Startup support

Standard Contracts and Legal Templates

Setting up a tech startup or working as a software developer often involves dealing with partners, clients, freelancers, investors, and employees. Having the right legal documents in place is crucial to protect your intellectual property, clarify expectations, and reduce legal risks.


Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)

Purpose:

To protect confidential information when sharing ideas, source code, designs, or business plans with potential partners, clients, or employees.

Key Features:

  • Defines what is considered “confidential”
  • Outlines who can access the information and for how long
  • Sets penalties for breaches

Use Cases:

  • Pitching a new app to investors
  • Collaborating with a designer or contractor
  • Partnering with another startup on a joint project

Service Level Agreement (SLA)

Purpose:

To define the expectations between a service provider (e.g., a software company) and a client regarding service delivery, uptime, support, and remedies.

Key Features:

  • Scope of services (e.g., hosting, app maintenance, bug fixes)
  • Performance benchmarks (e.g., 99.9% uptime)
  • Penalties for non-performance
  • Support response times

Use Cases:

  • Hosting a web application for a client
  • Providing monthly software maintenance or technical support
  • Offering a subscription-based SaaS product

Employment Contract (Developer or Staff)

Purpose:

To formalize the relationship with full-time or part-time employees, including job description, compensation, and IP ownership.

Key Features:

  • Role and duties
  • Salary and benefits
  • Confidentiality and non-compete clauses
  • IP assignment to the company
  • Termination conditions

Use Cases:

  • Hiring a junior or senior developer
  • Recruiting admin or non-technical staff

Freelance/Consulting Agreement

Purpose:

To govern relationships with freelancers, outsourced developers, or consultants working on a temporary or per-project basis.

Key Features:

  • Payment terms (hourly, milestone, or fixed rate)
  • Project deliverables
  • Deadlines and revisions
  • Ownership of work
  • Termination clause

Use Cases:

  • Hiring a freelance UI/UX designer or mobile developer
  • Outsourcing backend development

Freelance/Consulting Agreement

Purpose:

To define the scope and expectations of a software development project for a client.

Key Features:

  • Project scope and milestones
  • Payment schedule
  • Testing and acceptance criteria
  • Post-deployment support
  • IP ownership and license terms

Use Cases:

  • Building a mobile app or website for a client
  • Developing custom enterprise software

Partnership Agreement

Purpose:

To structure a startup formed by two or more co-founders.

Key Features:

  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Capital contributions
  • Profit/loss sharing
  • Dispute resolution
  • Exit strategy or dissolution clause

Use Cases:

  • Co-founding a startup with friends or fellow developers
  • Joint ventures with another company

IP Assignment Agreement

Purpose:

To transfer ownership of intellectual property (e.g., code, designs) from an individual (e.g., developer or contractor) to the company.

Key Features:

  • Description of IP being assigned
  • Effective date of transfer
  • Warranties about original ownership
  • Rights of the company to modify, distribute, or license the IP

Use Cases:

  • Contractors handing over final work
  • Employees creating proprietary tools or platforms