The scope of this manual is to cover what we believe are the major legal considerations relevant to start-up companies and founders from the pre-incorporation stage through to pre-seed / pre-incubator stage.

This manual will not overload you with long lists of things you “should” do, but rather will outline how to build your company’s legal and commercial infrastructure in order to protect value as it grows. Starting from the right place is always easier than having to fix something later down the line.

We will cover legal issues framed in relation to current Irish law. Different terms can apply in the US or even the UK. However, the manual has been written with internationalisation in mind; while additional terms may be required in other countries, following the advice in this guide is unlikely to do damage to your legal position elsewhere.

Where you see this symbol, we have included a “pitfall” story — a real-life example of what can happen if things go wrong.

This manual also provides a number of template agreements, and recommends additional documents. As with all templates and web-based material, review them thoroughly to assess whether they are appropriate for your circumstances. You are welcome to use them, but you do so at your own risk.

While we look at some of the down-the-line effects of legal missteps, this material does not cover legal issues applicable only, or largely, to more advanced companies, such as those considering raising a Series A funding and beyond.