Jackling Law PLLC

Before you form a company, draft governing documents, admit owners, or make long-term commitments, it is worth taking the time to understand what you are building and how you intend to build it.

Many founder disputes do not arise because legal documents were missing. They arise because assumptions were different. Founders often discover too late that they had different expectations regarding ownership, authority, compensation, growth, financing, decision-making, or exit planning.

Founder Planning services help founders evaluate those decisions before they are implemented through legal documents. Whether you are choosing an entity structure, evaluating governance options, or aligning a founder team, the goal is the same: making deliberate decisions before they become binding commitments.

These services are designed to help founders understand the available options, evaluate trade-offs, and build an ownership and governance structure that reflects their actual intentions.

Founder Planning is optional. Some founders prefer to resolve important decisions in advance. Others already know the structure they want and are ready to move directly into formation and documentation. Neither approach is inherently right or wrong. If you already know your structure, you can proceed directly to formation, and the intake process will help confirm the appropriate configuration.

Entity Selection Consultation — $495

Determines the appropriate entity structure (LLC, corporation, or nonprofit) based on ownership, tax posture, and long-term plans.

→ Start Entity Selection Consultation

Founder Alignment Workshop — $1,295

A structured governance-design workshop that helps founders deliberately design the ownership, governance, and decision-making systems they intend to build before those decisions are implemented through legal documents.

Most founders spend significant time discussing the business they want to build but much less time discussing how they will own, control, fund, operate, and eventually exit that business together. As a result, many governance decisions are made implicitly, deferred without acknowledgment, or adopted through document defaults rather than deliberate founder agreement.

The workshop provides a structured process for identifying, discussing, and resolving those decisions before they are implemented through operating agreements, shareholder agreements, bylaws, or other legal documents.

Topics commonly include:

• Ownership and equity structure
• Contributions and founder responsibilities
• Management authority and decision-making
• Voting rights and reserved matters
• Deadlock resolution
• Vesting and future ownership changes
• Founder departures and buyouts
• Transfer restrictions
• Profit distributions and compensation
• Intellectual property ownership
• Future financing philosophy
• Sale, acquisition, and exit planning
• Dispute resolution and governance processes

The purpose of the workshop is not to prescribe a particular answer. Different founder groups may reach very different conclusions based on their goals, personalities, risk tolerance, business model, and long-term objectives.

Instead, the purpose is to create confidence that the governance system reflected in the company’s legal documents is the governance system the founders actually intend to build.

The primary deliverable is a Founder Governance Blueprint, which preserves:

• Resolved founder decisions
• Intentionally deferred decisions
• Outstanding governance issues
• Drafting prerequisites

The workshop is the governance design phase.

The Founder Governance Blueprint is the design record.

The operating agreement, shareholder agreement, bylaws, and related legal documents are the implementation phase.

In some cases, the workshop confirms that the founders are already aligned and that their documents accurately reflect their intentions. In others, it identifies hidden assumptions, unresolved issues, governance gaps, or document provisions that do not match the founders’ expectations.

Both outcomes create value. The goal is not to produce a particular answer. The goal is to ensure that ownership and governance decisions are made deliberately rather than by accident.

A credit of $1,000 toward formation services or $500 toward operating agreement drafting is available if engaged within 60 days.

→ Start Founder Alignment Workshop

Once founders have decided what they are building, those decisions must be implemented, documented, and maintained through the company’s legal structure and governing documents. These services help form companies, adopt governance documents, document company actions, and maintain ownership and governance records as the business grows. 

LLC FORMATION

LLC formation structured around ownership and governance decisions. Pricing and structure vary based on ownership, control, future ownership changes, and governance complexity. Intake responses are used to route the formation to the appropriate structure.

Solo Owner LLC — $995

Single owner with full control and no shared governance.

Multi-Owner LLC (Stable Ownership) — $1,495

Co-founders share ownership, with decisions resolved by majority vote.

Multi-Owner LLC with Vesting or Planned Changes — $1,895

Includes vesting, staged ownership, or planned partner additions.

Deadlock & Exit Structure — $2,395

Equal or shared control with defined mechanisms to resolve disputes or force a buyout.

Investor or Board Structure — $2,895

Outside investment or layered governance separating control from ownership percentage.

Some structures add defined work to the base formation:

• Manager-managed structure: +$200
• Licensed professional entity (PLLC): +$300

These are added only if your intake responses require them.

Start formation and the intake will determine the correct structure based on your answers.

→ Start LLC Formation

CORPORATION FORMATION

Corporate formation services for closely held companies with increasing shareholder and governance complexity. Pricing is finalized after intake. 

Single-Shareholder Corporation — $ Scoped After Intake

Solo founder with full control.

Multi-Shareholder (Stable Ownership) — $ Scoped After Intake

Shares issued at formation with majority decision-making.

Corporation with Vesting or Future Issuance — $ Scoped After Intake

Vesting, staged equity, or future share issuances.

Deadlock Risk & Binding Resolution — $ Scoped After Intake

Structures requiring defined resolution mechanisms.

Investor or Layered Governance — $ Scoped After Intake

Preferred shares, protective provisions, or board-based control.

→ Start Corporation Formation

NONPROFIT FORMATION

New York nonprofit formation and tax-exemption services. Pricing is finalized after intake. 

State Nonprofit Formation — $ Scoped After Intake

New York nonprofit with required governance structure.

Nonprofit Formation (501(c)(3) — 1023-EZ Eligible) — $ Scoped After Intake

Streamlined federal tax-exempt recognition.

Nonprofit Formation (501(c)(3) — Full Application) — $ Scoped After Intake

Full IRS application with detailed narrative and supporting documentation.

→ Start Nonprofit Formation

GOVERNANCE DOCUMENTS

Core ownership, governance, and control documents for LLCs and corporations.

Operating Agreement (by ownership structure) — $695–$2,395

Defines LLC ownership rights, management authority, and internal governance structure, with pricing based on ownership structure and governance complexity.

• Single Owner — $695
• Multi-Owner (Stable Ownership) — $995
• With Vesting or Planned Ownership Changes — $1,395
• Deadlock & Exit Structure — $1,895
• Investor or Board Structure — $2,395

→ Start Operating Agreement

Corporate Bylaws — $ Scoped After Intake

Establishes corporate governance procedures, voting authority, and decision-making rules for how the company operates.

→ Start Corporate Bylaws

Shareholder Agreement (by ownership structure) — $ Scoped After Intake

Defines shareholder rights, transfer restrictions, voting control, exit mechanics, and dispute resolution, with pricing based on ownership structure and governance complexity.

• Stable Ownership — $ Scoped After Intake
• With Vesting or Ownership Changes — $ Scoped After Intake 
• Deadlock & Exit Structure — $ Scoped After Intake
• Investor or Control Structure — $ Scoped After Intake

→ Start Shareholder Agreement

GOVERNANCE ACTIONS

Documentation used to approve company actions and maintain ownership, governance, and organizational records.

Board Consent or Shareholder Consent — $ Scoped After Intake

Documents company decisions in writing without requiring a formal meeting.

Operating Agreement Amendment — $ Scoped After Intake

Updates ownership, authority, or governance provisions in an existing LLC operating agreement.

Corporate Bylaw Amendment — $ Scoped After Intake

Updates governance rules or ownership structure in corporate bylaws.

Ownership Record & Cap Table Documentation — $ Scoped After Intake

Prepares or corrects internal records reflecting company ownership, authority, and capitalization.

→ Start Governance Actions

Employment and independent contractor documentation for founders and small businesses under New York law, delivered as defined flat-fee projects.

Services are structured based on role, compensation, ownership participation, and termination arrangements. If you’re not sure which document fits, the intake will confirm the appropriate structure before drafting begins.

EMPLOYMENT DESIGN

Optional design session for founders who want to define compensation, equity, and termination structure before drafting.

This is useful where compensation, equity, or termination terms are not yet finalized or where multiple components (salary, bonus, equity, severance, or restrictive covenants) need to be coordinated before drafting begins.

Employment Structure Workshop — $795

Guided session to define compensation, equity, bonus structure, restrictions, and termination mechanics, resulting in a term sheet with $600 credited if drafting is engaged.

HIRING DOCUMENTATION

Short-form documents used to onboard employees and establish baseline role, compensation, and policy terms.

Use these where terms are straightforward and governed primarily by company policies rather than a fully negotiated agreement.

Non-Executive Offer Letter — $795

Establishes role, work schedule, classification, compensation, and employment terms subject to company policies and conditions.

Executive Offer Letter — $795

Designed for executive hires with compensation, bonus eligibility, benefits, and work location defined at the outset.

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS

Full agreements defining compensation, ownership, and termination structure.

Use these where compensation includes equity, restrictive covenants, or defined severance and termination mechanics.

Employment Agreement — $1,895

Defines role, compensation, and equity participation, benefits, intellectual property ownership, termination and severance structure, and company policy integration.

Executive Employment Agreement — $2,850

Defines executive compensation (including bonus and equity), benefits, indemnification, intellectual property ownership, restrictive covenants, termination and severance (including change-in-control), dispute resolution, and tax and company policy integration.

Employee Confidentiality & Proprietary Rights Agreement — $ Scoped After Intake

Assigns ownership of inventions, code, designs, and other work product while protecting confidential business information.

INDEPENDENT WORK RELATIONSHIPS

Agreements governing relationships with non-employee service providers.

Independent Contractor Agreement — $995

Defines scope of work, payment terms, intellectual property ownership, and confidentiality for contractor relationships.

Start here and the intake will route you to the correct document and structure based on your role, compensation, and ownership inputs.

→ Start Employment Setup

Contracts help define relationships, allocate risk, and establish expectations between businesses and the people they work with.

Whether you need to review an existing agreement, revise proposed terms, negotiate key provisions, or draft a new agreement from scratch, these services help ensure that your contracts reflect your business objectives and appropriately manage legal risk.

Services are structured based on the type of work involved and the complexity of the agreement or transaction. If you’re not sure which service fits, the intake will confirm the appropriate structure before work begins.

BUSINESS AGREEMENT REVIEW & REVISION

Review and revision of business contracts under New York law for founders and small businesses, structured around a single agreement or a coordinated transaction.

Quick Contract Check — $495

Focused review of a short agreement (typically under ~2 pages) with a live discussion of key issues and practical implications; no redline or written memorandum included.

Single Contract Review (Analysis Only) — $1,495

Structured analysis of one agreement to identify obligations, legal risks, and practical considerations before signing, typically for agreements under ~25–30 pages.

Single Contract Revision (Redlines & Changes) — $2,050

Provides targeted redlines and proposed revisions to one agreement with explanation of changes; includes drafting but not negotiation with the counterparty.

Integrated Transaction Review — $2,625

Covers coordinated review of a small set of related agreements (typically 2–4 documents, ~50 pages total) to assess how they operate together and identify structural risks.

Integrated Transaction Revision — $3,995

Coordinated redlines across a small set of related agreements to align terms and ensure the documents function consistently within the transaction.

If your documents fall outside these ranges, scope will be confirmed after intake and pricing finalized before work begins.

→ Start Contract Review

BUSINESS AGREEMENT DRAFTING

Custom business agreements drafted under New York law to define relationships, allocate risk, and support enforceability.

Services are structured based on the relationship being documented and the business terms that need to be defined. If you’re not sure which agreement fits, the intake will confirm the appropriate structure before drafting begins.

BUSINESS AGREEMENTS

Core agreements governing day-to-day relationships between businesses and service providers.

Use these where services, deliverables, and payment terms need to be clearly defined and enforceable.

Vendor or Services Agreement — $ Scoped After Intake

Defines service relationships between businesses, including scope, payment terms, performance standards, risk allocation, and termination structure.

CONFIDENTIALITY & TECHNOLOGY

Agreements protecting confidential information and governing technology, platforms, and digital services.

Use these where information sharing, platform use, or software delivery requires defined rights, restrictions, and risk allocation.

Confidentiality Agreement (NDA) — $ Scoped After Intake

Protects confidential business information in employment, vendor, partnership, or investor discussions.

Website Terms of Use & Privacy Policy — $ Scoped After Intake

Establishes website rules, user conduct standards, data collection practices, and core platform risk protections.

Software / SaaS Agreement — $ Scoped After Intake

Governs the provision of software or online services, including licensing rights, subscription terms, service levels, and risk allocation.

If your situation involves multiple agreements or a more complex structure, scope will be confirmed after intake and pricing finalized before work begins.

→ Start Contract Drafting

Ownership changes are some of the most significant events in the life of a business. Whether an owner is leaving, a new owner is joining, investors are being admitted, or the business is being sold, the transaction structure and documentation can have significant legal, financial, and operational consequences.

These services help founders and business owners structure and document ownership transfers, buyouts, admissions, and business sale transactions under New York law.

Work in this category is structured around the type of ownership change involved and the complexity of the transaction. If you’re not sure which approach fits, transaction structuring will help determine the appropriate structure and documentation before drafting begins.

TRANSACTION STRUCTURING

Optional upfront guidance to determine deal structure and required documentation before drafting begins.

This is used to evaluate the transaction, confirm the appropriate structure, and define the agreements required before moving into drafting.

Transaction Structuring Consultation — $ Scoped After Intake

Evaluates a proposed purchase, sale, or ownership transfer to determine whether the transaction should proceed as an asset sale, equity sale, or internal transfer.

Fee credited if drafting is engaged within 30 days.

INTERNAL OWNERSHIP CHANGES

Agreements used when ownership is reorganized within an existing company, including buyouts, admissions, and internal transfers.

Use these where ownership is changing within the company rather than through a third-party acquisition.

Buy-Sell Agreement — $ Scoped After Intake

Governs ownership transfers among owners, including valuation methods and buyout procedures.

Owner Buyout / Partner Exit — $ Scoped After Intake

Governs the departure of an owner and the transfer or redemption of their ownership interest.

New Owner or Investor Admission — $ Scoped After Intake

Documents the admission of a new founder, partner, employee, or investor, including ownership issuance and related ownership adjustments.

Ownership Transfer Between Owners — $ Scoped After Intake

Transfers ownership interests between existing founders, partners, or investors.

BUSINESS PURCHASE OR SALE AGREEMENTS

Core agreements used to buy or sell a business through asset or equity transactions.

These matters vary based on deal size, structure, and risk allocation. Engagement begins with transaction structuring, after which scope is confirmed and pricing is finalized before drafting.

Asset Purchase Agreement — Scoped After Transaction Structuring

Governs the purchase or sale of business assets, including allocation of liabilities and operational transition.

Stock / Share Purchase Agreement — Scoped After Transaction Structuring

Defines the purchase or sale of corporate shares between buyers and sellers.

Membership Interest Purchase Agreement — Scoped After Transaction Structuring

Governs the transfer of ownership interests in a limited liability company.

Start with transaction structuring and we’ll define the correct deal structure, required agreements, and drafting scope before work begins.

→ Start Transaction Structuring

Not every legal issue starts as a project. Founders and business owners often need a sounding board to evaluate risks, discuss options, and determine whether a situation requires formal legal work.

Ongoing Counsel subscriptions provide regular access to your attorney for questions, issue spotting, and early guidance, helping problems get identified and addressed before they become larger projects.

Subscriptions provide ongoing access and pricing advantages, while substantive legal work continues to be handled through separately scoped flat-fee engagements.

SUBSCRIPTION TIERS

Monthly plans that adjust pricing, access, and responsiveness based on your company’s needs.

Launch — $250 / month

5% off most flat-fee services and access for occasional legal questions.

Builder (Most Popular) — $500 / month

10% off most flat-fee services with regular guidance and check-ins.

Scaler — $895 / month

15% off most flat-fee services for companies with recurring legal needs.

Operator — $1,595 / month

25% off most flat-fee services with highest priority access and responsiveness.

Discounts apply to the quoted project price at intake. Defined project work remains separately scoped and priced.

WHAT SUBSCRIPTIONS INCLUDE

Ongoing access for short calls or emails to discuss legal questions, risks, and next steps, allowing issues to be addressed early without opening a new project each time.

WHAT SUBSCRIPTIONS DO NOT INCLUDE

Drafting, revisions, and other written work are handled as separate flat-fee projects, and live counterparty negotiation is separately scoped and billed hourly.

Subscriptions may be canceled at any time.

Subscriptions are designed to support ongoing decision-making and early guidance, not to replace defined project work.

→ Start Subscription