Co-founder agreement
Vesting, IP, decision-making and leaver mechanics documented at the earliest point.
Founder agreements · Cambridge
Founder Agreement Solicitor in Cambridge
Cambridge founders in the deep-tech and life-sciences pipeline are prolific — but the co-founder paperwork often lags months behind incorporation. Fixing it early is the highest-leverage legal spend a Cambridge founder will make.
Founder Agreement Solicitor in Cambridge.
Cambridge-based co-founders in the technology, life-sciences and deep-tech ecosystem.
Cambridge's technology transfer culture — spin-outs, IP licences from the University, angel-heavy seed rounds — creates a specific paper pattern that generic templates miss.
Local legal context
Cambridge — courts, councils and commercial hubs.
Cambridge commercial work is shaped by the dense life-sciences cluster at the Biomedical Campus, the deep-tech base around Cambridge Science Park and the university spin-out pipeline. Commercial matters typically go to Cambridge County Court; employment work routes to Bury St Edmunds Employment Tribunal.
- Courts & tribunals
- Cambridge County Court · Peterborough Crown Court · Bury St Edmunds Employment Tribunal · Cambridge First-tier Tribunal venues
- Local authorities
- Cambridge City Council · South Cambridgeshire District Council · Cambridgeshire County Council
- Business hubs
- Cambridge Science Park · Cambridge Biomedical Campus · Granta Park · Babraham Research Campus · St John's Innovation Centre
- Dominant industries
- life sciences and biotech · applied AI and deep tech · semiconductor design · university spin-outs
Common matters on this page.
IP assignment sweep
Every founder and early contractor confirmed as an assignor of IP to the company.
Advisor equity documentation
FAST-style advisor terms adapted to UK EMI eligibility where relevant.
Legal risks & how we manage them
What can go wrong — and how we contain it.
Founder leaves with fully-vested equity.
Vesting signed before external capital arrives.
IP owned personally by a contractor, not the company.
Written assignment on every contractor engagement.
Legislation that shapes this work.
- Companies Act 2006
- Statutory basis for share issue and shareholder rights.
- Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
- Default IP ownership rules for contractor work.
FAQs
Questions we get asked.
- Do you work with University tech transfer packages?
- Yes — reviewing and layering the founder paperwork on top of the spin-out terms.
- Can you act for all co-founders?
- We act for the company; where founders' interests diverge we recommend independent advice.
Topical cluster.
Talk to a founder agreement solicitor in Cambridge.
Speak to Radcliffe Enterprise Law for clear, commercial legal advice — by phone, video or in person.
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