The Law Blog

There’s a great article from a few years ago in the  Harvard Business School newsletter “Working Knowledge” on the “Top Ten Legal Mistakes Made by Entrepreneurs”, based on an interview with HBS professor Connie Bagley. Although one of the mistakes is unique to American law, the majority of the comments remain valid today.  And what [...]

There are two books on start-ups that I really like, and I think you might find them interesting.  The first is Guy Kawasaki’s “The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything”, published in September, 2004.  This is a practical, informative book, intended to be the definitive guide for anyone starting [...]

Companies seeking to raise capital  from investors will have to become knowledgeable about the securities law considerations. Canadian securities law requires that any securities issued by a company must be qualified by the filing of a prospectus, unless an exemption from the prospectus filing requirements is available. The company will want to avoid the prospectus [...]

Most new companies eventually face the need for additional capital that cannot be funded, or “bootstrapped”, by the founders. Raising and managing capital is the biggest challenge for any business, and is particularly so for the technology start-up. It is a time-consuming, frustrating and continuous process. Understanding the components of the fundraising process will help you prepare better, save time and produce better outcomes.

It is important for the company to ensure its arrangements with consultants are set out in writing. Obviously, any consulting agreement should be clear about terms such as scope of services, territory, payment terms, treatment of expenses, term and termination, supervision, exclusivity, and the like.