Hiring your first engineer as a 1099?Use this before they ship a line of code.
Download the contractor agreement Turley Law uses when SaaS founders hire their first developer, designer, or fractional CTO. IP assignment, IRS classification, termination — all drafted right.
Handshake Deals Break Companies.
The founder finds an engineer on a Slack channel, agrees to $9,000 a month on a handshake, and sends a one-page agreement someone else used.
Six months later the contractor pushes back on equity, the IRS audits the 1099, and the work product belongs to the contractor — not the company.
That is not a hypothetical. That is Tuesday.
The IC Agreement SaaS Founders Actually Need.
This is the contractor agreement Turley Law uses when SaaS founders hire their first developer, designer, or fractional CTO. It assigns all work product to the company on creation, sets the classification facts the IRS actually reads, and keeps termination clean.
Seven pages. No legalese for the sake of legalese. Just the clauses that matter when real money and real code are on the line. The download costs nothing.
7-Page IC Agreement for SaaS Founders.
IP Assignment Clause
Work product vests in the company on creation. Code, designs, inventions — all of it. No ambiguity, no after-the-fact negotiation.
Classification Language
Tracks the IRS twenty-factor test and the 2024 DOL rule. Sets the facts that auditors actually read when they open a file.
Termination Provisions
Clean exit terms for either party. Notice periods, final deliverables, payment obligations — no loose ends.
Confidentiality & Post-Engagement
Built-in confidentiality protections and post-engagement restrictions that survive termination of the agreement.
Send Me the Agreement
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The IP assignment clause is written to survive a Series A diligence read. The classification language tracks the IRS twenty-factor test and the 2024 DOL rule. Turley Law has used this form across CT, NY, and MA for funded tech operators. The download costs nothing.
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Need a Custom Contractor Agreement?
Templates cover standard engagements. But if you are hiring internationally, structuring equity compensation, or building a contractor team, you need something tailored to your situation.