# Startup lawyers for founders and growing companies

> Startup lawyer services for tech founders. Formation, contracts, NDAs, fundraising and the patents and trademarks behind them, each at a flat fee quoted up front.

Page: https://arapackelaw.com/startups/  
Title: Flat-Fee Startup Lawyer and Legal Services | Rapacke Law Group  
Breadcrumb: [Home](https://arapackelaw.com/) / [Startup legal services](https://arapackelaw.com/startups/)

Business and IP counsel for startups and growing companies, from formation and founder agreements to fundraising and licensing, each piece of work quoted as a flat fee before it begins.

- Flat fees, quoted before work begins
- No hourly billing
- IP and business law in one firm

## Legal services for every stage of a startup.

From forming the company to closing a round. Each service is quoted as a flat fee on your strategy call, and none of it is billed by the hour.

- [Business Formation & Structure](https://arapackelaw.com/business-formation-and-structure/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/business-formation-and-structure.md). Choosing and setting up the right entity for a new company. Quoted flat on your call.
- [Contracts & Agreements](https://arapackelaw.com/contracts-agreements/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/contracts-agreements.md). The agreements a growing business runs on, drafted and reviewed. Quoted flat on your call.
- [Cease and Desist Letters](https://arapackelaw.com/cease-desist-letters/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/cease-desist-letters.md). Letters that put a copier on notice, and replies to letters you receive. Quoted flat on your call.
- [Fractional IP Counsel](https://arapackelaw.com/counsel-on-demand/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/counsel-on-demand.md). Fractional IP counsel on a monthly plan. Monthly plans, quoted on your call.
- [FDA Regulatory Compliance](https://arapackelaw.com/fda-regulatory-compliance/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/fda-regulatory-compliance.md). Counsel on the regulatory side of a medical product launch. Quoted flat on your call.
- [Fundraising Agreements](https://arapackelaw.com/fundraising-agreements/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/fundraising-agreements.md). The agreements behind raising money from investors. Quoted flat on your call.
- [IP Licensing Agreements](https://arapackelaw.com/intellectual-property-licensing-agreements/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/intellectual-property-licensing-agreements.md). License a technology or brand in or out. Quoted flat on your call.
- [Non-Disclosure Agreements](https://arapackelaw.com/non-disclosure-agreements-ndas/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/non-disclosure-agreements-ndas.md). Keep what you share with partners and manufacturers confidential. Quoted flat on your call.
- [Privacy and Data Protection](https://arapackelaw.com/privacy-and-data-protection/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/privacy-and-data-protection.md). Privacy policies and data protection for products that handle personal data. Quoted flat on your call.
- [Technology Transfer Agreements](https://arapackelaw.com/technology-transfer-agreements/) (Markdown https://arapackelaw.com/technology-transfer-agreements.md). Move technology between companies, universities and partners. Quoted flat on your call.

## Not sure where to start?

Start with what is happening next. Or answer a few questions and the Intelligent IP Quiz points you to what to protect first. [Take the Intelligent IP Quiz](https://arapackelaw.com/intelligent-ip-quiz/).

- You are forming the company. [Entity choice, filings and the founder documents](https://arapackelaw.com/business-formation-and-structure/)
- You are raising money. [SAFEs, convertible notes and term sheets](https://arapackelaw.com/fundraising-agreements/)
- You are about to share your idea. [An NDA, and a provisional filing if it fits](https://arapackelaw.com/non-disclosure-agreements-ndas/)
- Someone is copying you. [A cease and desist letter, written to hold up](https://arapackelaw.com/cease-desist-letters/)

## Know it’s patentable before you file. Or get your money back.

For most technology startups the invention is the asset investors pay for. A registered patent attorney searches US and foreign patents and tells you whether it is novel, before you spend on filing. If it isn’t, you get a full refund. If it is, the search fee is credited toward your application.

**Patentability search, $999.** Flat fee, credited toward your application. Report in about 5 days.

- An invention discovery call with your attorney
- A search of US and foreign patents and published applications
- A written patentability report
- A review call on the strategy that fits

If the search finds your invention is not novel, a full refund or another search, your choice. If you move forward, the $999 is credited toward your application.

## What founders ask a startup lawyer.

Plain answers to the questions founders ask before they hire, from what a startup lawyer does to what it costs. General information, not advice on your company.

### What does a startup lawyer do?

A startup lawyer handles the legal work a young company needs to form, grow and raise money, usually across several areas at once. For a technology company, the most valuable part is often the intellectual property, so the work starts with who owns it and how it is protected.

- **Formation and structure.** Choosing the entity, filing it and writing the bylaws or operating agreement.
- **Founders and equity.** Founder agreements, vesting, equity issuance and advisor agreements.
- **Contracts.** Customer, vendor, contractor and employee agreements, drafted or reviewed.
- **Confidentiality and licensing.** NDAs, IP licenses and assignments, and technology transfer.
- **Fundraising.** SAFEs, convertible notes, term sheets and investor diligence.
- **IP protection.** Patents, trademarks and trade secrets, filed and managed.
- **Compliance.** Privacy and data protection, and FDA strategy for medical products.
- **Disputes.** Cease and desist letters, legal opinions, and infringement and litigation when it comes to that.

Here every item on that list sits in one firm, so the patent work and the business work are planned together. More on [legal opinions and why VCs ask for them](https://arapackelaw.com/venture-capital/what-is-a-legal-opinion/) and on [IP litigation](https://arapackelaw.com/ip-litigation/).

### When should a startup hire a lawyer?

Before the decisions that are expensive to undo. Most founders need a startup lawyer at a handful of predictable moments, and the cost of getting each one wrong is usually higher than the cost of the work.

- **Before you form the company.** The entity, the state and the founder split are hard to change later.
- **Before you share the idea.** A pitch, a manufacturer or a partner meeting is a disclosure. Use an NDA and, where it fits, file a provisional first.
- **Before the first hire or contractor.** Without a written assignment, the person who writes the code or designs the product may own it.
- **Before you raise money.** Investors will review your formation documents, cap table and IP ownership.
- **Before you launch or sign a large customer.** Terms of service, a privacy policy and a reviewed customer contract are cheaper than a dispute.
- **When someone copies you, or says you copied them.** A letter written or answered well can settle it early.

### What legal documents does a startup need?

The core set is short. What matters is that each document exists before the moment it is needed, and that every one of them points ownership of the IP to the company.

*Legal documents a startup needs*

| Document | What it does | When you need it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Certificate of incorporation or formation** | Creates the company and sets its type | Day one |
| **Bylaws or operating agreement** | Sets how the company makes decisions and what happens when an owner leaves | Day one |
| [Founders agreement](https://arapackelaw.com/startups/the-founders-agreement/) | Splits equity, sets vesting and assigns each founder’s IP to the company | Before real work begins |
| [Non-disclosure agreement](https://arapackelaw.com/non-disclosure-agreements-ndas/) | Keeps what you share with partners, manufacturers and hires confidential | Before the first outside conversation |
| **Employee and contractor agreements** | Confidentiality plus a written assignment of the work they create | Before the first hire |
| [Advisor agreement](https://arapackelaw.com/startups/startup-advisor-agreement/) | Sets an advisor’s equity, duties and IP assignment | Before you add an advisor |
| **Terms of service and privacy policy** | Sets the rules for customers and how you handle their data | Before launch |
| [SAFE, note or term sheet](https://arapackelaw.com/fundraising-agreements/) | Documents money in and what investors receive | When you raise |
| [Patent and trademark filings](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/) | Protect the product and the name investors are paying for | Before you disclose or launch |

Hiring mistakes are the most common gap. See [5 common legal mistakes when hiring](https://arapackelaw.com/business/5-common-legal-hiring-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them/), or download [The Startup Legal Stack](https://arapackelaw.com/resources/startup-legal-stack/), our free set of founder resources.

### How much does a startup lawyer cost?

It depends on how the lawyer bills. Hourly billing makes the total hard to predict, because every call, email and revision adds to it. A flat fee sets the price of each piece of work before it starts, so you can budget a raise or a launch around it.

*How startup lawyers bill*

| Billing model | How it works | What to watch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Flat fee** | One price for a defined piece of work, agreed before it begins | Know exactly what is in scope |
| **Monthly plan** | A set amount of ongoing counsel each month | Check how unused time and extra work are handled |
| **Hourly** | Billed in increments for all time spent | The total is open-ended |
| **Deferred or equity** | Fees delayed until a raise, or paid partly in stock | You give up equity or carry a growing bill |

We do not bill by the hour. Each engagement is quoted as a flat fee before work begins, and ongoing work can run on a [Fractional IP Counsel](https://arapackelaw.com/counsel-on-demand/) plan. Your fee is set on your strategy call, once the scope is clear.

### Do startups need a patent attorney?

If the product is the technology, usually yes, and sooner than founders expect. A patent attorney for startups protects the invention before it is disclosed, decides what is worth filing on, and makes sure the company, not a founder or a contractor, owns it when investors look.

Timing matters most. The US gives you one year after your own public disclosure to file, but many countries give you none, so a launch, a demo day or a published deck can cost foreign rights. A [provisional patent application](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/provisional-patents/) is often the quickest way to lock in a filing date first. More on [when to file a patent as a startup](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/softwaremobile-apps/patent-for-startups/) and on [provisional applications as a startup tool](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/secret-weapon-startups-provisional-patent-applications/).

Investors look at IP when they value a company. See [why patents matter to investors](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/why-patents-are-important-to-investors/), and [how IP helps med device startups raise VC funding](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/how-ip-helps-med-device-startups-raise-vc-funding/). Not everything should be patented. Some of what an AI company builds, such as training data and model weights, may be better kept as a trade secret, covered in [using trade secret protection for AI IP](https://arapackelaw.com/trade-secrets/trade-secret-ai-ip/).

### Startup lawyer, online legal service or large law firm?

Each fits a different stage. The difference is how much judgment you get with the document and how the price is set.

*Ways to get startup legal help compared*

| Compare | Online legal service | Large law firm | Startup lawyer at a flat fee |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **What you get** | Forms and filings | A full team, often across many offices | Drafted documents plus advice on your situation |
| **How you pay** | A fixed price per form | Usually hourly, sometimes deferred | A flat fee quoted before work begins |
| **Patents and trademarks** | Limited or none | Usually a separate group | In the same firm, planned with the business work |
| **Where it fits** | Simple filings you can check yourself | Late-stage rounds and complex deals | Formation through early rounds, with IP at the center |

### What should you ask before hiring a startup lawyer?

1. **Who will do the work?** Ask who drafts the documents and who you will talk to.
2. **How are fees set?** Ask for the price of the first piece of work in writing before it starts.
3. **Do you know my industry?** Software, medical devices and fintech each bring their own rules.
4. **Can you handle the IP too?** Patents, trademarks and ownership questions come up in every raise.
5. **How will we communicate?** Agree on how you reach the team and how fast you can expect an answer.
6. **Any conflicts?** Make sure the firm does not represent a competitor or your investor in the same deal.

For a fuller checklist, read [how to choose a tech startup lawyer](https://arapackelaw.com/startups/how-to-choose-a-tech-startup-lawyer/).

## From first call to signed documents.

What happens at each step and who does the work. Timing depends on the matter and is never a promised date.

1. **Strategy call** (Day one). Free. Walk us through the company, the deal or the problem.
2. **Scope and flat fee** (Flat fee). What the work covers and its price, in writing, before it begins.
3. **Engagement letter**. You sign, and the work starts.
4. **Drafting**. Documents written for your company, not filled-in forms.
5. **Your review**. You read, ask questions and approve before anything is signed.
6. **Signed or filed**. Executed, filed with the state or sent to the other side.
7. **Ongoing counsel**. Next steps as the company grows, or a Fractional IP Counsel plan.

## Questions about our startup legal services.

### What does a startup lawyer do?

Handles the legal work a young company needs to form, grow and raise money. That means formation, founder and employee agreements, contracts and NDAs, fundraising documents, privacy and regulatory questions, and the patents and trademarks that protect what you build.

### How much do your startup legal services cost?

Each engagement is a flat fee, quoted before any work begins, so you know the cost up front. The fee depends on the scope, and it is set on your free strategy call. We do not bill by the hour, and ongoing work can run on a monthly Fractional IP Counsel plan.

### Can you protect our IP if we are not in Florida?

Yes. Patents and trademarks are federal, and the filings go to the USPTO, so that work does not depend on where your company is based.

### When should a startup hire a lawyer?

Before decisions that are expensive to undo. Forming the company, splitting equity, sharing the idea, hiring the first employee or contractor, raising money and launching are the usual moments. Getting the documents right then costs far less than fixing them in diligence or a dispute.

### Can you form our company and protect our IP?

Yes. Formation, founder agreements and IP assignments are planned together with any patent or trademark filings, so ownership of what you build sits with the company from the start. That is what investors check first.

### Do we need a patent attorney as a startup?

If your product is the technology, usually yes. A patent attorney checks whether the invention is novel, files before you disclose it, and makes sure the company owns it. A provisional application can lock in a filing date before a launch or a demo day.

### What is Fractional IP Counsel?

Our ongoing legal plans for growing companies. Instead of hiring in-house counsel, you get a set amount of legal work each month for one predictable fee, covering contracts, IP, investor matters and the questions that come up as you scale.

### Does The RLG Guarantee cover startup legal services?

No. The RLG Guarantee covers four services, patentability searches, provisional patents, design patents and trademarks. The startup and business services on this page are quoted as flat fees and are not covered. The guarantee is a refund promise, not a promise of a granted patent, and refunds are subject to the RLG Guarantee Policy in your engagement letter.

## Your attorneys

- [Andrew Rapacke](https://arapackelaw.com/learn-more/the-team/andrew-rapacke/), Managing Partner, Registered Patent Attorney. Electrical and computer engineering. Former Naval Engineering Officer.
- [Ken Brooks](https://arapackelaw.com/team/ken-brooks/), Registered Patent Attorney. Software, AI and machine learning, electrical and mechanical systems.
- Chris Watt, Registered Patent Attorney, Former USPTO Examiner. Software, AI and machine learning, and MedTech. A full-stack software engineer.

Meet the team at https://arapackelaw.com/learn-more/the-team/

## Learn before you build.

- [How to Choose a Tech Startup Lawyer: The Proven Evaluation Framework Used by Top Founders](https://arapackelaw.com/startups/how-to-choose-a-tech-startup-lawyer/)
- [How to Increase Startup Valuation by Leveraging Intellectual Property](https://arapackelaw.com/intellectual-property/how-to-increase-startup-valuation-by-leveraging-intellectual-property/)
- [Startup Patent: How Early-Stage Founders Should Protect and Leverage Their IP](https://arapackelaw.com/patents/startup-patent/)

[All startup articles](https://arapackelaw.com/category/startups/)

## Next steps

- [Book a free strategy call](https://arapackelaw.com/contact-us/) with a registered patent attorney, or call (954) 951-0154
- [Take the Intelligent IP Quiz](https://arapackelaw.com/intelligent-ip-quiz/) to see what to protect first
- [The RLG Guarantee](https://arapackelaw.com/rlg-guarantee/), the refund promise on four services

General information, not legal advice.