We have a deep and long-standing commitment to the start-up business community. Our Start-up Group assists many new and emerging businesses with all aspects of their formation, growth, financing and development. We provide services in the following areas:

• Start-up and growth planning, including identifying and structuring a new legal entity, assisting in the preparation of business plans and structuring and drafting agreements with shareholders and partners.
  
• Securities law compliance and advice, such as structuring the terms of corporate stock, partnership interests and other securities; representation in connection with the offer and sale of securities, including drafting private offering documents and federal and state securities law compliance; negotiating and structuring venture capital investments, debt instruments and other financing relationships; representation in initial public offerings.
  
• Drafting employment, consulting and noncompete agreements, and drafting and providing advice regarding various types of stock option and other equity incentive plans, employee stock savings plans and other employee benefit plans.
  
• Intellectual property services, including procuring, licensing and enforcing patents, trademarks and copyrights; counseling with respect to patentability, validity and infringement issues and developing strategic alliances.
  
• Structuring corporate partner relationships, acquisitions, mergers, joint ventures, distribution arrangements and franchising relationships.
  
• General business representation, including advice in connection with financing, leases and business contracts.

Lawyers from different disciplines in the firm work together to provide emerging businesses with a full suite of legal services necessary for their initial and long-term success and growth. 

Our Firm has numerous start-up clients and a wealth of experience structuring venture capital and other investments in early-stage companies. Also, we have noteworthy experience representing entrepreneurs in starting and financing their new ventures.