Startups

Our multidisciplinary team of attorneys provides counsel to companies from formation through funding and growth to strategic exit.

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Offering the Guidance and Counsel Needed for Startups of All Sizes

Phillips Lytle has a long history of supporting startups, emerging growth companies and entrepreneurs dating back to 1834 when our founder represented a small startup—Marine Bank—now a global financial institution, HSBC. Today, our multidisciplinary team of attorneys provides counsel to companies from formation through funding and growth to strategic exit. Our depth of knowledge and expertise across a diverse set of practice areas allows our law firm to creatively execute your business strategy.

Legal Counsel for Startup Companies

Our Startup lawyers have a strong network of resources with venture capital firms and angel investors that support our clients and assist with the advancement of their businesses. We have the expertise in guiding startup founders and companies through the various stages of building a company from the ground up.

We lecture extensively on topics related to startups, venture and angel investments and exit transactions, and we volunteer significant time to working with undergraduate and graduate student entrepreneurs. Several of our attorneys regularly serve as judges and mentors at various business plan competitions throughout the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Startup companies can require legal counsel in a number of areas. The lawyers at Phillips Lytle have the legal expertise to provide our startup clients with guidance in entity formation, capitalization, intellectual property and brand protection, commercialization, corporate governance and more. Whatever legal issues your startup may face, our attorneys will provide the proper guidance and assistance you need.

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Diverse Industry Experience

Phillips Lytle’s Startup lawyers have represented entrepreneurs in a broad range of industries and disciplines, including:
  • Environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG)
  • Food and agriculture
  • Renewables and CleanTech
  • Blockchain and cryptocurrency
  • Cyber technology
  • FinTech and HealthTech
  • Gaming
  • Cannabis
  • EV and peripherals
  • Nanotechnology
  • Additives and other manufacturing
  • Software
  • Technology

IGNITe!

To show our commitment to startup founders and emerging companies, Phillips Lytle has developed the IGNITe! Program. There’s no question that startups need the right legal partner to get off the ground. But help at the beginning is just the start of what the IGNITe! Program can offer your startup company. The lawyers in our Startup Practice Team will customize a package of services that will assist in executing your business strategy with the understanding of the limits and challenges your startup company may face.

We also have strong relationships with accelerators and incubators in numerous locations in which Phillips Lytle has offices, including:

  • 43North
  • Access Silicon Valley—New York City
  • Communitech Hub—Waterloo Region of Canada and New York City
  • Fredonia Technology Incubator
  • FuzeHub
  • IgniteU NY
  • Launch NY
  • NYBizLab
  • REVEAL (Rensselaer Emerging Ventures Ecosystem Accelerator Lab)
  • Spark Saratoga

Additionally, our office at the Communitech Hub in the Kitchener, Waterloo region of Canada, allows us to open doors to startups that need legal counsel and business advice that focuses on expanding operations outside of the Canadian market.

Meet Our Startups Team


Richard E. Honen Partner
Anthony Ghanem Associate
Asaf Hahami Partner
Timothy P. Kucinski Partner
Richard J. Marinaccio Partner
David J. Murray Senior Counsel
Jeffrey B. Schwartz Partner
James Kevin Wholey
Meet the Team
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How Can We Help?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions for Startups

Why are startups different?

Startups, unlike traditional companies, often use or seek early-stage money from non-founders. While these investors are generally more flexible than later-stage venture capital investors, they are still entitled to certain legal protections and will also expect a degree of organization not always required by companies that are owned, run and financed by a single founder. In addition, technology-based startups often depend on intellectual property in which other entities — universities, for example — have legal rights or ownership. These issues need to be understood and managed early on in the startup’s evolution.

How do you find a startup lawyer?

Phillips Lytle’s Startups attorenys has extensive experience guiding startup companies through every step of their lifespan. Our expertise spans entity formation to obtaining venture capital funding and beyond. We use a multidisciplinary approach to draw on expertise from our practice and industry teams to ensure startup clients receive unparalleled support and counsel. We are also willing to invest our own time in getting to know your company by talking with you, without charge, in the initial consultation.

You can contact our team by filling out the form on this page or by contacting the Phillips Lytle office closest to you.

What legal challenges do startups face?

The broad list of legal decisions a startup must confront begins from day one. What type of entity will you be, and in which state will you choose to form that entity? What is the relationship among co-founders? What will current and future investors expect to see to make the startup more investment-ready? Who else has rights to the startup’s technology? How do you compensate employees or consultants when the company has no revenue at the moment? These are all questions of particular importance to startups and the types of challenges Phillips Lytle’s Startup attorneys are well-versed in addressing.

How early should a startup speak with an attorney?

The sooner, the better is the case when it comes to startups and interviewing attorneys. An experienced startup attorney will help you avoid expensive mistakes in entity formation, raising funds, protecting intellectual property, navigating regulatory compliance, and recruiting and retaining talent. By hiring an attorney early on, founders can keep their focus on growing their business while their attorney manages any of the legal challenges they face.

What is the difference between an angel investor and venture capital?

Angel investors are usually high net worth individuals who have an interest in investing, usually locally, in startups. They certainly want to achieve a high rate of return, but also have community or philanthropic reasons for investing as well. Often, they have exited their own startups and want to pass on some of their acquired practical knowledge. They may invest individually or in groups. There are local angel funds in many cities, and there are local angel investors in all the communities in which Phillips Lytle has offices.

Venture capital investors are professional investors who have raised money from investors of their own and are making larger investments than angels. They will also require market terms for their investment vehicles and are usually where startups turn when their capital needs increase.

Phillips Lytle’s Startups team has handled all levels of startup investment, on all sides of the table, from early stage “friends and family” investments to angel investment, to venture capital, private equity and eventual exit in an M&A transaction.