Legal
Startup Law
The structure you set up early on will either make raising investment straightforward, or keep you from getting to the table at all.
Most of the legal problems startups face originate in the earliest days: equity split agreed without being written down, no agreement between founders at all, intellectual property in the code never assigned to the company.
None of this causes trouble in the first year. It surfaces when an investor runs due diligence, or when founders reach a parting of ways — and by then, going back to fix it is expensive and not always possible.
This service exists to put your company on legal ground that is ready for investment, and we stay with you from incorporation through to closing.
What we work on
- Incorporation and choosing the right company type.
- Founders' agreement: equity split, vesting schedule, leaver scenarios.
- IP assignment: transferring rights created by founders, employees and contractors to the company.
- Employee share option plan (ESOP) design and implementation.
- SAFEs, convertible instruments and seed round documentation.
- Funding rounds: term sheet review, shareholders' agreement, closing.
- Due diligence preparation and setting up the data room.
What you gain
- No red flags in investor due diligence — the process is measured in days rather than weeks.
- Differences in expectation between founders are written down before they become disputes, so a departure does not lock up the company.
- When you grant options to your team, you know exactly what you are granting and how it affects the company.
- You negotiate the term sheet knowing what its clauses actually mean.
What this service covers
- Incorporation and articles of association
- Founders' agreement, with vesting and leaver provisions
- IP assignment agreements (founder, employee, contractor)
- ESOP plan document and grant letters
- SAFE / convertible instrument documentation
- Term sheet review and negotiation support
- Shareholders' agreement and closing documents
- Pre-diligence document review and data room setup
Process
How we work
- 01
Current-state review
Your incorporation documents, cap table and any existing agreements are reviewed, and the gaps collected into a single list.
- 02
Priority plan
We decide together which gaps are urgent and which can wait until the next round.
- 03
Drafting
Agreements are written for your company — not filled-in templates, but text that fits your structure.
- 04
Implementation
Signature process, trade registry filings and the necessary registration steps are carried out.
- 05
Round support
When a funding process begins, we are with you through diligence, negotiation and closing.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
I have not raised yet — do I need a lawyer now?
Getting it right at incorporation costs a fraction of fixing it later. At a minimum, the founders' agreement and IP assignment should be handled in the first weeks — the absence of those two is a common reason a company cannot get to the table with an investor.
Is vesting really necessary?
If you would rather your co-founder did not walk away with their full stake after six months, then yes. Vesting protects the company from both founders rather than one founder from the other, and investors ask for it almost without exception.
Should I incorporate abroad?
It depends on your target market, your investor profile and your revenue structure. Once the Turkish incentive structures are factored in, the picture often looks different from what people assume. We compare both scenarios with their tax and incentive consequences before recommending one.
Is signing a term sheet binding?
Usually most of it is not, but clauses such as exclusivity and confidentiality are binding, and once signed they narrow your negotiating room considerably. It should always be reviewed before signature.
The information on this page is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice or a commitment. Support rates and ceilings are subject to change under the applicable regulation. Contact us for an assessment specific to your company.
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Let's review your position together
In a free initial consultation we look at your current structure and share, in writing, the support you may be eligible for and any legal risks we see. No obligation.