For founders
An attorney for entrepreneurs. Grow the right way from the start.
Schneidman Law works with entrepreneurs in Franklin and across Middle Tennessee the way an incubator’s adviser bench works with its founders: embedded from the start, staged to the journey, and affordable because of how the firm bills. One flat monthly fee, no hourly billing, no equity, and no surprise invoices.
Why do most entrepreneurs wait too long to get an attorney?
Because hourly billing taught them that calling a lawyer is expensive, slow, and only for emergencies. So they form the entity from a template, sign the lease unread, and hire their first employee on a borrowed agreement.
The math flips later. The operating agreement that would have taken one conversation becomes a partner dispute. The unread lease becomes a renewal trap. The best legal work is the work you never have to think about, because it was done right the first time.
The flat-fee model removes the reason founders wait. Calling your attorney costs nothing extra, so the call happens before the signature instead of after the problem.
What does growing the right way from the start look like?
Five stages, each with legal work that is cheap to do early and expensive to redo late. The counsel relationship is built to walk all five with you.
Formation and foundations
The entity, the operating agreement, and the ownership questions answered while everyone is still friends. The business formation guides cover choosing the structure, and the guide to starting an LLC in Tennessee covers the state filing mechanics.
First contracts
Customer agreements, vendor agreements, and the templates you stop borrowing from the internet. The business contracts guides explain what to look for.
First hires
Employment agreements, contractor classification, and expectations in writing before the first payroll runs.
First lease or property
The space your business lives in, reviewed before you sign, with the renewals and obligations understood up front.
Growth and the turning point
Partnerships, risk, and eventually the deal: buying a competitor or selling what you built. The same counsel who formed the company is at the table when it changes hands.
Are your ducks in a row?
Six things every Tennessee entrepreneur should have in place, whatever the business. Most founders have two or three. None of them require a big firm or a big invoice.
The ducks-in-a-row checklist
0 of 6 in place
Check what your business already has. Your answers stay in your browser; nothing is saved or sent.
Most founders start here. Getting these in place early costs far less than untangling them later, and the flat-fee model is built for exactly that.
How does the flat fee make this affordable for a new business?
The counsel subscription has three levels defined by depth of involvement, and the entry level exists for businesses with occasional needs. Hours are never counted at any level, so a founder’s budget line stays flat while the questions get answered early.
As the business grows, the relationship deepens into Outside General Counsel proper: a lawyer embedded in the business, involved before commitments are made. And when the turning point comes, the firm handles business acquisitions and sales from $1M to $20M, so the counsel who helped you form the company can help you sell it.
The firm is selective about who it takes on, not because of limited space, but because Good, Good Counsel® only works within the right relationship. See who we take on.
Frequently asked questions
Is this only for tech startups?+
No. Entrepreneur means anyone building a company: contractors, agencies, restaurants, practices, e-commerce, and yes, software. The founder journey is the same, and so is the legal work that keeps it clean.
My business is brand new. Is it too early for an attorney?+
The earliest decisions, entity, operating agreement, first contracts, are the cheapest ones to get right and the most expensive to fix. Level I of the counsel subscription exists for exactly this stage, and the relationship deepens as the business grows.
Does the firm take equity like an incubator or accelerator?+
No. The comparison is about the relationship, an adviser embedded from the start, not the structure. The firm charges a flat monthly fee, never takes equity, and never counts hours.
Build it right the first time.
A short conversation about what you are building and whether this is the counsel to build it with.