Everything is set. After months of long hours and little sleep, you’re ready to launch. The only outstanding task: A startup legal consultation.
You’ve got three options: a) skip the consultation and risk losing everything over a small oversight; b) use a service like LegalZoom or Rocketlawyer; or c) work one-on-one with a startup attorney.
Too many emerging businesses don’t budget for legal counsel — a fateful decision that typically snowballs into costlier problems. Sure, comprehensive legal reviews might set you back a few hundred bucks, but a protracted court conflict could break the bank and ruin your business.
Cautionary Tale: Startup Forced To Shutter Soon After ICO
Not yet convinced you need a startup lawyer? Consider Protostarr’s story.
After months of incessant work, the company launched with an ICO. Soon after, the SEC came knocking. The problem: Protostarr failed to file as a public security offering and did not follow certain financial regulations. Ultimately, the company had no other option than to return the Ether token investments and start over.
Regrettably, if Protostarr had invested in a pre-ICO legal consultation, the debacle likely would have been avoided.
When asked about the situation, one of the company’s principals lamented:
““We’re just a couple guys who are tech nerds in our basement. It didn’t occur to us that the model everyone else in the world is using would have any specific laws here that would apply to us. We just weren’t aware. In the month leading up to it, we were going full bore, working till 2am every night on the ICO, so we didn’t even see the DAO ruling when it came out until someone brought it to our attention.”
Connect With A California Startup Lawyer
If you’re a budget-conscious California startup in need of a lawyer, give us a call. We understand your position and have custom-built packages for emerging businesses looking for reliable legal guidance. Get in touch today to begin the conversation.