Emerging companies take many shapes and forms, but they all have significant legal needs that must be addressed to ensure long-term success. The Emerging Companies lawyers tailor their services to the needs of each company. In addition, we offer fixed-fee legal services and educational programs to provide affordable legal services and support for early-stage companies.
Our team members collaborate with emerging companies through all stages of their development, providing innovative solutions for the legal and business challenges they face. Examples of the services we provide include:
Formation – Entity formation is a crucial stage for companies, as it sets the foundation for a business's future.
Baker Donelson lawyers advise on business strategy and planning, assembling the founding management team, selecting and forming the appropriate business entity, and raising necessary capital from investors who can support and accelerate the company's growth.
Contracts – Businesses have many contracts that need to be reviewed and managed.
We have decades of experience advising clients on contracts outlining many types of relationships and transactions. In addition to helping businesses review and negotiate customer and vendor agreements, our team assists companies in the preparation and management of forms for frequent interactions that are critical to their businesses.
Capital – Capital is a precious resource and the lifeblood of emerging companies.
We advise clients on both debt and equity financing, including convertible notes, venture capital and angel investments. We provide clients with strategic guidance about the best options for each company's particular situation, and we assist clients in planning and conducting negotiations to ensure that they obtain the best terms.
Technology – Technology allows emerging companies to grow and work smarter.
Our lawyers assist clients daily with the wide-ranging issues of business technology law. With more than 150 years of cumulative experience within our Business Technology Group, Baker Donelson provides clients with counsel on all types of business transactions involving the purchase, sale and licensing of technology products and services.
Intellectual Property – Emerging companies rely on the potential of their ideas, which means they must protect their intellectual property in order to move forward confidently.
Our team's skilled patent attorneys work with emerging companies in the development and protection of their companies' intellectual property (IP) rights. We also work with clients to leverage their IP through licensing, development, resale distribution and other strategic agreements that generate revenue streams as well as additional business opportunities.
Employment – Growing companies need to support and provide proper incentives for employees.
We advise many emerging businesses on employment issues, including preparing executive employment agreements; implementing stock option and other employee incentive plans; structuring employee benefit plans; establishing consulting or contractor agreements; and developing human resource polices and handbooks.
Compliance – Many emerging businesses are unaware of the numerous and complex legal and regulatory compliance risks they face.
Baker Donelson's attorneys counsel clients regarding the local, state, federal and international laws and regulations their emerging companies must comply with, including taxation, confidentiality, HIPAA and proprietary information agreements.
Mergers and Acquisitions – As emerging businesses grow, many pursue deals to expand operations, acquire other companies or secure new revenue streams.
Our team's experienced corporate attorneys ensure that our clients' deals are not only legally and technically sound, but that they fit with the company's strategic objectives as well. Our focus is always on doing the deal that helps our clients achieve their goals.
Members of our Emerging Companies Group work with all types of rapid-growth companies operating in a wide range of industries, including information technology, digital media, life sciences, health care, alternative energy/cleantech, telecommunications and technology-enabled services.