

Ask HN: US business law books - anemecek

Good day to all.
Can anyone recommend a book about the US business laws focusing on start-up problems (i.e. what to avoid, how to not get screwed over etc.)?
======
grellas
Two good ones:

Edwin L. Miller, Lifecycle of a Technology Company: Step-by-Step Legal
Background and Practical Guide from Startup to Sale
([http://www.amazon.com/Lifecycle-Technology-Company-Step-
Step...](http://www.amazon.com/Lifecycle-Technology-Company-Step-
Step/dp/0470223928/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277482010&sr=1-1))

Constance E. Bagley and Craig E. Dauchy, The Entrepreneur's Guide to Business
Law ([http://www.amazon.com/Entrepreneurs-Guide-Business-
Law/dp/03...](http://www.amazon.com/Entrepreneurs-Guide-Business-
Law/dp/0324204930/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277481967&sr=1-1))

Both of these do a good job of delineating startup issues from a legal
perspective. They do so from what I would call a "big firm" perspective, which
means heavy emphasis on VC-template-style companies as opposed to the leaner
or bootstrap variety. Nonetheless, both do an excellent job of presenting the
formal legal questions in practical contexts and both give clear explanations
of the main issues involved in a startup from inception to exit.

Edit: The Miller book actually does a pretty good job of covering IP basics
and, beyond that, I don't know of any particularly standout general IP book
written for business people (there are some pretty good ones covering specific
categories such as patent). By the way, as between Bagley/Dauchy and Miller,
the Miller book is my personal favorite for startups - it was originally
written as a big-firm treatise (multi-volume, with each of 4 or 5 volumes
costing $200 or so), dry as dust, and then magically transformed through a
fabulous edit job at Wiley into a well-distilled presentation of startup
issues.

~~~
anemecek
Thank you so much. I saw on your linkedin profile that you specialize in IP
protection as well, can you recommend some books from that category as well?

------
gtani
These blogs are a starting point:

<http://www.thestartuplawyer.com/>

<http://www.infochachkie.com/roping-in-the-legal-eagles/>

<http://venturehacks.com/archives#lawyers>

<http://www.technologystartuplaw>

<http://www.startupcompanylawyer.com/>

