where and how to source venture capital;
which company structure will suit you best;
protecting your intellectual property; and
how to attract and fund top new employees.
Having originated as a startup, LegalVision understands emerging companies and is well-positioned to help you succeed.
Raising Capital
When you establish a startup, raising venture capital can be challenging. Entrepreneurs need funding from an appropriate source to launch their idea to market and achieve their business goals. This is where LegalVision’s experienced capital-raising team comes in. We can help you:
negotiate with investors;
provide advice on capital raising and corporate governance;
draft and review term sheets, shareholder agreements and subscription agreements; and
set up a cap table.
Business Structure
Choosing the best structure for your business is one of the most important decisions when establishing your startup. It affects how you operate your business and the ease of gaining funding.
LegalVision’s startup team can assist you with:
structuring both your personal and business shareholding;
An ESS is an excellent way for a startup to attract, retain and incentivise key people in your business. You can offer employees shares or options to buy shares in your new business. An ESS can also help startups and small businesses close the gap between a startup salary and the equivalent corporate salary.
LegalVision’s experienced startup lawyers can assist you with:
advice on how to set up an ESS;
drafting the relevant ESS documentation, including option plans, offer letters and non-disclosure agreements;
advising on tax benefits, issues, concessions and deductions; and
determining the appropriate market value and vesting criteria.
LegalVision’s experienced startup team has helped thousands of clients over the past years, from tech startups to other early-stage startup businesses. Our legal services have played a crucial role in their financing and structuring. We can also provide legal advice on how to protect your intellectual property.
Our membership model provides a fixed fee structure, so you can rest assured you will not blow your budget on legal expenses. So call our law firm today on 0808 196 8584 and let us help you achieve your startup dreams.
Send an enquiry
How LegalVision Can Help
Experienced Startup Lawyers
The legal decisions made while a startup is growing can have a lasting effect on ownership, control and its ability to raise capital. A founder agreement that no longer reflects the business, an unclear cap table or intellectual property held outside the company can become more difficult to resolve once investors begin due diligence.
Our startup solicitors advise founders and growth-stage businesses as they bring in co-founders, make senior hires, raise capital and expand into new markets. We consider how each decision affects the next stage of the business, including future investment, employee incentives and an eventual exit.
Taking advice before agreeing to a term sheet, issuing equity or signing a significant commercial contract gives you more room to negotiate. It also allows your legal structure and key documents to develop with the business rather than requiring substantial changes before a transaction can proceed.
Examples of when businesses come to us:
an investor has issued a term sheet, and the founders need to assess control, dilution and exit provisions before agreeing terms
a key employee is being offered equity and the business needs to decide how vesting and leaver arrangements should operate
ownership between founders is no longer clear, and disagreements are affecting decisions about funding, hiring or the direction of the company
Our expertise
Founder and shareholder arrangements: We advise on founder equity, vesting, shareholder rights, company structures and shareholders’ agreements, including arrangements designed for future investment and changes in ownership.
Capital raising: We advise on equity funding, term sheets, subscription documents and convertible loan notes. We review investor rights, dilution, governance and exit provisions so founders can assess the commercial effect of a proposed investment.
Employee equity: We advise on employee share and option arrangements, including EMI share options where appropriate. We draft option plans, award documentation and vesting provisions that reflect the business’s approach to retention and reward.
Commercial growth: We draft, review and negotiate customer, supplier, SaaS, licensing and other commercial agreements as startups acquire customers, launch products and enter strategic partnerships.
Intellectual property and data: We advise on ownership and protection of intellectual property, trade marks, confidentiality, technology arrangements, privacy and data use as the business develops new products and expands.
Our Services
Capital Raising
Our team have assisted hundreds of startups raise funding, from Family and Friends Round through to Series C and beyond. We can draft and review term sheets and shareholders agreements as well as help set up your cap table and employee share scheme.
Startup Structuring
Choosing the right company structure for your startup is crucial to your success. We can assist with choosing the right structure, draft and review your documents and establish a holding company or discretionary trust if needed. We can also advise on share vesting and option plans.
Employee Share Schemes
If you are looking to attract, incentivise and retain people in your startup business, we can help you implement an employee share scheme (ESS) or employee share option plan (ESOP). We can also help determine appropriate vesting criteria and market value.
“Founders often benefit most from legal advice before a financing or ownership issue becomes urgent. We advise technology startups, founder-led businesses and growing companies on capital raising, shareholders agreements, employee equity and commercial contracts. Our clients return as the business changes because decisions about ownership, funding and incentives are connected. A startup’s legal structure should support the next stage of growth, not require rebuilding before it.”
Michaela Corley
Practice Leader, LegalVision
Providing businesses
with unlimited legal help.
Unlike other law firms, LegalVision provides businesses with ongoing and on-demand legal support through our
unlimited legal services membership. When you become a member, you get access to an experienced team of
lawyers to assist with all your business' legal needs. Your membership includes:
Unlimited Document Drafting, Reviews and Amendments
A startup solicitor helps founders with legal decisions as the business grows. LegalVision’s startup solicitors can help with founder arrangements, shareholders agreements, investment, employee equity, commercial contracts and IP, keeping ownership, control and future funding in view.
Can LegalVision help with a shareholders agreement for our startup?
Yes. Our startup solicitors can prepare shareholders agreements and articles of association covering decision-making, share transfers, founder vesting, good and bad leaver provisions and exits. Many founders put these in place before raising investment.
Can LegalVision help with equity investment and convertible loans?
Yes. Our solicitors can help with equity rounds and convertible loan notes, including investment agreements, articles and the approvals needed to issue shares. They can also explain how each structure affects ownership, control and future financing.
When should we speak to a lawyer about raising capital?
Founders often speak to a lawyer before negotiations begin or once an investor proposes terms. Early advice gives more room to consider the funding structure, term sheet, investor rights, cap table and due diligence before terms are hard to change.
How does LegalVision work with startups?
Startup work usually starts with your current position and the decision in front of you. Our solicitors can then help with structure, term sheets, investment or shareholder documents, employee equity or commercial agreements as the business grows.
Why choose LegalVision’s startup solicitors?
Our startup solicitors work with founders in software, fintech, healthtech and consumer businesses. Fixed-fee pricing gives founders cost certainty when budgets are tight, and quick turnarounds help keep hiring, deals and funding rounds moving.
What our clients say about us
Charlotte Wass , GM
LegalVision is always so quick to deal with requests and queries. They go above and beyond and offer support in areas I hadn't considered.
Kevin Porter , Director
It's like having our own legal team for a fraction of the cost, and their response time has been impressive.
Paul Bay , Director of Client Solutions
LegalVision has helped us modernise our contracts, protect the business, and resolve issues before they become problems. It’s transformed how we work.
Luke Hamlin , Director
The team have been professional, knowledgeable and respectful throughout each meeting. Unlimited revisions and contracts made within one week.
Laura Baird , Founder
The service is fantastic and all-encompassing! LegalVision has guided me through setting up and building a new company. I can't rate them more highly.
Aaron Lee , Co-founder
LegalVision is a law firm made for today and the future. The turnaround times have been impressive. The overall experience is perfect.
How we help
our clients
Cost Certainty
We offer our clients a range of pricing options to suit their needs and provide transparency around legal costs. Our membership offers unlimited legal services for an affordable monthly fee.
Specialist Lawyers
LegalVision caters to a full range of commercial law needs. Our lawyers are specialists who bring extensive experience from working at leading law firms in Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and across the world.
Responsive Timeframes
We understand that timing is critical, particularly for businesses that have a large number of legal projects. LegalVision is committed to delivering our services within short timeframes that fit the commercial needs of our clients.
Custom Technology
We have built our tech stack from the ground up. Our team of developers build technology to help streamline the workflow of our legal team and improve the client experience for our members.
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