Startup & Venture Capital Desk

Do you have a novel, convincing business idea that you want to put into practice? We would like to congratulate you on your courage and entrepreneurial spirit and are positive that your idea deserves the best legal support. Kellerhals Carrard’s Startup Desk offers you the support you need. We believe in supporting innovative young entrepreneurs in Switzerland and strive to contribute, in legal terms, to your success with the same passion and commitment as you have.

Our Startup Desk consists of a core team of motivated and experienced lawyers from Basel, Bern, Lausanne, and Zurich. We offer professional, pragmatic and reliable services in all areas and phases in the life of a start-up. We specialize in advising start-ups after they have been founded, especially in financing rounds, employee stock ownership plans, exits, and IP rights. We offer you our services at a fair price tailored to your individual situation.

Welcome to the Kellerhals Carrard Startup Desk!

Expertise

Incorporation

Advice on the legal form (corporation, partnership, or individual company)
Preliminary review and advice on IP rights (trademarks, copyrights, protection of the company name, etc.)
Preparing and reviewing foundation documents (articles of association, organizational regulations, shareholders’ agreements, etc.)
Notarial certification by own notaries and entry in the commercial register

Financing Rounds

Advice on all types of financing (equity, borrowed capital, mezzanine capital)
Supporting and coordinating due diligence
Negotiation management (for example, with business angels, venture capitalists, etc.)
Preparing the necessary documents: non-disclosure agreements, term sheets, investment contracts, shareholders’ agreements, etc.

Exits (trade sale, IPO, licensing)

Advice on all types of exits: share deal, asset deal, IPO etc.
Advice on due diligence and negotiations
Preparing the required documents: non-disclosure agreements, term sheets, investment agreements, shareholders’ agreements, etc.

Employee stock ownership plans

Advice on physical plans (stocks, options) and virtual plans (phantom stock, stock appreciation rights)
Formulating participation plans
Obtaining tax rulings
Managing participation plans

Experience

The Startup Desk team consists of proven and motivated lawyers with long-term experience in advising start-ups. As we work with start-ups on a daily basis, we know your needs, can offer you specific, high-quality solutions and are an ideal “sparring partner”.

We have already supported numerous start-ups in a wide variety of areas, including the start-up phase, financing rounds, exit transactions, implementation of employee stock ownership plans, development of an IP strategy, drafting contracts and general terms and conditions, etc.

We also place great value on our exciting, reliable and steadily growing network in the Swiss start-up ecosystem. Our start-ups benefit from our proximity as well as our direct and reliable contact with the most important stakeholders on the start-up scene.