Business Formation

Getting Started

Each year Gesmer Updegrove works with entrepreneurs to help form, grow, and maintain successful businesses. We leverage all of our Practice Areas and our extensive networks of service providers, personnel sources, and venture capital, angel, and institutional investors, as well as our business and high tech industry knowledge to identify and implement the vital strategies that new businesses need to succeed. More than legal counselors, we are valued business advisors for our early stage clients.

Success is a Choice

We work with new and emerging businesses to create the most advantageous business structure and anticipate future challenges. Our attorneys have reviewed and critiqued thousands of business plans, and are able to help our clients refine their business models in order to create successful enterprises.

Corporate and Tax Structure

Our Corporate and Tax attorneys coordinate closely to select the appropriate legal, business, and tax structure for each business. In establishing a client's corporate structure, we optimize tax options while attending to business and legal needs. We are experienced in all forms of merger, acquisition, joint venture and financing transactions, and we help our clients structure themselves and conduct their businesses to preserve all future options, including securing financing, acquiring or being acquired, and going public. We also assist our clients in putting appropriate internal governance structures in place that meet the needs of founders and investors.

Intellectual Property

We work with entrepreneurs to increase and protect the value of what can be their most important assets through the various branches of our Intellectual Property Practice. In addition to filing trademark registrations and patent applications, we help to set up intellectual property protection programs that include non-disclosure and non-competition arrangements to maximize potential while minimizing risks.

Technology Licensing

All of our corporate attorneys are experienced in Technology Licensing, due to the pervasive needs of our clients in this area. We help our clients to plan for and negotiate essential development, license, and distribution agreements. Our strong emphasis on technology uniquely positions us to help clients reach their goals.

Employment

Our Employment Practice helps new and emerging businesses establish equity compensation plans and other compensation arrangements, design stock and vesting arrangements, apportion equity among the founders and other principals, and incentivize employees. We also help new businesses design and implement appropriate employee guidelines.

Venture Capital & Financing

Leveraging our Venture Capital and Financing practice, we evaluate our new and emerging clients' financing needs and facilitate routes to financing and liquidity. We also maintain close relationships with our networks of angel and venture capital investors and arrange introductions for our clients. Over 250 venture capital funds have invested in our clients, and in many cases we provided the introductions that resulted in these investments.

Access to Business Networks

Our technology-focused networks are also available to build the most powerful and effective teams for new and emerging businesses. We can help founders fill key management positions and provide access and introductions to the business contacts that can help them succeed. We continue to meet our clients' unique legal and business needs as they grow and evolve.