Start right. Build on solid ground.
Get started right with corporate formation, non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements, stock offerings, seed & venture guidance, intellectual property protection, and general business consultation. The decisions you make at the start shape every raise, hire, and exit that follows.
Services within Business Planning.
Each page covers what's included, when to call, and how the work is billed.
Business Formation
Form your California LLC or corporation the right way: entity choice, Secretary of State filings, operating agreements, bylaws, and initial consents. Flat-fee options.
Explore Business FormationFounder & Partnership Agreements
Founder agreements, vesting, operating and shareholder agreements, buy-sell terms, and partner buyouts for Los Angeles businesses. Get the ownership terms right before they matter.
Explore Founder & Partnership AgreementsStartup Financing
SAFEs, convertible notes, friends-and-family rounds, seed financings, and cap table cleanup for Los Angeles startups. Clean paperwork before investors look.
Explore Startup FinancingIP Ownership & Trademark Coordination
Make sure your company owns what it builds: IP assignment documents for founders, employees, and contractors, confidentiality agreements, and coordinating trademark filings.
Explore IP Ownership & Trademark CoordinationBusiness Planning, item by item.
Every engagement is scoped to what you actually need. These are the matters Eight Law handles most often in this area.
Entity formation & structure
Choosing and setting up the right vehicle for what you're building.
- Entity selection: LLC or corporation, and how it fits your plans
- Formation filings, bylaws, and operating agreements
- Initial board or member consents and officer appointments
- Post-formation checklist so nothing is missed
- Converting an LLC to a corporation when the time comes
Founders & ownership
Getting the people side right before it gets complicated.
- Founder agreements and founder stock purchases with vesting
- Guidance on 83(b) elections and their deadlines
- Shareholder and buy-sell agreements
- Operating agreements for multi-member LLCs
- Advisor agreements and early equity grants
Early capital
Raising your first dollars without creating problems for the next round.
- Stock offerings and friends-and-family rounds
- SAFEs and convertible notes
- Seed & venture guidance and term sheet review
- Cap table set-up and clean-up
- Securities exemption filings coordinated for your offering
Protecting what you build
Making sure the company owns its ideas and keeps its secrets.
- Non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements
- IP assignment from founders, employees, and contractors
- Intellectual property protection strategy
- Website terms of use and privacy policy
- General business consultation as questions come up
Signs it's time to call.
How it's billed
Most business planning work is defined up front, so it's usually handled as a flat-fee project — formation, founder documents, and a first financing can be scoped and priced before work starts. Ongoing questions afterwards can move to a monthly retainer.
- You're starting a company, alone or with co-founders
- You formed an entity online and want it reviewed before you raise or hire
- You're splitting equity and want vesting and IP assignment in place
- You're bringing on a first investor, advisor, or partner
- You're converting from an LLC ahead of a financing or acquisition
What working together looks like.
Direct access to your attorney at every step — no hand-offs, and scope and fees agreed in writing before work begins.
- 01
Discovery call
Your goals, co-founders, timeline, and plans for funding.
- 02
Structure recommendation
Entity type, ownership, and vesting — explained in plain English.
- 03
Documents drafted
Formation filings and founder agreements prepared for your review.
- 04
Signed and filed
Everything signed, filed, and organized, with a checklist of what comes next.
How long does formation take?
I already formed my company online. Can you review it?
Do I need a founder agreement if it's just me?
Should I raise on a SAFE or a convertible note?
Read before you call.
LLC vs. Corporation in California: How to Choose
A plain-English comparison of California LLCs and corporations: liability, taxes, the $800 minimum tax, state filings, governance, and raising money.
Read the guide FormationHow to Form an LLC in California, Step by Step
The steps to form a California LLC: name, Articles of Organization ($70), operating agreement, EIN, Statement of Information, and the $800 annual tax.
Read the guide FoundersFounder Agreements: The Basics Every Co-Founder Should Know
What a founder agreement covers — equity splits, vesting, IP assignment, roles, and what happens when a founder leaves — and why it's easier to agree now.
Read the guideRelated services.
Let's build something that lasts.
Tell us where your business is headed. We'll tell you what it takes, legally, to get there.