► Startup Law

• Founders
• Co-founders
• Investors
• Advisors
• Investment groups

•  Venture capitalists
• Angel investors
• Company management
• Directors and Boards
• Company officers

• Pre-seed stage
• Seed-stage
• Developmental startups
• Emerging startups
• Venture-backed startups

• Mobile app startups
• Consumer products products
• Manufacturing startups
• Fashion/apparel startups
• Digital media startups
• Green industries startups
• Food/beverage startups
• International startups
• + numerous others

Startup Formations and Governance

Axis represents new business with startup tasks. Whether your business consists of a  Corporation, S-Corporation, LLC, LLP, LP, general partnership, joint venture, and other business entity, it will face common startup formation and governance matters.

Most startups choose to form in a handful of well-known states, such as California, Delaware, New York, Texas, Wyoming, Nevada, Arizona, and others.  We can assist your startup form properly and maintain its corporate health  by adhering to the requirements and formalities necessary to remain in good standing with the appropriate governmental agencies.

• Annual Reports
• Articles of Incorporation
• Certificate of Good Standing
• Certificates of Incorporation
• By-Laws
• DBA (Sole Proprietorship)
• Dissolutions
• Employer/Employee
• Federal EIN

• Founders’ Agreement
• Foreign Qualification
• Franchise Board Information
• Good Standing Certificates
• Incorporator’s Statements & Resolutions
• Licensing (City/County)
• Meeting Minutes
• Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Applications

• Operating Agreements
• Resolutions (General)
• Sales Licenses
• Statement of Information
• Stock Certificates
• Tax Informational Sheet
• Tax Registrations
• Zoning Applications

Startup Financings and Investments

We assist startup clients with a wide variety of financing and investment transactions. Whether your startup is pursuing equity issuances, debt-based financings, new investments, acquisitions, incentive-based issuances, or others, we can assist. For startups, the most common type of financing transactions include the following:

• Asset Purchase Agreements
• Assignments
• Business Loan Agreements
• Buy-Sell Agreements
• Collateral Assignments & Security Agreements
• Convertible Notes
• Deal Memos

• Debt Financings
• Equity Incentive Plans
• Equity Financings
• Investor Agreements
• Lock Up Agreements
• Mezzanine Loans
• Memos of Understanding
• Non-Profit Financings
• Pledge Agreements
• Promissory Notes
• Restricted Stock Purchase Agreements

• Revolving Notes
• SAFEs
• Section 83(b) Elections
• Securities filings
• Stock Issuance
• Stock Incentive Plans
• Stock Purchase Agreements
• Term Sheets

Startup Intellectual Property & Licensing

Axis assists clients with a wide variety of intellectual property and licensing matters, ranging across copyright, trademark, trade secret, licensing, confidentiality, and related matters:

• Confidentiality Agreements
• Copyrights
• Copyright Assignments
• Copyright Infringement
• Content-Licensing Agreements
• End-User Agreement
• Endorsement Deals

• Intellectual Property Assignment
• Licensing Contracts
• Merchandising
• Non-Disclosure Agreements
• Privacy Policies
• Records Retention Policies
• Software Licensing Agreements

• Trademarks
• Trademark Disputes
• Trademark Infringement
• Trademark Registrations
• Web Hosting Agreements
• Website Terms & Conditions

HR, Labor & Employment for Startups

Axis assists clients with numerous labor law, wage/hour, HR, and employee/employment legal matters, specifically including hiring/firing matters, employee and independent contractor agreements, and compliance with wage ordinances, and local rules. For startups, these issues commonly involve the following:

• Labor Law Compliance
• Wage & Hour Compliance
• Consultant Agreements
• Discipline Policies
• Employment Agreements
• Executive Employee Agreements

• Employee Disputes
• Employee Handbooks
• Employee IP Assignment
• Employee Stock Options
• Employee Separate/Release Agreements
• Employee Wage/Hour Informational Sheet
• FMLA Leaves
• HR Policies

• Independent Contractor Agreements
• Non-Compete / Non-Solicit Agreements
• Risk Management
• Sales Rep Agreements
• Terms of Use Policies

Startup Contracts and Transactions

Axis can assist clients with a wide variety of business agreements and transactions with business partners, including but not limited to the following:

• Advertising agreements
• Agent Agreements
• App development Agreemeents
• Consulting agreements
• Contractor agreements

• Distribution Agreements
• Marketing Agreements
• OEM Agreements
• Manufacturing Agreements
• Professional Services Agreements
• Production Agreements

• Purchase Order Agreements
• Supply Agreements
• U.S. Distribution Agreements
• Website development Agreements
• Numerous others

Real Estate

Axis regularly assists clients with real estate matters, including commercial leases, subleasing, landlord relations, property/casualty claims, and similar matters.  For most business clients, the most common legal issues include the following:

• Commercial leasing
• NNN Leases
• Commercial subleases

• Landlord relations
• Landlord-commercial tenant matters
• Commercial lease litigation

• Property/casualty claims
• Environmental liability
• Security liability

Mergers, Acquisitions, and Exits

Axis can also assist your startup with exit strategies, including mergers & acquisitions, business sales, asset purchases, and similar types of exits. For startups, the most common type of exists and exit-type transactions include the following activities:

• Startup exits
• Founder exits
• Founder compenesation packages
• Non-disclosure agreements

• Business sales
• Business transitions
• Business exit strategies
• Buy-outs and restructurings
• Startup reorganizations
• Startup acquisitions

• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Investment banking legal services
• Term sheets
• Due diligence investigations and reviews

 Read our Business FAQs

Our FAQs answer the most common issues faced by businesses.

We have an extensive FAQ Library that covers the most common questions we get from businesses, as well as FAQs on recent changes in law affecting businesses.
►Visit our Entire FAQ Library

Our Recent Projects 

Have we counseled businesses like yours? All the time.

We have represented a variety of business clients in numerous industries across multiple disciplines and practice matters. Here are some of the highlights.