| name | articles-of-incorporation |
| title | Articles of Incorporation |
| description | Drafts jurisdiction-compliant U.S. Articles of Incorporation for corporate entity formation. Analyzes formation documents, term sheets, and cap tables to produce a filing-ready charter with name, purpose, capital structure, registered agent, and governance provisions. Use when forming a new corporation, drafting a charter document, or structuring equity for venture-backed or closely held companies. |
| author | CaseMark |
| author_url | https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/articles-of-incorporation |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| execution_mode | open |
| jurisdiction | us |
| practice | corporate |
| language | en |
| tags | ["agreement","drafting"] |
Articles of Incorporation
Draft a filing-ready U.S. Articles of Incorporation tailored to the jurisdiction, capital structure, and stakeholder requirements.
Required Inputs
- Jurisdiction — state of incorporation (Delaware, Wyoming, home state, etc.)
- Corporate name — with required designator (Corp., Inc., Co., Ltd.); note any name reservation number
- Business purpose — general commercial or specialized (professional corp, regulated industry)
- Capital structure intent — founder-only common, VC-backed (blank check preferred), dual-class, S-corp
- Registered agent — name + physical street address in incorporation state (no P.O. boxes)
- Incorporator — name + mailing address
- Supporting docs — term sheets, cap tables, shareholder agreements, business plans (as available)
Quick Start
- Collect all required inputs above; flag any gaps before drafting.
- Verify corporate name is distinguishable from existing registrations in the jurisdiction.
- Draft articles following the structure below, selecting the applicable capital structure pattern.
- Include standard optional provisions (exculpation, indemnification) and any negotiated provisions.
- Add execution block and post-filing checklist as guidance appendix.
Article-by-Article Drafting
Article I — Corporate Name
State exact legal name with required designator. Confirm name availability; note reservation number if applicable.
Article II — Purpose
- Default (recommended): "to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under [State] law"
- Narrow purpose when: VC docs restrict capital deployment to specific sectors; regulated industries require mandatory statutory language
- Include catch-all powers: acquire/dispose property, issue securities, contract, sue and be sued
Article III — Registered Agent and Office
Individual resident of the state OR commercial agent authorized in-state. Full physical street address required: street, suite/unit, city, county (if required), state, ZIP.
Article IV — Capital Structure
Select the applicable pattern:
Simple Common (founder/closely held)
- Authorized shares: 10M–100M; leave headroom for ESOP (10–20% fully diluted) and future rounds
- Par value: $0.001 or $0.0001 (affects Delaware franchise tax — lower par = less tax under authorized shares method)
