Startup Legal Stack by Stage.xlsx

	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	Startup Legal Stack by Stage
2	What legal tools, services, and documentation to prioritize at each funding stage \| acevedoventurelaw.com
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4	Category	Pre-Seed / Formation	Seed	Series A	Series B+	Priority Notes

5	Entity & Formation	DE C-Corp filing EIN Bylaws Initial board consent	Good standing maintenance Qualify in operating states Annual franchise tax	Subsidiary formation if needed International entities Holding company structure	Multi-entity governance Intercompany agreements Tax structure optimization	Get the foundation right. Fixing entity issues later is expensive.
6	Founder Docs	Stock purchase agreements 83(b) elections IP assignment Vesting schedules	Review vesting cliffs Co-founder alignment check Advisor agreements	Acceleration provisions review Founder employment agreements Non-compete review	Executive compensation packages Change of control provisions Succession planning	83(b) elections have a 30-day deadline. Miss it and the tax consequences are serious.
7	Cap Table	Spreadsheet or Carta/Pulley Founder shares documented Option pool set up	SAFE tracking Conversion modeling Pro forma cap table	Full dilution analysis Series A conversion cleanup Waterfall analysis	Complex waterfall modeling 409A valuations Secondary transaction tracking	Invest in cap table accuracy early. Every investor will scrutinize this.
8	Fundraising Docs	SAFE (YC standard) Basic pitch deck	Multiple SAFE rounds Side letters Pro rata rights	Term sheet negotiation SPA, IRA, ROFR/CoSale Board composition	Follow-on round docs Pay-to-play provisions Structured financing	Standard docs save money. Custom terms create complexity.
9	IP Protection	CIIA for founders Domain + trademark search Basic trade secret policy	CIIA for all employees Provisional patents (if applicable) Open source policy	IP audit Freedom to operate analysis Trademark registration	Patent portfolio strategy IP licensing program Defensive IP measures	IP assignment gaps are the #1 deal killer in diligence.
10	Employment	Offer letters Contractor agreements At-will disclosures	Employee handbook Benefit plans Equity compensation plans	Executive employment agreements Severance policies Multi-state compliance	International hiring Equity plan administration ERISA compliance	Employment law varies by state. Get advice before hiring across borders.
11	Governance	Board consent for key actions Minute book setup	Regular board meetings D&O insurance Information rights compliance	Formal board committees Independent director(s) Board observer rights	Audit committee Compensation committee Public company readiness	Good governance is not just for investors. It protects founders.
12	Contracts	Customer terms of service Privacy policy Basic vendor contracts	NDA template Partnership agreements Key vendor negotiations	Enterprise customer agreements Channel partner contracts Data processing agreements	Master service agreements Global contract management Compliance frameworks	Template your high-volume contracts. Negotiate the ones that matter.
13	Legal Counsel	Part-time or as-needed startup attorney	Startup-focused attorney Outsourced GC (if multiple legal needs) Cap table software	Outsourced GC or fractional legal lead Specialist counsel (IP, employment) Lead financing counsel	Outsourced GC or first in-house hire Specialist outside counsel panel Compliance advisory	Most startups don't need a full-time GC until Series C or later. Outsourced models bridge the gap.
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