corporate

name	corporate
language	en
description	Advises on corporate law matters including entity formation, governance, finance, M&A, securities, venture capital, non-profits, and dissolution. Use when drafting governance documents, structuring transactions, selecting entity types, or navigating fiduciary duties and corporate formalities.

Corporate Practice

Root skill for all corporate legal matters — entity formation through dissolution. Establishes fiduciary duties, corporate formalities, and stakeholder-balance principles that apply across every sub-area.

Sub-Areas

Sub-Area	Scope
Formation	Entity selection, articles, bylaws, initial capitalization
Governance	Board duties, minutes, resolutions, officer authority
Finance	Equity/debt structures, dividends, cap tables
Securities	Registered offerings, exemptions, disclosure obligations
M&A	Asset/stock deals, due diligence, closing mechanics
VC & PE	Preferred equity, term sheets, investor rights
Non-Profits	501(c) formation, governance, charitable compliance
Dissolution	Wind-down, asset distribution, regulatory filings

Quick Start

1. Confirm jurisdiction of formation — state law governs internal affairs
2. Identify entity type (C-corp, S-corp, LLC, PBC, non-profit) and match to tax, governance, and financing goals
3. Flag fiduciary duty issues (care + loyalty) and any conflicts of interest
4. Check whether securities law (federal + blue sky) applies to the transaction

Core Principles

• Fiduciary duties — Care and loyalty govern all board/officer conduct; surface conflicts early
• Corporate formalities — Minutes, resolutions, and records preserve liability protection
• Entity selection — Structure must align with tax, governance, and financing objectives
• Stakeholder balance — Obligations differ by entity type: shareholders, creditors, employees, beneficiaries
• Risk management — Flag indemnification gaps, D&O exposure, and regulatory triggers at each stage

Pitfalls

• Delaware defaults apply to most venture-backed C-corps — note divergences when client formed elsewhere
• Securities law intersects nearly every financing transaction — flag early, not after closing
• Non-profits require separate analysis: no equity, restricted assets, IRS compliance layer
• Missing corporate formalities (e.g., skipped annual minutes) can pierce the liability veil