How and why you should work with a startup lawyer

 At the most basic level, start-ups need lawyers to help them deal with three groups:

• The government. You don’t want to violate laws. You also need to be sure you are doing  business in a way that doesn’t create unnecessary tax liability and that  you pay the taxes you owe.
• Third parties and the public. It’s essential to make sure you take reasonable steps to control risk  in your interactions with customers, suppliers, users, employees, and  the general public.
• Each other. When multiple people form a company together, it’s best to establish the rights and expectations of the founders upfront in case there are disagreements down the line.

The most likely times for start-ups to get lawyers involved include:

• Incorporation and forming a business entity
• Hiring employees
• Negotiating  contracts with customers and suppliers, including establishing terms of  service for websites and license agreements for software
• Raising capital
• Obtaining Intellectual Property Rights including protections of business names, logos trademarks, copyrights and patents