Because innovation is our business too...
BIGNON LEBRAY has reinvented its services for start-ups
in order to offer them new, innovative solutions.
The future is exciting
Smart, responsive and prepared for what’s next,
it's what every start-up needs to be, including yours.
Stand By Me
Secure and grow your business
1 Concept
One-stop- shop for legal, tax and employment solutions, adapted to the specific needs and constraints of start-ups at all stages of development.
1 Simple idea
To use targeted methods and pricing to offer start-up’s access to the services of a renowned, independent law firm with more than 30 years of experience in 12 areas of expertise.
Stand by Me Rationale
#1 Innovate
Your needs are specific – we will meet them by innovating and reinventing our services.
We will provide you with targeted, accessible solutions and cutting-edge services. After 30 years of continuously innovating, we welcome the challenge.
#2 Promote
Strong legal and fiscal foundations are key components in the growth of your company.
Often ignored, these foundations will make your business more sustainable; your relationship with your partners and customers stronger; and your assets and interests safer. It will also allow you to optimize your eligibility for various funding, grants, and other advantages.
#3 Dare
Your time is precious. Save it for what you do best: seeking out and developing opportunities.
Our lawyers are experienced in your field, available 24/7, and will assist you with developing your domestic and international projects while connecting you with investors, M&A advisors, IT consultants and other trustworthy professionals in the field.
Who we are
The cultural and professional diversity of our team reflects our history: we are an independent French law firm which has excelled at adapting in an increasingly innovative and international context.
70 lawyers
including 25 partners
4 offices
in France
2 offices
in Asia
More than 35 years'
experience
11 areas
of expertise
Solutions and pricing
Depending on your stage of development, we offer you 3 support solutions: Bin, B360, and Bup, corresponding to a pricing mechanism adapted to your constraints.
[ solution #1 ] Company Set-up
tax excluded
# 1.1
Brainstorming on the structuring of your project: determining the corporate form and organizational structure that is appropriate for your project/company (flagging legal and tax issues, in particular those concerning founders/directors)
Included
# 1.2
Drafting the company’s articles of association based on how the project is structured and the options/choices made
Included
# 1.3
Preparing corporate documentation (company secretarial services) in order to incorporate the company (including all necessary documentation)
Included
# 1.4
Making logistical arrangements and organizing the completion meeting – providing an interface for completion documents to be signed electronically
Included
# 1.5
Carrying out legal formalities with registry offices and tax authorities – establishing an electronic bible of the transaction containing all of the corresponding documentation
Included
# 1.6
Preparing a shareholders’ agreement setting out ownership and governance rules
Optional
# 1.1
Approval of annual accounts: Preparing documentation for the annual general meeting documentation: company documentation established on the basis of the information you provide in a questionnaire; carrying out corresponding formalities (third party fees and expenses not included)
Included
# 1.2
Maintaining and updating shareholders’ registers/accounts: establishing and periodically updating your capitalization table
Included
# 1.3
Providing a virtual safe accessible 24/7 allowing for the online management and filing of all your corporate documentation, including the potential sharing of data/documents with your partners, advisors and clients
Included
# 1.4
Providing an interface for the electronic signature of your corporate documentation and contracts
Included
# 1.5
Management Packages: tutorial for the company’s founders/key employees on the tools required to structure management packages (oral presentation of approximately 1 hour delivered by a lawyer + hard copies of supporting material)
Included
# 1.6
Shareholders’ Agreement: providing a tutorial on the main clauses and approaches to structuring a shareholders’ agreement (oral presentation of approximately 2 hours delivered by a lawyer + hard copies of supporting material]
Included
# 1.7
Company structuring and governance: brainstorming and providing an analysis and recommendations on internal corporate governance and structuring; analyzing opportunities for optimizing the founders’ remuneration structure (1-hour working session with a lawyer)
Included
# 1.8
Making physical and logistical arrangements for your annual general meeting (either at our offices or by video-conference, as required)
Optional
# 1.9
Share capital transactions (increase, reduction, issuance of securities) or transfers and acquisitions.
Optional
# 1.10
Support with the negotiation and drafting of a shareholders’ agreement
Optional
# 1.11
Structuring and implementing a Management Package
Optional
# 1.12
Organising / reorganising your company’s structure and governance
Optional
# 1.13
Establishing powers of attorney/signing authorizations for certain managers/employees
Optional
# 2.1
Annual corporate tax review: review of financial statements and balance sheets in order to determine the main risks in terms of corporate tax (working session of approximately 1 hour with a lawyer)
Included
# 2.2
Research and development tax credits and young innovative company status: presentation of the two regimes and corresponding eligibility criteria (presentation of approximately 1 hour delivered by a lawyer + hard copies of supporting material)
Included
# 2.3
International structuring: brainstorming, analysis and recommendations on your international development strategy and the corresponding fiscal consequences (working session of approximately 2 hours with a lawyer)
Included
# 2.4
Examining ways to optimize the taxation of executives and management staff: considering family holdings, equity savings plans, remuneration structures, anticipated retirement, etc. (working session of approximately 2 hours with a lawyer)
Included
# 2.5
Annual local tax review: review of declarations concerning corporate property tax and contributions based on value added tax and risk analysis
Optional
# 2.6
Annual VAT review: review of VAT returns and risk analysis
Optional
# 2.7
Preparing an R&D tax credit application
Optional
# 2.8
Preparing transfer pricing documentation to justify international transactions between group companies or with subsidiaries (including services, license fees, products, etc.)
Optional
# 3.1
Preparing/reviewing your general business terms and conditions
Included
# 3.2
Preparing/reviewing your standard marketing and purchase contracts (depending on your sector) in order to safeguard your commercial relations
Included
# 3.3
Confidentiality agreement (or non-disclosure agreement) to protect confidential data
Included
# 3.4
Preparing a standard business to business distribution contract composed of a cover sheet and general business to business terms and conditions of sale
Optional
# 3.5
Preparing and assisting with the implementation of industrial sub-contracting agreements
Optional
# 3.6
Preparing and advising on distribution network agreements
Optional
# 3.7
Preparing and advising on R&D agreements
Optional
# 3.8
Assisting with the negotiation of strategic agreements
Optional
# 4.1
Preparing and reviewing a standard employment contract (on an individual basis)
Included
# 4.2
Assistance with hiring formalities
Included
# 4.3
Analysis of and recommendations on traineeships and potential work with self-employed/consultant-status staff (conditions, restrictions, risks)
Included
# 5.1
Carrying out a review of intellectual property rights: telephone session to gain an overall understanding of how your start-up develops its products in order to be able to recommend appropriate protective measures
Included
# 5.2
Website data protection review: based on your business and the information you provide, we will prepare an email report with recommendations on the appropriate declaration formalities. The review will be carried out by telephone and the analysis will be provided by email
Included
# 5.3
Formalities before the French data protection agency
Included
# 5.4
Preparing general terms and conditions of sale applicable to online consumer sales (no special status – website developed by a French company)
Included
# 5.5
Preparing/updating the legal notices on your website
Included
# 5.6
Filing of trademark in France (3 categories) with or without an anteriority search, either nationally or internationally: preparing and filing declarations with the French industrial property authority (INPI) (costs and expenses related to the formalities not included)
Optional
# 5.7
Filing a European trademark (3 categories) with or without an anteriority search, either nationally or internationally: preparing and filing declarations with European Trademark Registry (OHIM) (costs and expenses related to formalities not included)
Optional
# 5.8
Procedure related to the opposition to the filing of either the French or European trademarks (costs and expenses related to formalities not included)
Optional
# 5.9
Preparing a “Software as a Service” (SaaS) services contract
Optional
More Help gives you access to our experts for advice and recommendations on all legal, tax, and employment issues that you may come across at any time. The More Help Envelope entitles you to 1 hour of Q&As per month. This time cannot be carried over to the next month and services exceeding this hour will be invoiced at the regular rate applied by the lawyers working on your file. Please note that we will always inform you of how much time you have left in your More Help Envelope. We will not invoice you for services that exceed this Envelope without first notifying you
Included
# 1.1
Preparing a virtual data room (access to which can be granted to your investors on a selective basis) – structured on the basis of the due diligence check-list prepared by Bignon Lebray
Optional
# 1.2
Preparing a due diligence check-list and collecting the relevant information for your company enabling potential investors to carry out legal, employment and tax audits, if needed
Optional
# 1.3
Before the due diligence is carried out, updating your company’s corporate and contractual documentation, and your shareholder registers/accounts (if necessary)
Optional
# 1.4
Pre-negotiations brainstorming session on how to structure the legal, tax and financial aspects of the transaction and the management package of the founders/key individuals
Optional
# 1.5
Negotiating and drafting a letter of intent or a term sheet with your investors defining the main terms of the transaction (and, if applicable, negotiating and drafting an investment agreement)
Optional
# 1.6
Negotiating and drafting a shareholders’ agreement setting out ownership and governance rules; if applicable, amending/revising the articles of association to harmonize them with the shareholders' agreement
Optional
# 1.7
Preparing company secretarial documentation in order to complete the transaction and document the required decisions (reports, annual general meeting minutes, management body minutes, subscription forms, waivers, etc.)
Optional
# 1.8
Negotiating, structuring and implementing management packages
Optional
# 1.9
Negotiating and drafting warranties or a letter of representation in favor of the investors
Optional
# 1.10
Making logistical arrangements and organizing the completion meeting – providing an interface for completion documents to be signed electronically
Optional
# 1.11
Carrying out legal formalities with relevant registries and tax authorities – establishing an electronic bible of the transaction containing all of the corresponding documentation
Optional
Your contacts
As part of the Stand By Me packages, you will be advised by a cross-practice team managed by a partner who will be your point of contact and will ensure that your requests are replied to promptly and proactively. Feel free to contact one of our partners now.
Our partners
