Marcus van Geyzel

Law for startups — look out for common contractual landmines

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This post is the final post in a series based on my Law for Startups workshop at MaGIC in September 2015. It’s a basic introduction to legalities for startup founders. You can .

Read the earlier posts for context:

  1. Law for startups in Malaysia — building on the best foundations.
  2. The legal landscape in Malaysia for startups — a hybrid of traditional corporate practices and Silicon Valley models.
  3. Choosing the right business vehicle for your startup or small business in Malaysia.
  4. When should a startup hire a lawyer?
  5. Oversights which could destroy your startup or small business.
  6. The dangers of using “standard” or template legal documents.
  7. How startups can strive for clarity in contracts.

Having discussed in the above posts some principles which startups and small businesses should bear in mind when dealing with legal documentation, this post will address some of the more common contractual landmines — practical tips on some specific terms and conditions to look out for.

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Law firm job applications and interviews — bootcamp with Office Parrots

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On 29 September 2015, I was the featured speaker at a Career Kickstarter Bootcamp, organised by Office Parrots at Brickfields Asia College.

The two-hour event attracted a full-house crowd, made up of students pursuing their law degree and CLP.

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Marcus van Geyzel in Prestige’s “40 under 40” for 2015

Marcus van Geyzel2 Comments

I’m really proud to be selected as one of Prestige Malaysia‘s “40 under 40” for 2015. The 2015 edition features a very distinguished and accomplished list of individuals.

MVG prestige small

What a great way to end an exciting year, and what has been a busy but fun ride since taking the leap to start a small law firm in 2013. I hope all of you who’ve been a part of this journey can look back and celebrate with me.

Of course, 2016 will be even more amazing —you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!

Here’s the magazine feature reproduced in full:

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Draw your own map

Marcus van Geyzel5 Comments

Sometimes, you need to ignore what the world tells you.

The world — family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and people you may never speak to more than once — often have good intentions, but most of them speak the language of conformity.

Of the known.

Of their knowns.

Often, to the world, the best path is the path they themselves took. As if life was that simple, that dull — everyone taking the same path.

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How startups can strive for clarity in contracts

Marcus van Geyzel4 Comments

This post is a part of a series based on my Law for Startups workshop at MaGIC in September 2015. It’s a basic introduction to legalities for startup founders. You can .

Read the earlier posts for context:

  1. Law for startups in Malaysia — building on the best foundations.
  2. The legal landscape in Malaysia for startups — a hybrid of traditional corporate practices and Silicon Valley models.
  3. Choosing the right business vehicle for your startup or small business in Malaysia.
  4. When should a startup hire a lawyer?
  5. Oversights which could destroy your startup or small business.
  6. The dangers of using “standard” or template legal documents.

A couple of posts ago, I explained the importance of bringing all the issues to the surface when reviewing contracts. This post will explain how to strive for clarity in contracts.

Turn to clear image.
Turn to clear vision.

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The dangers of using “standard” or template legal documents

Marcus van GeyzelLeave a comment

This post is a part of a series based on my Law for Startups workshop at MaGIC in September 2015. It’s a basic introduction to legalities for startup founders. You can .

Read the earlier posts for context:

  1. Law for startups in Malaysia — building on the best foundations.
  2. The legal landscape in Malaysia for startups — a hybrid of traditional corporate practices and Silicon Valley models.
  3. Choosing the right business vehicle for your startup or small business in Malaysia.
  4. When should a startup hire a lawyer?
  5. Oversights which could destroy your startup or small business.

Template and automated legal documents are increasing in popularity.

For years there have been many websites offering standard contracts for download. Most of these have a US/European law focus, but the past couple of years have seen some similar services launched in Asia.

Some of these websites offer a very comprehensive collection of legal documents which address the needs of startups and small businesses in particular — everything from NDAs to equity investment agreements are available for download, usually with a fee.

Say no to cookie-cutter contracts.
Say no to cookie-cutter contracts.

My cover slide for this part of the workshop reads: “Be very very very very careful when using standard contracts” — I’m not sure whether I should have added a few more ‘very’s to statement.

Business owners should be extremely cautious when using these legal documents.

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