articles-of-incorporation

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

1. Jurisdiction — state of incorporation (Delaware, Wyoming, home state, etc.)
2. Corporate name — with required designator (Corp., Inc., Co., Ltd.); note any name reservation number
3. Business purpose — general commercial or specialized (professional corp, regulated industry)
4. Capital structure intent — founder-only common, VC-backed (blank check preferred), dual-class, S-corp
5. Registered agent — name + physical street address in incorporation state (no P.O. boxes)
6. Incorporator — name + mailing address
7. Supporting docs — term sheets, cap tables, shareholder agreements, business plans (as available)

Quick Start

1. Collect all required inputs above; flag any gaps before drafting.
2. Verify corporate name is distinguishable from existing registrations in the jurisdiction.
3. Draft articles following the structure below, selecting the applicable capital structure pattern.
4. Include standard optional provisions (exculpation, indemnification) and any negotiated provisions.
5. 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)