Startup Counseling
Building a startup is hard enough. Legal mistakes shouldn't be what derails you. The Rhodes Law Firm serves as trusted outside counsel for early-stage companies — from pre-incorporation through Series A and beyond.
The decisions you make in the first 12 months of your startup — about entity structure, co-founder agreements, equity splits, IP ownership, and early contracts — will shape everything that follows. Getting them right is far less expensive than fixing them later. The Rhodes Law Firm works with founders from the earliest stages, providing the legal infrastructure that allows great companies to grow.
What Startup Counsel Covers
- Choosing and forming the right business entity (LLC, C-Corp, benefit corp)
- Co-founder agreements and equity splits
- IP assignment from founders, employees, and contractors
- First employment agreements and offer letters
- Advisor agreements and equity compensation
- Early customer and vendor contracts
- Privacy policy and terms of service for digital products
- Pre-seed and seed financing (SAFEs, convertible notes)
- Investor due diligence preparation
The Most Common (and Costly) Startup Legal Mistakes
Founders who skip legal counsel early often encounter these problems later — usually at the worst possible time, like during a funding round or acquisition:
- No written co-founder agreement — leading to disputes over equity, roles, and ownership when a founder leaves
- IP not properly assigned to the company — creating questions about who actually owns the product
- Wrong entity structure for venture funding — requiring expensive restructuring before investors will participate
- Missing vesting schedules — leaving the company exposed if a co-founder departs early
- Poorly drafted or absent customer agreements — creating liability exposure and limiting the company's options
Outside General Counsel for Startups
Most early-stage startups can't afford a full-time in-house attorney — and don't need one. What they do need is a trusted legal advisor who knows their business, responds quickly, and provides strategic guidance across all the legal issues a startup faces. That's what The Rhodes Law Firm offers: experienced startup legal counsel on a fractional, outside basis, available when you need it at a fraction of the cost of in-house counsel.
Authoritative Resources
Build Your Startup on a Solid Legal Foundation
Schedule a free consultation to discuss where your startup is and what legal priorities you should address first.