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Startup Legal Consultation
Incorporation, founders' agreements, ESOPs, ROFR, term sheets — Indian-startup-specific legal advice from lawyers who've done it before.
The common problem
The first year of a startup is mostly product and customers — and then suddenly it's also a term sheet, a vesting schedule, a co-founder fallout, or an angel-tax notice. The right legal scaffolding early is cheap; fixing it during diligence is not. We work with founders before, during, and after the first funding round.
How Pro Firmo helps
- Pvt Ltd / LLP / OPC incorporation and post-incorporation compliance.
- Founders' / shareholders' agreement with vesting, ROFR, drag/tag, IP assignment.
- ESOP scheme drafting + Companies Act compliance.
- SAFE notes, CCPS / CCDs, term-sheet markup for seed/Series A.
- DPIIT recognition + startup tax exemptions (80-IAC, angel tax §56(2)(viib)).
- Privacy policy, terms, customer contracts — the production-readiness suite.
Documents you'll need
- Founders' PAN, Aadhaar, address proof
- Existing incorporation documents (if any)
- Cap table — current + post-money
- Term sheet (for fundraising review)
- Customer / vendor contracts you want reviewed
- IP — code, content, design — and current ownership status
Expected consultation process
- 1AI asks where you are — pre-incorp, post-seed, mid-fundraise, scaling.
- 2Match to a startup-specialist lawyer (3 options).
- 3Strategy call covering structure, IP, equity, and tax.
- 4Drafting / review begins; we manage the data-room with you.
- 5Ongoing retainer optional for companies with regular deal flow.
FAQs
- Pvt Ltd or LLP — which is better for a startup?
- Pvt Ltd if you plan to raise external funding (investors prefer it). LLP if you're bootstrapping and want lower compliance.
- Do founders need a written agreement on day one?
- Yes — vesting and ROFR clauses on day one prevent the most painful fights two years in.
- What's an angel tax notice?
- Section 56(2)(viib) notices on share-premium issues. DPIIT recognition exempts most early-stage startups; we help you secure it.
- Can you help with a foreign-investor (FDI) round?
- Yes — sectoral caps, AIF rules, FEMA reporting, and downstream investment.