SALEHPOUR LEGAL 

One of my most memorable tech transactions involved a later-stage startup licensing software that included third-party open-source components as part of a multi-party government contract, a potential minefield of IP, compliance, and downstream commercialization risk.   Here’s how we navigated it:   1️⃣ Mapped each component to confirm commercial-use viability 2️⃣ Structured licensing terms that aligned with the business model 3️⃣ Drafted safeguards protecting the company’s IP

🚨 Is your business protected or being blocked by your contracts? Founders and executives, too many businesses treat contracts as paperwork. That’s how growth gets blocked later. Here’s the framework I use with clients to turn contracts into strategic tools: 1️⃣ Define the Purpose – What must this agreement accomplish? Services, SaaS, licensing, partnerships? Clear scope, roles, and duration prevent friction. 2️⃣ Identify Legal & Business Risks – Liabilities, regulatory expos

Mergers and acquisitions can accelerate growth or quietly destroy value if handled poorly.  Here’s what the strongest deals get right (on both the buy-side and sell-side):  1️⃣ Define the “Why”  Growth, tech, talent, market expansion, every decision should map back to this.  2️⃣ Pressure-Test the Fit Early  Financials matter, but so do culture, operations, and competitive positioning.  3️⃣ Do Real Diligence  Contracts, IP, data, liabilities, and regulatory exposure. Surprises

🚨 If your contracts don’t account for future growth, they are time bombs waiting to explode. I’ve seen startups not get expert input and sign agreements that felt “fine” to them at the time, only to create major obstacles 12 months later.   The most common issues I see:   • Intellectual property clauses that unintentionally give away rights to future innovations   • Pricing structures that don’t scale with the business model   • Compliance gaps that ignore how tech and data

🚨 “Just grab a contract from the internet.”   I hear this from founders  all the time . And it terrifies me.   Why? Because contracts aren’t just paperwork, they’re the foundation for deals, partnerships, and growth. A generic or self-drafted agreement might  look  complete, but it can: ❌ Slow down deals ❌ Create confusion and disputes ❌ Expose your business to unnecessary risk   I help founders turn contracts from a source of stress into a  strategic growth tool  by: 🔹 Wri

We are honored to anounce that Ms. Salehpour recently shared shared insights on building a solid legal foundation for startups with the Founder Institute Caribbean.   From incorporation to contracts and IP protection, our goal is to help founders turn legal strategy into growth, confidence, and real business impact. Building legal foundations right from day one prevents risk and enables scaling with clarity.   When legal strategy is done right, it doesn’t just protect your bu

Let me tell you about the founder who almost walked away from a $2M deal.   Why? The contract’s warranty, liability, and indemnification clauses terrified them. They couldn’t tell if they were standard or risky.   I guided them by:   1. Translating the legalese into business impacts   2. Negotiating key protections   Result? The deal closed and became the foundation for their Series A.   This is why I’m obsessed with making legal strategy accessible: when entrepreneurs unders

One piece of feedback I received after a recent presentation I made really stuck with me:   “I didn’t realize a business lawyer could impact more than just the contract being drafted.”   I hear this often and it highlights a common misconception about what legal strategy actually is.   For many of the founders and companies I work with, the contract is rarely the real issue.   It’s a signal of something deeper:   • Misaligned sales messaging   • Unclear product positioning  

One of the biggest misconceptions I see with founders is the idea that legal work is a commodity, something you can price by page count or volume.   Recently, a founder asked me for a “quote” to review over 500 pages of self-drafted compliance and privacy documents… before we had discussed their platform, features, risks, users, or goals.   On paper, 500 pages may look impressive and thorough. In reality, volume doesn’t equal protection and often creates more confusion than c

Planning is in my DNA.   On a recent family trip up the California coast, I was wrapping up an acquisition deal for a client before leaving. I asked my family if they wanted to help plan the trip, their answer? A resounding “no.” They rely on me to create smooth, seamless experiences, and my clients rely on the same qualities to turn legal challenges into smooth resolutions for contracts, IP, and growth strategy.   I’m the planner for my family, and I’m the planner for my cli