Startup Terms Glossary
What is Equity?
Equity is a term that has several different meanings in the business world. It can serve as a synonym for shares of stocks. It also represents the value of ownership or how much of a return a shareholder would receive after the subtracting of all debts.
As a general rule, equity is inventory, assets, and net earnings combined.
Equity Examples
Examples of ways that equity functions in the business world include:
- Example 1. Businesses, stocks, and homes all have equity (value)
- Example 2. Equity can be positive or negative
- Example 3. Even intangible things such as a brand have equity
This article also discusses equity.
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Alton H.
I am a U.S.-licensed attorney with more than a decade of experience in complex litigation and intellectual property matters. I have practiced at leading Am Law firms including Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, Arent Fox, and Sughrue Mion, and I currently operate my own law practice. I have extensive experience handling high-stakes patent litigation, drafting pleadings and briefs, managing large-scale discovery, preparing and defending depositions, and appearing before federal courts and administrative bodies such as the PTAB and ITC. I hold a J.D., cum laude, from The George Washington University Law School and advanced technical degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering, which allow me to efficiently handle technically complex matters. I am admitted in multiple jurisdictions, including New York, Virginia, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia, and I regularly provide high-quality remote legal support to clients nationwide.
"Alton reviewed and finalized two complex agreements for us: an Independent Contractor Agreement and a Phantom Equity Agreement with Section 409A compliance, cross-border considerations, and layered compensation. We came in with detailed drafts and a review package, and he worked through every item methodically. He identified the right issues, asked the right questions, and delivered clean execution-ready documents on time. Highly recommend for anyone with executive-level contractor or equity compensation work."
Elissa L.
December 29, 2025
Elissa L.
I am a corporate and healthcare attorney with 20+ years of experience providing contract review, contract drafting, and regulatory compliance support to healthcare organizations, SaaS companies, and small to mid-sized businesses. I currently serve as Managing Attorney at my own firm, advising clients on commercial contracts, healthcare compliance, corporate governance, and risk management. I routinely draft, review, and negotiate MSAs, NDAs, BAAs, provider agreements, SaaS agreements, consulting agreements, independent contractor agreements, and confidentiality agreements. My experience includes serving as sole in-house counsel, supporting executive leadership, and leading HIPAA, FDCPA, CMS, Anti-Kickback Statute, and False Claims Act compliance initiatives. I bring a practical, business-focused approach to legal services with deep experience in healthcare operations, revenue cycle management, privacy, information security, and regulatory strategy. I am licensed in Texas and hold a Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA), and a graduate certificate in Health & Hospital Law.
Aury L.
I am an experienced U.S. attorney focused on contract drafting, review, and transactional legal support for businesses and individuals. My practice emphasizes clear, practical, and risk-focused legal guidance across commercial agreements, corporate matters, and regulatory compliance. I work efficiently in remote, document-based engagements and prioritize responsiveness, precision, and business-oriented solutions. Clients value my ability to translate complex legal issues into actionable advice and well-structured agreements that support their objectives while minimizing risk.
John P.
specializes in corporate governance, data privacy, intellectual property, and employment law. A former VP of Legal & Compliance and interim CFO, he has led legal operations across fundraising, acquisitions, and data privacy initiatives.
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Kevin G.
For more than three decades, Kevin M. Gross has served as a trusted legal advisor to senior management and executive teams providing guidance on global compliance issues (anti-corruption, trade regulation, AML/KYC, privacy, and conflicts of interest), strategic concerns, due diligence, and risk mitigation strategies. In 2020, he founded C&R Consulting Group LLC to provide practical, cost-effective compliance and risk services to small and medium sized businesses. Prior to starting his own consulting firm, Kevin worked at Penumbra, Inc., a global healthcare company that manufactures and sells medical devices to healthcare providers, hospitals and clinics in more than 100 countries. At Penumbra, Kevin was the primary legal advisor to the company’s international sales and marketing executives. In addition, as Penumbra’s principal compliance lawyer, he conducted risk assessments and provided guidance and solutions to Penumbra’s internal compliance team. He oversaw due diligence on Penumbra’s international distributors, regulatory and sales agents, and other commercial partners. Prior to joining Penumbra, Kevin spent 15 years inside Chevron’s legal, compliance and upstream law departments, where he advised senior management on the company’s compliance and risk programs. Kevin overhauled Chevron’s hotline and investigations programs, strengthened internal controls and compliance procedures, and developed best practices and training for compliance personnel and investigators. Kevin also managed and conducted dozens of sensitive, high-profile investigations across six continents (internal and external), including FCPA, cybersecurity threats, and high-value theft and procurement frauds. Kevin directed outside counsel responses to SEC and DOJ inquiries, which were terminated without further action. He developed and conducted FCPA and compliance training for leadership teams and others across the enterprise. Prior to his tenure at Chevron, Kevin spent a decade as a senior enforcement attorney at the US Securities and Exchange Commission Division of Enforcement. At the SEC, he investigated and prosecuted cases involving securities fraud, insider trading, accounting fraud, options backdating, Ponzi schemes, and FCPA violations. Kevin filed and litigated SEC administrative and federal court actions against companies and individuals accused of violating federal securities laws. Early in his career, Kevin was a commercial litigator at Faegre Drinker LLP, an AmLaw 100 firm where he oversaw the investigation and resolution of insurance coverage disputes and other commercial litigation matters. In this role, Kevin took and defended hundreds of depositions, argued dozens of motions, and brought several cases to jury trials in US district courts. Kevin has received numerous accolades from clients and industry leaders, and is a frequent speaker at ACC, ACI, BECA, Consero and other conferences.
Neil R.
Neil Rust is a transactional attorney with almost four decades of experience ranging across a broad range of fields, including M&A, finance, structured finance, VC and general corporate. Before moving to Oregon, Mr. Rust was a partner at the Los Angeles office of an international law for 26 years and the Century City office of a national law firm for 5 years. During his big firm tenure, Neil Rust gathered experience across multiple industries and enjoys counselling clients as much as drafting and negotiating.
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