Startups

Startups & High-Growth Companies

Building a high-growth company brings legal and commercial challenges that are very different from those faced by traditional businesses.

O’Reilly Law advises founders, high-growth companies, angel investors, venture capital funds and other investors across the startup and investment ecosystem. We provide commercially focused legal advice throughout the business lifecycle, from establishing the right corporate and shareholder structures to raising capital, scaling operations and ultimately preparing for an acquisition or exit.

We understand that growing businesses need lawyers who can move quickly, understand the commercial context and provide practical solutions rather than unnecessary complexity.

Our work includes company and investment structuring, shareholders’ agreements, founder arrangements, venture capital and equity funding, preference shares, term sheets, employee incentive schemes, commercial agreements, corporate governance and mergers and acquisitions.

We also advise founders, boards and shareholders when relationships become more complicated – including shareholder disputes, founder exits, changes in control and governance issues.

For investors, we assist with investment structuring, legal due diligence, transaction documents and the negotiation of appropriate investor protections.

Our objective is to become a trusted legal partner as a business grows: helping founders and investors structure transactions properly, manage risk and navigate the important commercial decisions that arise along the way.

Our startup law services include:

Capital raising and investor readiness;
Private equity, venture capital and angel fundraising advice;
Reviewing and drafting of term sheets;
Equity fundraising and share subscription agreements;
Reviewing and drafting of shareholder agreements;
Employee share ownership schemes;
Negotiation strategy and advice;
Intellectual-property protection issues, including protection and exploitation of IP in SA and abroad;
Corporate finance assistance (including pitch deck development);
Startup workshops;
Intellectual property and technology arrangements

We help startups and scaleups build strong legal foundations, raise capital and navigate growth by:

Building the right foundations – structuring your company, founder relationships, shareholding and governance arrangements properly from the outset.
Helping you raise and deploy capital – advising on term sheets, investment structures, preference shares, shareholder agreements and venture capital transactions.
Supporting you as you scale – putting the commercial agreements, incentive structures and legal frameworks in place to support growth, new markets and ultimately an exit.