Startup Lawyers for Syracuse, New York
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Jeffrey W.
Jeffrey W.
I am a business, transactions, contracts attorney. I was the sole in-house attorney for a good-sized staffing company. I can review and create nearly any type of document you need. I enjoy writing, reading, and editing contracts. I want to read your contract. If I cannot do it, I won't take the job and I won't charge you for what I cannot do. However, in reality, unless you need a 225 page financing agreement, is has never been an issue.
Angela S.
Business law attorney with over 20 years of experience in contracts, entity formation and risk management
"I hired Angela for a Demand Letter project in an attempt to recover a security deposit. She's very knowledgeable about Real Estate law & was empathetic about my situation. Having to hire an attorney for any case, whether simple or complex, can be daunting. That being said, Angela is very personable & addressed all my questions & concerns which put my mind at ease. I'd highly recommend Angela for any legal needs if you require a reliable attorney"
Odini G.
I am an accomplished attorney with more than 19 years of experience and extensive expertise in business negotiations, commercial contracts, and technology transactions. With a proven track record of providing strategic legal advice and delivering exceptional results, I have successfully assisted numerous clients in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating various business arrangements. My experience encompasses a wide range of areas, including intellectual property, data privacy and security, SaaS agreements, and software licenses. I co-founded a reputable general corporate law firm with three offices in Aspen, Atlanta, and New York. As a partner and attorney, I represented diverse clients, including start-ups, public corporations, investors, financial institutions, educational institutions, and non-profit entities. With a focus on delivering comprehensive legal solutions, I provided general counsel, expert dispute resolution, efficient litigation management, and skillful contract drafting and negotiations for businesses across industries.
"Odini did an amazing job and the turnaround time was very fast."
JEONG SUN K.
More than 15 years of work experience in legal and compliance in the financial sector including Anti-Money Laundering, ethics, and business integrity
"She was extremely hard working and helpful for a very reasonable price. She worked diligently to help me when a deadline was fast approaching. I would highly reccomend her to anyone who wants an attorney that actually cartes about your case and will go the extra mile for your cause!!"
Grace A.
Business Lawyer with over 9 years of legal experience. Can assist with all types of business and commercial agreements, including formation documents, employment/hiring, financing/fundraising & business sales and purchases.
June 25, 2024
Peter C.
A lawyer for small businesses throughout NY. Obtain affordable legal assistance for your business & personal needs without having to pay inflated hourly rates or retain costly, full-time legal counsel. Helps with licensing, contracts, corporate formation, problems with employees, litigation management/avoidance, regulatory compliance, and intellectual property, among other things.
July 12, 2024
Arthur S.
I have extensive experience in all aspects of real estate development and ownerships, from small leases to multimillion-dollar, nationwide projects. Career includes 25+ years as a law firm partner and head of real estate practices in two highly regarded New York law firms, as well as Special Counsel to a prominent, New York based and family owned real estate company. Experience includes representation of corporations and individuals - including artists, performers and athletes-in any of non real estate matters, such as contract negotiations with agents and auction houses.
Atim A.
Atim is an international business lawyer licensed in New York and Texas. She advises businesses on smart and fit-for purpose legal and business solutions to achieve their strategic objectives. Equipped with strong legal, regulatory compliance, tax advisory, as well as contract drafting skills, she serves clients internationally at the intersection of law, finance and technology across industry verticals.
September 29, 2024
Leah R F.
Newly admitted associate who is eager to make legal advice accessible and affordable!
August 19, 2024
Michael L.
Solo practitioner, licensed in New York State 27+ years. Areas of practice: Small Business Law, Commercial Contracts, Commercial Litigation, Employment Law & Litigation, Estate Planning, Business Succession Planning.
September 27, 2024
Jo Ann G.
Provides outside general counsel advice to corporate or individual clients with a vast range of legal and business matters. Has extensive general counsel experience in a wide range of legal areas. Has a background as an in house general counsel in the manufacturing, retail and consumer goods industries.
October 8, 2024
Benjamin D.
Benjamin I. Dach, Ph.D., Esq. is an accomplished patent attorney with extensive experience across multiple fields, including intellectual property (IP) litigation, counseling, and prosecution, spanning copyrights, trademarks, and patents. Prior to Weiss & Arons LLP, Benjamin worked at several prestigious law firms, including Quinn Emanuel LLP, WilmerHale LLP, Loeb & Loeb LLP, and Haug Partners LLP. During his decade-plus of legal work experience, Benjamin has litigated several pharmaceutical patent cases involving drugs such as Lialda, Vyvanse, Intuniv, Oxtellar XR, Pomalyst, Revlimid, and Cabometyx. Benjamin has also drafted and prosecuted dozens of patent applications, and counseled clients on IP relating to biological drugs, messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines, and clustered randomly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR). Benjamin earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from Columbia University, where his research focused on solid-phase polymer synthesis on silicon wafers and silica nanoparticles, with applications in drug delivery, solar energy, and semiconductors. His thesis, titled "Designer Polymer Superstructures from Solid Phase 'Click' Chemistry," highlights his expertise in the field. In addition to his scientific background, Benjamin also holds a J.D. from Fordham Law School, with a concentration in intellectual property and information law. Benjamin leverages his technical and legal backgrounds to maximize the value of his clients' IP portfolios. His strong commitment to science and law has made him a highly sought-after attorney in the areas of copyright, trademark, and patent law. Rated by Super Lawyers, Benjamin was selected to Rising Stars in Law. He is admitted to practice law in Florida, New York, New Jersey, and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
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Browse Lawyers NowStartup Legal Questions and Answers
Startup
New York
Once my options have vested for the startup I am working for, can I sell them?
I am an early employee for a startup that has raised money in the past year. I will have some of my options vested soon and wanted to know if I was able to sell them.
Ramsey T.
It depends upon when you vest and whether or not you have a "market" for the shares. You must satisfy a holding requirement for your vested shares under US securities laws that requires that you hold your shares for at least one (1) year. The vesting period is added in - so, for example, if you vested in your options six months after receiving them and then exercised your options and tried to sell your shares, you would be in violation of US securities laws. After a one year holding period you may sell them. You might, however, have restrictions, such as a "Right of First Refusal" (a "ROFR") or other restrictions on selling your shares. Its worth checking all the documents and restrictions.
Startup
Convertible Note
New York
Do startups use convertible notes?
I am working to figure out what I should use for a group of investors I am speaking to about my startup. We're a technology company that is very early on. We want to raise a bit of money so we can further develop our software and pay the founders.
Ramsey T.
Start-ups do raise capital through the use of Convertible Notes. Convertible Notes are starting to fade as the preferred sort of convertible instrument for start-ups and as SAFES become more prevalent. Convertible Notes are still quite common in more "traditional" start-up industries, such as those that involve real estate, manufacturing and other legacy industries.
Startup
Shareholders Agreement
Ohio
How to track shareholders agreements?
I am a business owner and I have recently incorporated my business. As part of the incorporation process, I have created a shareholders agreement with my co-founders. I am looking to ensure that this agreement is properly tracked, documented, and monitored over time. I am seeking guidance on the best methods to track shareholders agreements and any advice on how to ensure the agreement is being followed.
Paul S.
There are cap table management companies such as Carta and Pulley, that can help with this (for a fee). As long as your company has only issued common stock, maintaining a cap table and stock ledger in Excel is more than adequate. I also recommend storing PDFs of the stock purchase agreements in a cloud-based folder labeled "Stock Purchase Agreements." In terms of officer roles, the corporation's Secretary is responsible for maintaining these shareholder records.
Startup
Convertible Note
California
Convertible note vs. equity financing?
I am an entrepreneur and I am in the process of raising capital for my startup. I am considering both convertible note and equity financing options and am trying to decide which one is best suited for my company. I need to understand the key differences between the two options to make an informed decision.
Thaddeus W.
Good question. Convertible notes (as well as SAFE's, discussed below) differ from equity in several respects. The most fundamental difference is that a convertible note is debt. A second major difference is that, although the note is debt, its terms include the noteholder's right to acquire an equity position in the future; if a certain event later occurs (defined in the note, but typically the sale of preferred stock to a future investor (e.g. a venture capital firm), but also a sale of the company can have a similar effect), this will trigger the note to convert into equity and the note is "satisfied" ... that is, the debt is extinguished when the note converts and the holder thereby becomes an equity holder (typically coming to own shares of preferred stock very similar to that issued to the future investors in that triggering event). These two differences are related to a third. A convertible note is often issued without a valuation of the company. For example, when a startup business has no operating history, it is impossible for the startup founders or the investor to decide what the company is worth. Equity cannot be issued for a fair market value (FMV), since there is no basis to determine what the FMV is. A convertible note resolves that by giving the investor (the note holder) the right to convert the note into equity later on, when another investor and the company can agree on a company valuation. In other words, the convertible note allows the company to "kick the can (of valuation) down the road" to be dealt with at another time. But, since a convertible note is debt, is has a repayment provision, and normally carries interest. This means that the note is carried on the company's balance sheet as debt, and presents the company with the future obligation to repay the note if a conversion event has not happened before the note's maturity date. So, SAFE's are often used, especially now that they have become so familiar to investors. (SAFE stands for Simple Agreement for Future Equity). Essentially, as SAFE is a convertible note without the debt features. A SAFE carries no interest and does not have to be repaid. The investor in a SAFE will normally be sophisticated and able to assess the chances the company will do well enough for a conversion event (the issuance of preferred stock, or a sale of the company) to result in the investor's SAFE converting, and thus give the investor comfort that would otherwise be lacking in an instrument that has no repayment obligation. Like a convertible note, a SAFE kicks the can of valuation down the road, where a valuation can later be determined by the company and a future investor. Founders should exercise caution in issuing convertible notes or SAFE's. Among other reasons, founders commonly do not appreciate the impact that convertible notes or SAFE's can have on the founders' own ownership. Convertible notes and SAFE's often include a feature called a "valuation cap." This can result in surprising dilution, as well as the issuance of equity to the converting note or SAFE holder at what is effectively a very low price per share, costing the company far more than the founders may have expected. Also, notes and SAFE's with very similar, but different, terms can result in a complicated capitalization table, making negotiations with venture capital firms later on more difficult, an equity transaction more complex, and thus the process more time-consuming and (therefore) more expensive.
Startup
C Corp
Ohio
C corp and equity dilution?
I am an entrepreneur who is in the process of forming a C Corp. I am looking to raise capital to fund my business and I am considering issuing equity to potential investors. I am concerned that issuing equity to investors could lead to dilution of my ownership, so I am looking for legal advice on the best way to structure my equity offerings to minimize dilution.
Paul S.
If you want to avoid dilution, then you need to fund the business with your own resources, and pay all your workers with money rather than equity. Otherwise, when building a business, dilution is simply a reality you have to live with. You can start out with a large amount of ownership, for example, 80% of the authorized shares, but over time dilution is inevitable. Which would you rather have, 90% of a company worth $200,000, or 55% of a company worth $1 million?
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