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Kruze Consulting © I [email protected] I 415 . 322 . 1610
TOP BOUTIQUESTARTUP LAW FIRMSJUNE 2019
After we published our Top Startup Law Firm piece, a few legal reporters (and quite a number of boutique law firms) asked us which of the smaller, more technology-focused firms were near the top. We looked into the data, and have identified the Top Boutique Startup Law Firms. These firms all have under 100 attorneys, typically less than 50, and are either completely focused on serving technology/startup clients or have a strong tech practice. This study analyzed data from over 180 funded startups, and our team dug through over $30 million worth of professional services spend, to find the top Boutique Startup Law Firms.
TOP BOUTIQUE STARTUP LAW FIRMS
RANK LAW FIRM ABOUT THE LAW FIRM
#1 Silicon Legal StrategySilicon Legal Strategy is a premier technology, boutique law firm providing targeted, bottom-line-oriented advice to technology startups, innovative
entrepreneurs and seasoned investors.
#1 AtriumAtrium is a client-centric platform providing legal services for fast-growing
companies, helping hundreds of companies from drafting and reviewing commercial contracts to raising over $500M in new capital.
Tier 2 SPZ LegalSPZ Legal provides outside general counsel services to startups and small
businesses on incorporation, compliance with securities and employment law, IP protection, plus drafting and review of business contracts.
Tier 2 VLP Law GroupVLP offers a broad variety of business and transactional services to companies, financial institutions and investors throughout the nation. Their clients include
businesses of all sizes, from early-stage startups to the Fortune 100.
Tier 2 Hopkins & CarleyWith offices in the heart of Silicon Valley, Hopkins & Carley has been providing
their assistance with complex transactions, must-win litigation, and trusted counseling technology companies since 1968.
Honorable Mention
Fathom LawFathom Law is a business and technology law firm advising entrepreneurs, growth companies and investors in a wide range of industries, delivering
sophisticated legal and business advice.
Honorable Mention
Paradigm CounselParadigm Counsel represents companies from formation to exit and handle
all manner of commercial and intellectual property transactions for public and private companies.
Honorable Mention
Silicon Counsel This award-winning firm provides strategic, growth-focused counsel from some of the best business lawyers in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.
Honorable Mention
TangoLawTangoLaw is a boutique legal practice serving angel and VC-backed emerging growth companies and investors on a diverse range of legal matters including
general corporate, IP strategy, M&A, and more.
Honorable Mention
Capes Sokol Capes Sokol is a Saint Louis based firm with several technology-focused practice areas such as blockchain, IP, M&A and business and finance.
Ranked by the number of startup clients
Kruze Consulting © I [email protected] I 415 . 322 . 1610
TOP BOUTIQUESTARTUP LAW FIRMSJUNE 2019
After we published our Top Startup Law Firm piece, a few legal reporters (and quite a number of boutique law firms) asked us which of the smaller, more technology-focused firms were near the top. We looked into the data, and have identified the Top Boutique Startup Law Firms. These firms all have under 100 attorneys, typically less than 50, and are either completely focused on serving technology/startup clients or have a strong tech practice. This study analyzed data from over 180 funded startups, and our team dug through over $30 million worth of professional services spend, to find the top Boutique Startup Law Firms.
Startups choose to work with smaller firms for a variety of reasons, not just cost.
“My team and I at Silicon Legal Strategy love being able to completely focus on providing the advice startups need to get started, raise funding, grow and exit. Since 2014, we’ve helped our clients raise over 2,000 venture and angel financing rounds and advised on over 125 M&A transactions.” - Andre Gharakhanian, Managing Partner at Silicon Legal Strategy
The legal market is also not immune to the changing technology landscape. AI and other tech are beginning to evolve how the law is practiced, and we would not be surprised if innovation is driven by the boutique firms, who can react more nimbly.
“Technology startups have unique needs. Just like Kruze Consulting’s clients benefit from an intense focus on startups, Atrium’s clients can count on us delivering advice tailored to their unique needs and based on the most up-to-date trends in the startup ecosystem.” - Hans Lars, Managing Partner at Atrium
CONCLUSION
The companies on this list are all known for providing high-quality legal advice to their startup clients.
They often do not have the global reach of the law firms we mention in the Top Startup Law Firm analysis, but offer experienced counsel, often at a more attractive price point.
METHODOLOGY
This report analyzed over $40 million worth of professional services spend by over 175 funded startups. This anonymized data contained many thousands of individual expenses paid by startups to law firms. We removed large law firms, which we rank here, and focused on boutique firms. Our definition of boutique is firms with less than 100 attorneys; we gleaned this number through basic internet research. The firms in this report are ranked by the number of clients they serviced; the top players had tied for the same number of clients. We chose not to rank the boutique players by dollars spent, as several of them focus on providing their service at a lower price point, and we did not want to handicap companies trying to push pricing innovation.
Kruze Consulting © I [email protected] I 415 . 322 . 1610
ABOUT KRUZE CONSULTING
A LEADER IN CLOUDACCOUNTING SOFTWARE
Our practice is built on best of breed cloud accounting software like QuickBooks, Xero, Netsuite, Gusto, Zenefits, Expensify, Avalara, Brex and Bill.com. Technology makes us more efficient, saving our clients money and letting us offer higher value services like FP&A modeling, 409A valuation, and venture debt consulting. Startups deserve to work with CPAs using modern software.
BE READY FOR YOUR STARTUP’SNEXT VENTURE CAPITAL ROUND
We know how to de-risk your startup’s next venture capital round. When we do your startup’s tax returns, we make sure you are ready to fly through your next VC’s tax due diligence checklist. And when you use us as your bookkeeper, we maintain a due diligence folder so you can quickly respond to your next investor’s accounting questions.
ACCOUNTING, FINANCE, TAXES, & PAYROLL - ALL FOR STARTUPS
Startup CFO services, startup accounting, and bookkeeping services, startup annual taxes, expense reports, payroll, 409a, venture and venture debt consulting, FP&A, benefits: we’ve got your startup covered. And because we are leaders in cloud accounting software, we can deliver it all to startups at an affordable cost. Take your startup’s finances to the next level with Kruze!
OTHER KRUZE RESEARCH STUDIES
A CPA FIRM SPECIALIZED IN STARTUP ACCOUNTING & TAX
Startups are our niche and our passion. Our clients have raised over half a billion in venture capital financing in the past 12 months. We are one of only a few accounting firms that specialize in funded startups - we only offer financial and tax services to fast-growing startups in the Seed, Series A, Series B, and Series C stages.
A STARTUP TAXEXPERT
Nobody knows startup taxes better than us. Each year, we help hundreds of funded startups prepare federal and state taxes. Our firm has executed over $3 million in startup R&D tax credits last year - that means we help our startup clients each save up to $250,000 in payroll taxes. Our founder is a Deloitte Tax alumni, and our Vice President of Tax is a former IRS agent.
TRUSTED BY TOP VC’S FORTHEIR STARTUPS
Top angel investors and VCs refer Kruze because they trust us to give the right advice. Our clients are portfolio companies of top technology and Silicon Valley investors, including Y-Combinator, Kleiner, Sequoia, Khsola, Launch, Techstars and more. With us, your numbers are in order when it’s time to raise another round of venture financing.
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• Startup CEO Salary Report
The Top Boutique Startup Law Firms Report was created by VP of FP&A Healy Jones and Onboarding Manager Alex Janeck. Design by Lucila Romero.
ACCOUNTING,FINANCE TAX & HRFOR STARTUPS
