New Delhi, December 07, 2016: 1. Choosing the right legal structure for your startup
Choosing an appropriate legal structure is one of the most crucial decisions for any startup. The decision should be taken based on individual circumstances and a host of factors such as nature/sector of business operation, business trajectory, regulatory and tax considerations, costs of formation and ongoing administration, external capital requirement and type of funding sought, extent of legal liability protection required, number of stakeholders, balance required between ownership and management, proposed mechanism for profit sharing or distribution amongst stakeholders etc. Preferred entity structures for startups in India are limited liability partnership and private limited company.
2. Registrations and Business licenses
Post incorporation of a business entity in India, some necessary registrations are required and mandated by law. Some examples are Permanent Account Number (PAN), Tax Deduction and Collection Account Number (TAN), VAT Registration, Service Tax Registration etc.
Business licenses are permits issued by government authority that allow startups to start/conduct/continue to operate a particular business within its territorial jurisdiction lawfully. The nature of business activity determines most license requirements. Other determining factors may include the number of employees, location of business and the form of business ownership. Some examples are Food safety license, Health/Trade license, Shops & Establishment License etc.
3. Intellectual Property Protection
Intellectual Property Rights are a very important asset class for a startup. Developing and protecting intellectual property with proper registration can help startups gain competitive advantage. It is essential to obtain trademark registration for the business name/trade name under the Trademarks Act. Registration of a company or business in India does not by itself give protection against others who might commence using identical or similar marks. A trademark search should be conducted before deciding on these business name/ trade names to prevent any issues in future including potential infringement. All Intellectual Property (including trademark, copyright, design, trade secrets, inventions, patents, etc.) should be registered in the name of the entity and not in the name of the promoters/founders of the startup.
4. Founder Equity – Split and Vesting
Founder equity should be split amongst founders based on the nature of role played by each founder along with their time, effort and capital contribution to the startup. Splitting founder equity equally by default without a through discussion on expectations and contribution generally leads to tension and unhappiness amongst founding teams as the startup matures. Founder Shares should be always subject to vesting schedule – typically over a period of three to four years. When vesting is imposed on a founder equity, the unvested shares held by the founder become subject to a contractual right to repurchase/transfer often at a nominal value, if one of the founders is terminated or voluntarily leaves the startup. This is very important to ensure future viability of the business.
5. Founder Agreements
The Founders Agreement is the most valuable tool to establish the relationship between the founders of a startup. The agreement should represent a clear understanding between the founders on all key issues related to the startup. Founder agreements should clearly mention the roles and responsibilities of the founders and have clauses detailing the decision making and operating structure of the startup, founder equity split with vesting (explained above), assignment of all intellectual property in favour of the startup, termination of a promoter and exit process etc.
6. Employment Contracts
Startups must ensure to enter into clear employment contracts detailing terms and conditions of employment with their employees. While employment contracts are certainly valuable to the employees as it details terms regarding description of job profile, compensation and other associated benefits, a number of clauses may be inserted to safeguard and protect the interest of the startup – such as stopping employees from setting up competing entities (non- compete clause), poaching other employees/clients/customer (non-solicitation clause), preventing employees from claiming any intellectual property right on the work done/developed during the course of employment (assignment of intellectual property rights).
7. Employee Stock Option Pool (ESOP)
ESOP’s are incentives given to employees/directors of a company to attract talent and retain employees by rewarding them. ESOPs create a sense of ownership amongst employees. It is important to note that ESOPs are not shares. They are structured in a way that they are option to buy shares at a discounted price and can be exercised only after a certain vesting period which is decided by the company granting the ESOPs. In India, we typically see a pool of 10% to 15% allocation towards an ESOP Pool.
8. Third Party Agreements
Prior to entering into a third-party agreement and while negotiating the terms, it is advisable to execute a non-disclosure agreement. If creation/development of intellectual property is a component of such a third party agreement, it must clearly state that all rights to the intellectual property rights shall vest and be owned by the startup and the third-party shall not stake any claim on the same and will do all acts to ensure the protection of the intellectual property. Clauses related to breach, termination and dispute resolution should be well negotiated and captured in all third party agreements.
9. Investment Structuring
One of the most challenging and time consuming aspects of operating a startup is to raise capital for working capital requirement and growth. In India, Investors (HNIs/Angels/Funds) invest in early and growth stage companies in different structures and on varied terms. It is imperative for startups to seek proper legal advice while negotiating the deal terms for investment and the rights of the investors. Typically, as a process an intention document detailing the structure of the transaction called the Term sheet is executed followed by due diligence of the startup and execution of investment related definitive agreements.
10. Compliance Management
Compliance and its importance is often overlooked by many startups. There are multiple laws applicable to specific entity structures under which separate event based and annual compliance is mandated. It is extremely critical for the sustainable growth of any business that the startup is in compliance with legal, secretarial, accounting, taxation, employee related and other associated compliances. The consequences of non-compliance can be levy of punitive fines on the startup.
Corporate Comm India(CCI Newswire)
