Whether you’re a first time business owner, or already have a successful exit or two under your belt, we look forward to a conversation with you about how we can help.
NOTE: AS OF DECEMBER 2022, BHANDLAW IS NOT ACCEPTING ANY NEW CLIENTS OR WORKING ON ANY NEW MATTERS. NO NEW CONSULTATIONS ARE BEING SCHEDULED, AND YOU MAY WISH TO SEEK ASSISTANCE OF ANOTHER ATTORNEY OR LAW FIRM. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN BHANDLAW. AS SUCH, REQUESTS LEFT BY CONTACT FORM OR WITH THE RECEPTIONIST OR BY VOICEMAIL WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY DELAYED.
Startup & Corporate legal services
The following is just a brief sample of our Phoenix company startup and corporate legal services:
Legal Entity Setup – Unsure of whether you should form as a corporation or an LLC? What about Delaware vs. Arizona? Can you initially serve as more than one officer? And what is an 83(b) election, anyway? We’re here to walk you through the answers to these common startup issues and more, including:
- Business entity selection and formation
- Proposed name and/or trademark searching and clearance
- Initial board or LLC member minutes and consents
- Founder stock purchase agreements
- Founder invention and assignment agreements
- Bylaws and LLC operating agreement planning and preparation
- Annual, regular, and special corporate meetings, consents, and records maintenance
Corporate governance and third-party documentation – Just as you wouldn’t try and build a skyscraper without a solid foundation, you shouldn’t try and build a company without a solid legal one either. These documents can cover everything from the internal decision-making of the company to what happens to co-founder’s shares if they depart (or are removed) to the business’ legal relationships with its employees, contractors, vendors, and other third-parties:
- Preparation of shareholder agreements for founders, key initial hires, and consultants/advisors
- NDAs and other confidentiality or proprietary information agreements for employees and contractors
- Employment and independent contractor agreements
- Phantom stock, profits interest, and similar employee equity-incentive arrangements
- Review, negotiation, and drafting of your company’s critical agreements and documentation with the outside world, whether customers, vendors, strategic partners, affiliates, landlord, etc.
- Employee resignation and separation agreements
Capital financing and exit – As your MVP is proven viable, and your company’s growth attracts outside interest, we’re here to advise you and your team on seed, angel, venture capital, and other investor financing that may be necessary to monetize and scale—while helping making sure the terms of economics and business control are, in fact, what you and your co-founders agreed to:
- Transactions involving securities and navigating the applicable exemptions from registration
- Review and input on term sheets, deal memos, and LOIs received
- Guidance on private capital raising efforts from friends/family to angel, series seed, through venture capital and institutional investors
- Advising on proposed or planned company acquisition, including sale of key assets, mergers, spin-offs, restructurings, and other exit or expansion strategies
Monthly Flat-fee Outside General Counsel service available
For business owners whose periodic legal needs can go from modest to overwhelming in a hurry, we also offer flat-fee, tiered Outside General Counsel service on a month-to-month basis. A number of our clients do this and like how the engagement can also be custom tailored for their business, allowing them to have an attorney available and on-call to handle work, while giving them flexibility and the certainty of a set monthly budget.
BHANDLAW, PLLC is a technology and e-commerce law practice advising founders and management teams on corporate and technology transactions, e-commerce, as well as Internet privacy concerns. The firm serves corporate and individual clients throughout Arizona, the United States, and internationally. Our offices are conveniently located along the Camelback corridor in Phoenix’s financial district. If you are a startup founder, advisor, investor, incubator or co-work operator looking for more information about our Company Startup practice, feel free to reach out using the contact form on the right or call us at (602) 222-5542 to schedule a meeting.