Advisors are often brought on over coffee, and the paperwork follows months later if at all. We put the relationship on paper with clear expectations, vested equity tied to actual involvement, and IP terms that keep their contributions with the company. When the arrangement ends, both sides know what happens next.
At a glance
- Practice
- Employment
- Pricing
- Flat fee, quoted before we start
- Included
- 6 deliverables
- Process
- 3 steps, one named attorney
- Where we work
- Slack, email or a call
When founders call us
The moments that usually bring a company to us for this work.
- 01
You promised an advisor equity and have not documented it yet
- 02
A domain expert is helping with product or go-to-market in exchange for options
- 03
You are hiring a part-time consultant who will touch your code or customer data
- 04
An advisor has gone quiet and you want to know whether their unvested equity can be stopped
What you get
Scoped in writing before we start. One flat fee for all of it.
- Advisor agreement setting role, expected time commitment and confidentiality
- Equity terms with vesting, typically without a cliff or with a short one, tied to board approval
- IP assignment covering work product created for the company
- Consultant agreement for paid engagements, with fees, deliverables and term
- Termination terms and treatment of unvested equity
- Board consent language for the related equity grant
How it works
- 1
Relationship scoping
We discuss what the advisor or consultant will do, how often, and what you have already promised.
- 2
Draft agreement
We prepare the agreement and equity terms to match that scope.
- 3
Grant and sign
We prepare the board approval so the grant is issued properly and the agreement is signed.
Mistakes we help you avoid
The ones we see most often, and catch before they cost you.
- Avoided
Granting fully vested shares to an advisor who stops helping after two months
- Avoided
No IP assignment, so an advisor's product ideas or code may not belong to the company
- Avoided
Treating a consultant who works like an employee as an advisor, creating classification risk
- Avoided
Granting equity without board approval or a current 409A valuation
Advisor & Consultant Agreements: questions founders ask
It varies widely with the company's stage and how involved the advisor will be. Grants are typically small and vest over time. We help you set terms that match the actual commitment rather than quoting a standard number.
An advisor typically gives occasional strategic input, usually for equity. A consultant usually does defined work for cash, equity or both. The difference matters for what the agreement covers and for how the person should be classified.
In most cases, yes. Vesting ties the equity to continued involvement and lets you stop further vesting if the relationship ends. Many advisor grants vest monthly over a shorter period than employee grants, but the terms should match your situation.
If they contribute anything that could become part of your product, branding or business, yes. Without a written assignment, the advisor may own what they create. The advisor agreement should include it directly.
Get a flat-fee quote for Advisor & Consultant Agreements.
A short call with an attorney. You leave with a written scope and one fixed price.
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