HALVERTON & CO.

04 / Practice area

Startups & Venture

A company is only as fundable as its paper. We set up the structure and write the documents that an investor’s counsel will read line by line.

What it includes

The work, in plain terms.

  • 01

    Incorporation and structuring

    Choice of entity, the cap table at formation, and a structure that holds up if you raise money or operate across borders.

  • 02

    DPIIT recognition

    Applications for recognition under the Startup India programme, and a straight account of what recognition does and does not give you.

  • 03

    Founders’ agreements

    Roles, equity, vesting, IP assignment, and what happens when a founder leaves.

  • 04

    ESOPs

    Plan design, grant documents and the compliance that comes with them under the Companies Act, 2013.

  • 05

    Shareholders’ agreements

    Rights, transfer restrictions, board composition and exit terms. Negotiated for either side of the table.

  • 06

    Fundraising documents

    Term sheets, subscription and shareholders’ agreements, disclosure schedules and closing conditions.

  • 07

    Vendor and customer contracts

    The everyday agreements that decide whether the business runs without disputes.

Who it is for

This work is for people at the start of a company, and for teams about to raise their first or second round.

  • Founders before incorporation
  • Companies preparing for a seed or Series A
  • Early teams whose cap table needs cleaning up
  • Foreign founders setting up in India

Typical matters

  • 01Incorporating a private limited company and fixing the founder split
  • 02A DPIIT recognition application
  • 03A founders’ agreement with vesting and IP assignment
  • 04An ESOP plan for a small team
  • 05Documents for a seed round
  • 06Cleaning up a cap table before diligence

Relevant law

  • Companies Act, 2013
  • Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008
  • Indian Contract Act, 1872
  • Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (foreign investment)

This page describes the area of practice in general terms. It is information about the firm’s work, not legal advice, and it does not create a lawyer-client relationship.

Related areas

Often part of the same matter.

  • 01

    Intellectual Property

    Trade marks, copyright, patents and designs. Searched, filed, licensed and enforced under Indian law.

    • Trade Marks Act 1999
    • Copyright Act 1957
    • Patents Act 1970
    View area
  • 02

    Technology & AI Law

    Contracts, data protection and AI policies for products that handle other people’s data.

    • IT Act 2000
    • DPDP Act 2023
    • Open source
    View area

06 / Contact

Write to us about what you are building.

Send a short note on the business and the issue. Sending a message does not create a lawyer-client relationship.

Write to the firmoffice@halvertonandco.com