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Clarity

Tristan Snell

New York, NY

I have a boutique legal practice - and also my own startup.
Fmr. Asst. AG for NY State on consumer protection and ecommerce, including major cases with Trump University and Chase, B of A, and Wells Fargo. Fmr. IP and internet litigator, WilmerHale. All about helping game-changing creators, innovators, companies, and entrepreneurs.

$5.83/min

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Startups Litigation Intellectual Property Patents Contract Negotiation Legal Advice Commercial Litigation Contract Review Trademarks Copyright Law

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Career Advice, Coaching, and Mentoring for Lawyers and Aspiring Lawyers

15 years of experience as a lawyer and prosecutor -- including as an associate at a top national law firm, as a federal law clerk, and as an Assistant Attorney General for New York State. Now I have my own boutique practice, plus I'm the CEO, General Counsel, and Co-Founder of a tech startup. Let me give you clear, actionable career advice and coaching on how to navigate today's legal world.

Legal Advice for Entrepreneurs, Startups, and Tech and Media Companies

I have 15 years of experience as a lawyer and prosecutor, working on everything from billion-dollar patent litigation, to leading the prosecution of Trump University, to negotiations with some of America's largest banks and retailers, to helping launch and advise small tech and entertainment companies. I'm also co-founder and CEO of a tech and media startup -- so whether you're an entrepreneur or an entertainer, I know about the challenges and opportunities you face.

Answers 16
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Answers

Tristan Snell answered

What is the choice of governing law in an international contract?

First off, you likely want to have a strong arbitration clause in the contract -- that provision will benefit both parties by avoiding any court altogether. Second, you may want to give thought to having New York law govern the contract rather than picking one country or the other. The arbitration can be held anywhere, and you can pick whatever governing law you want. And if you're going to pick a neutral governing law, in English (as I'm guessing the contract is in English), then New York law is probably the way to go. Or California would be another option.

(All usual disclaimers: This is not provided as legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship, etc.)

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Contract Negotiation

Legal Advice

International Law

Tristan Snell answered

Where to incorporate a new software as a service busines?

A few folks are answering just the location question, but there's another issue here: Why do you want to form an LLC? Do you want to take on outside investors? Or do you just want to grow this for yourself? If you think there's any chance you may want outside capital at some point, an LLC is likely not the right choice; you're probably better off with a C Corp in Delaware.

If you want to keep this smaller: As to the California minimum $800 tax for LLCs, that is definitely a consideration. As long as your actual business is headquartered in California, it'll be tough for you to avoid that tax by trying to form an LLC elsewhere -- but perhaps a California-admitted attorney could give a more detailed answer.

(All usual disclaimers: this is not meant to be used as legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship has been created, etc.)

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Incorporation

Corporate Law

Legal Advice

Tristan Snell answered

Should I be giving reviews of products if I'm not an expert on the topic?

You're free to give your opinions and thoughts on a product as much as you want. There's nothing that requires someone on YouTube to be an expert -- that's part of the joy of YouTube. I work with a lot of top YouTube stars and have been in the space for years now -- happy to discuss further.

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Affiliate Marketing

Copywriting

YouTube

Tristan Snell answered

Shareholding negotiation for first employee

How many other founders are there? Are any of them also developers? Is this developer a junior person -- or someone who could conceivably become your CTO? The answers to these questions are important, as they could dictate an equity stake of anywhere from 1% to 10% or higher. You also need to craft a vesting schedule (4 years with 1-year cliff is standard). Happy to discuss further.

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Start-ups

Startup Consulting

Tristan Snell answered

How to find a price and market share for much improved replacement for a disposable medical device?

I have a ton of experience in the device world (past clients include 2 of the top device makers in the world). Bigger question here is how you're handling IP. The incumbent manufacturer could sue you for patent infringement; you want to get your own patent application(s) in the pipeline ASAP; etc. IP is what makes the medical device industry go.

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Market Analysis

Market Research

Tristan Snell answered

What liability falls on us if we create an app for people to modify copyrighted images & violate the terms of the copyright?

This creates the potential for significant liability for you -- including personal liability under federal copyright law. Definitely should think twice before proceeding, unless you plan to operate entirely outside the US.

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Copywriting

Mobile Apps

Tristan Snell answered

Should I hire an expert to improve UX of our product?

The very fact that you're asking this question means that the answer is YES. You shouldn't write one more line of code before figuring out what your product is, who will use it, why they will use it, how and when.

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User Experience

Business Strategy

Early-stage Startups

Tristan Snell answered

What would be a good initial share structure for a new startup that will definitely be approaching VC's?

These other answers are out-of-market. A 1% stake is the max you should give unless there are extraordinary circumstances and this 'legend' would really be personally involved with the entity. A full point is extremely generous. Between a tenth and a quarter point is considered in-market for a senior advisor. Happy to discuss further.

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Start-ups

Tristan Snell answered

How should I give out equities: straight away or after testing on a salary?

There's a standard solution here: 4 year vesting schedule, 1 year cliff, so he gets zero equity until 1 year in. Any other arrangements would likely be out-of-market and would not be viewed favorably by future investors. Happy to discuss further.

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Startup Consulting

Early-stage Startups

Hiring

Tristan Snell answered

How can my company be venture funded or get loans for a U.S. small business LLC if the owner is non-US resident?

Residence is not a factor for venture funding -- what's important is building a network so you can get in front of the right people in the US venture community.

Loans for small businesses are really restricted to established businesses with clear cash flow and preferably some obvious assets (like real estate). Most startups can't get a small business loan. Does not matter whether you're a US resident or not.

Also why do you have an LLC? It is the right structure for some companies, but not others.

Happy to discuss further.

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Fundraising

Funding

Financing

Tristan Snell answered

For a new E-commerce, should I invest in the registration of the brand or wait to have succeeded first?

You are right. I would focus on a "concierge MVP" offering first, to make sure you are going forward, before investing immediately in registering a trademark -- because that costs money. Whereas the domain is cheap, and the social accounts cost nothing. Happy to discuss trademarks if you're ready for that - my fees are less than 1/2 of what most lawyers charge for that work.

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Member since May 2015