Raise with clean paperwork.
SAFEs, convertible notes, friends-and-family rounds, and seed financings — plus the cap table cleanup that makes diligence uneventful.
Startup Financing, item by item.
Every engagement is scoped to what you actually need. These are the matters Eight Law handles most often in this area.
Early-stage instruments
The documents most early rounds use.
- SAFEs, including valuation cap, discount, and side-letter terms
- Convertible notes: interest, maturity, and conversion
- Friends-and-family rounds
- Term sheet review for priced seed rounds
Getting the round done
The approvals and filings around the money.
- Board and shareholder approvals
- Investor questionnaires and closing documents
- Coordinating federal and California securities filings
- Closing checklist and record-keeping
Cap table cleanup
Fixing the gaps investors' counsel will find.
- Reconciling the cap table with signed documents
- Missing approvals and unissued promised equity
- Founder vesting and 83(b) review
- Advisor and early employee grants papered properly
Signs it's time to call.
How it's billed
A SAFE or note package for a defined round can usually be quoted as a flat fee. Negotiated priced rounds, and cleanup where the scope depends on what we find, are typically hourly with an estimate first.
- You're raising your first outside money
- A friend, family member, or angel wants to invest
- You've been sent a SAFE or term sheet to review
- You've made equity promises that were never documented
- You're preparing for diligence ahead of a priced round
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
How much, from whom, and on what instrument.
- 02
Readiness check
Cap table, approvals, and founder documents reviewed.
- 03
Documents & approvals
Financing documents prepared and approved.
- 04
Close & file
Funds in, documents signed, filings coordinated, records updated.
SAFE or convertible note — which is better?
Do I need to file anything when I raise money?
Can friends and family invest in my startup?
What does cap table cleanup involve?
Read before you call.
SAFE vs. Convertible Note: What Founders Should Know
How SAFEs and convertible notes work, the key terms (valuation cap, discount, interest, maturity), and the securities filings that come with raising money.
Read the guide Founders83(b) Election Basics: The 30-Day Deadline Founders Can't Miss
What a Section 83(b) election is, why founders file it, the strict 30-day deadline, how to file Form 15620, and what can go wrong.
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.