Should I Use My Investor’s Lawyer?

Introduction

This post was originally part of the “Ask the Attorney” series which I am writing for VentureBeat (one of my favorite websites for entrepreneurs).  Please shoot me any questions you may have in the comments section – or feel free to call me directly at 415-979-9998 (San Francisco) or 310-288-6667 (Los Angeles).  Thanks, Scott

Question

We’re a startup based in Palo Alto, and we just received a Series A term sheet for a $725,000 investment.  The investor is kind of insisting that we use his lawyer at a big Valley firm to represent us.  He said that he doesn’t need a lawyer, and this will save us a lot of money.  We’re first time entrepreneurs, and we don’t know if this is standard practice and what we should do.  Any advice would be appreciated.

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Tags: anti-dilution provisions, convertible note, drag-along rights, exploding term sheets, investor, lawyer, liquidation preference, New York, option pool, protective provisions, redemption rights, Series A term sheet, series seed, silicon valley, startup lawyer
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