Legal
Legal Readiness Checklist
Self-audit 16 founder-stage legal essentials — incorporation, vesting, IP, contracts, IP, compliance. Copy or download your status.
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Educational only — not legal advice.
Use this as a self-audit checklist. Decisions on incorporation, contracts, and compliance need a qualified lawyer in your jurisdiction.
Progress
0%Delaware C-corp (US tech raise), UK Ltd (UK), Pte Ltd (SG). Don't optimise for tax savings before product-market fit.
Equity split, vesting (4-year, 1-year cliff is standard), IP assignment, what happens if a founder leaves. Verbal deals are time bombs.
Even if you're solo. Investors will require it; cleaner to start vesting from day 1 than retro-fit.
Anything built before incorporation needs a written assignment, including code, designs, and copy.
Every contractor signs a work-for-hire + IP assignment. Verbal arrangements leak ownership to the contractor.
Even for advisors. Especially for ex-employees of a competitor — get the assignment clear in writing.
Resolutions, share certificates, 83(b) elections (US) filed within 30 days. Missed 83(b)s create tax problems for the holder.
Carta / Pulley / Capdesk if past seed; a clean spreadsheet otherwise. Includes options, SAFEs, convertible notes, side letters.
Cheap to check; expensive to lose. Search USPTO (US) / IPO (UK) / EUIPO (EU) for direct conflicts.
Transfer registrar + DNS + social handles to a company account. Personal accounts lapse.
Required if you collect any user data. Generic templates work pre-revenue; refresh before paid customers.
MSA for B2B; click-through ToS for self-serve. DPA mandatory under GDPR if you process EU/UK personal data.
Every third-party service that touches user data (Stripe, Resend, analytics, AI vendors). Customers will diligence this.
Health (HIPAA), finance (PCI/AML), kids (COPPA), accessibility (WCAG/ADA). Different rules for different markets.
Cheap (~$500-1500/yr) and frequently required by enterprise customers. Cyber insurance worth quoting once you handle real data.
Not 'a lawyer' — one who handles SAFEs, term sheets, and Delaware Cs every week. Cohorts: Cooley, Goodwin, Orrick (US); Mishcon, Taylor Wessing (UK).