Startup Legal Services: From Founding to Funding
Starting and growing a company involves a series of legal decisions that shape everything that comes later: who owns what, who decides, how investors come in and what happens when someone leaves.
I work with founders and growing companies from incorporation through every funding round. The goal is a structure that investors trust and that still protects the people who built the business.
Founding and running the company
- Articles of association and other founding documents
- Founder and shareholders’ agreements
- Corporate housekeeping: shareholder and management resolutions, capital increases and registry changes
- Company formation and business structuring in Serbia
Investment rounds
- Seed and growth rounds, from the first term sheet to the documents signed at closing
- Investment agreements and investor rights
- Founder vesting and employee share option plans (ESOP)
- Due diligence readiness and data room preparation before a round
- Spin-offs: setting up a new company so that it is attractive to investors and still protects the parent
Day-to-day legal support
- Commercial contracts with customers, suppliers and partners
- Partnership and cooperation agreements
- NDAs and protection of know-how
- Legal support through growth: first hires, first distributors, first investors
Why early structure matters
Many startups operate without clear agreements in the early phase. This usually works until the business starts generating revenue or an investor shows interest, and then the open questions turn into disputes or delays.
A few well-drafted documents at the beginning cost far less than resolving a founder conflict or fixing the cap table during due diligence.
Working across jurisdictions
I advise on Serbian corporate law and on the contractual side of international deals. When a startup is incorporated in another country, I work together with local counsel and the notary there, so you still have one point of contact.