Cooley Protect – Patent Resource Center

Create and Protect

Cooley Protect is a free resource designed by Cooley’s patent counseling & prosecution team.

Introducing Cooley GO in Asia

Cooley GO in Asia offers the same free founder-focused legal resources and document generators that the US and UK ecosystems have come to trust.

What You Need to Know About Down Round Financings

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A “down round” is a financing in which a company sells shares of its capital stock at a price per share that is less than the price per share it sold shares for in an earlier financing. Down rounds are frequently viewed much more harshly than flat or up rounds.

Option pool

Glossary Term

An option pool is a number of shares of stock reserved for issuance to service providers of a company pursuant to options and other equity incentives.

How Many Authorized Shares Should I Use In My Certificate of Incorporation?

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One of the first decisions you need to make during the incorporation process is "How many shares do you want to authorize?" A common misconception is that the number of authorized shares is necessarily equal to the total number of shares issued at incorporation.

10 Suggestions for UK Entrepreneurs Preparing to Raise Venture Capital

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The first rule of successful fundraising from VCs is: Be Prepared. Read these suggestions before you hit the road.

Negotiating the Option Pool

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The size of the option pool is one of the most important factors affecting your ownership percentage.

Protecting Your Founder Equity

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Confusion about your ownership structure, or a poorly planned structure, can create unnecessary administrative hassle and legal expense, and in certain situations can ward off investors. Here are some matters to consider as you establish the ownership structure (capitalization) of your company.

Option Grants: Fully Diluted or Issued and Outstanding

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When talking to people about option grants, refer to “fully diluted” and always promise a share amount not just a percentage.

Establishing the Ownership Culture: Stock vs Options

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We often get asked about the difference between the two most common forms of equity grants - stock and options. This article is intended to highlight some of the important differences between them.

8 Suggestions for Entrepreneurs Preparing to Raise Venture Capital

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Is your story compelling enough to interest venture capital investors? Do you have demonstrable results? Customer traction? Patented intellectual property? Find out what you should be thinking about before you start to look for venture capital.

Negotiating Term Sheets: Focus on What’s Important

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When you receive a term sheet from a VC for a full preferred stock financing, the abundance and variety of terms might seem overwhelming. It can be difficult to understand what terms are really important when you don’t have experience living with those terms.