Startup Legal Horror Stories (and How to Avoid Them)
Think your startup’s legal foundation is solid? Even experienced founders make simple legal mistakes that can lead to costly consequences—like tax issues, co-founder disputes, or intellectual property slip-ups.
Join Kristina Subbotina, startup attorney and founder of Lawlace, for a candid look at real legal challenges early-stage founders have faced—and the straightforward steps that could’ve prevented them.
Whether you’re pre-launch or already raising capital, this session will give you practical tools to avoid common legal missteps and set your company up for long-term success.
Details:
📅 Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025
⏰ Time: 12:00 PM PT (Pacific Time)
📍 Location: Online (Link provided after registration)
In this session, I’ll cover:
✅ The $1M check lost because a co-founder didn’t have equity
✅ How a missing vesting schedule led to a $700K buyout
✅ Why your IP could walk out the door together with your co-founder (and how to protect the IP)
✅ What happens when you “issue” stock on Carta—but not legally
✅ Step-by-step fixes to avoid these pitfalls in your own company
Speaker
Kristina Subbotina
Founder, Lawlace & Lexsy
Kristina is an ex-Cooley startup lawyer and the founder of Lawlace, a tech-enabled law firm for startups, and Lexsy, a platform offering AI-powered legal products with a human lawyer in the loop for startups. For almost a decade, Kristina has represented thousands of innovative startups and top-tier VC funds, guiding them through every stage of their lifecycle—from formation to exits.
Before becoming a founder, Kristina worked as the legal counsel at two venture-backed startups, helping them scale from Seed to Series B, and at Cooley, a law firm synonymous with venture capital. Her legal journey began in 2014 when she moved to the U.S. from Russia to study law at USC—a story that resonates with the challenges many startup founders face, especially immigrant entrepreneurs.
Beyond providing legal services, Kristina actively shares startup legal insights on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube and podcast, demystifying complex legal concepts to empower founders worldwide.