--- title: SaaS Legal Checklist | 10 Documents Before a Round description: The ten legal documents a venture-path software company needs before a seed round, written down so you can see what is missing before an investor does. image: https://turleylaw.com/hubfs/turley-law-og-default.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://turleylaw.com/saas-checklist#main-content) [Turley Law](https://turleylaw.com/) [Home](https://turleylaw.com/) [Services](https://turleylaw.com/services) [**SaaS & Software Contracts**MSAs, subscription agreements, terms of service](https://turleylaw.com/services/saas-contracts) [**Startup Financing**SAFEs, convertible notes, priced rounds](https://turleylaw.com/services/startup-financing) [**Outside General Counsel**Monthly retainer — the flagship](https://turleylaw.com/services/outside-general-counsel) [**Entity Formation**C-corps, LLCs, operating agreements](https://turleylaw.com/services/entity-formation) [**Data Privacy & Security**DPAs, GDPR, SOC 2 readiness](https://turleylaw.com/services/data-privacy) [**Civil Litigation**Contract disputes, CT & NY courts](https://turleylaw.com/services/civil-litigation) Licensed CT · NY · MA 200+ contracts negotiated In practice since 2022 [Book a Consultation — $50 →](https://turleylaw.com/consultation#book) [About](https://turleylaw.com/about) [Blog](https://turleylaw.com/blog) [Resources](https://turleylaw.com/corporate-manual) [Contact](https://turleylaw.com/#contact) [(203) 404-3000](tel:+12034043000) [Book a Consultation](https://turleylaw.com/consultation#book) [Home](https://turleylaw.com/) [Services](https://turleylaw.com/services) [About](https://turleylaw.com/about) [Blog](https://turleylaw.com/blog) [Resources](https://turleylaw.com/corporate-manual) [Contact](https://turleylaw.com/#contact) [Book a Consultation](https://turleylaw.com/consultation#book) [(203) 404-3000](tel:+12034043000) FREE WHITE PAPER # 10 Documents You Need Before Your Seed Round. The documents Turley Law builds for venture-path SaaS clients, written down so a founder can use them. [DOWNLOAD THE CHECKLIST](https://turleylaw.com/saas-checklist#contact) THE PROBLEM ## Legal Debt Compounds Faster Than Technical Debt. Most founders discover the legal layer of their business when a prospective investor or hire asks for a document they have never heard of — **bylaws, an 83(b) confirmation, a CIIAA, a cap table** — and realize the legal debt has been quietly accumulating while they shipped features. By the time someone writes a term sheet, it is too late to fix the foundation cheaply. The investor’s counsel will find every gap, and you will pay to close them at deal speed — **which is the most expensive speed there is.** THE SOLUTION ### The 10-Document Legal Stack for Venture-Path SaaS. This white paper covers the **ten documents a venture-path SaaS company should have on file before it walks into its first institutional round.** Each chapter tells you what the document does, why an investor cares, the clauses that actually matter, and the traps founders fall into. No theory. No boilerplate legal prose. Just the documents, explained by the attorney who builds them for funded clients — **so you can start closing the gaps before anyone asks you to.** WHAT IS INSIDE ## The 10-Document Checklist. 01 Certificate of Incorporation Delaware C-Corp formation, authorized shares, and why the state matters. 02 Bylaws Board structure, voting rights, and the operating rules investors expect to see. 03 Founder Restricted Stock Purchase Agreement (with 83(b)) Vesting schedules, cliff periods, and the 30-day IRS filing that saves you a fortune in taxes. 04 Founder IP Assignment Transferring pre-incorporation IP into the company so investors know the company owns its own product. 05 Employee CIIAA Confidential Information and Inventions Assignment Agreement — the document that makes sure every line of code belongs to the company. 06 Independent Contractor Agreement IP assignment, misclassification protection, and clean termination rights for your 1099 hires. 07 Mutual NDA Bilateral confidentiality terms for investor meetings, partnership talks, and vendor evaluations. 08 Customer MSA / Terms of Service The contract your customers actually sign — SLAs, liability caps, data handling, and renewal terms. 09 Cap Table Who owns what, how much is authorized, and what the dilution math looks like after your round. 10 Privacy Policy & Terms of Service User-facing legal pages that comply with CCPA, GDPR, and whatever your enterprise customers require. GET THE CHECKLIST ## Download the Checklist Enter your email and we will send the full white paper straight to your inbox. No sales calls, no retainer pitch — just the 10-document legal stack every SaaS founder needs. WHO WROTE THIS **Blake Turley**, managing attorney at Turley Law PLLC, wrote this white paper based on the legal infrastructure he builds for venture-path SaaS companies. These are the same ten documents he assembles for clients — here, he wrote down what each one does and why it matters, so a founder can understand the legal layer before the first term sheet shows up. ### Your Privacy Matters We use your email address only to deliver this white paper and occasional business law updates. We do not sell or share your information. Unsubscribe with one click at any time. Read our [privacy policy](https://turleylaw.com/privacy-policy) for details. NEED THE DOCUMENTS BUILT? ## Need These Documents Drafted? The checklist tells you what you need. If you want them built right — by the attorney who wrote the guide — let's talk. Turley Law drafts the full 10-document stack for venture-path SaaS companies. [BOOK A CONSULTATION](https://turleylaw.com/consultation#book) [CALL (203) 404-3000](tel:+12034043000) Turley Law Legal infrastructure for the companies building what's next. 63 Wall St 1B, Madison, CT 06443 · Serving CT, NY, and MA. **Accepting new clients** #### // Services - [SaaS Contracts](https://turleylaw.com/services/saas-contracts) - [Startup Financing](https://turleylaw.com/services/startup-financing) - [Outside General Counsel](https://turleylaw.com/services/outside-general-counsel) - [Entity Formation](https://turleylaw.com/services/entity-formation) - [Data Privacy](https://turleylaw.com/services/data-privacy) - [Civil Litigation](https://turleylaw.com/services/civil-litigation) #### // Firm - [About Blake](https://turleylaw.com/about) - [Blog](https://turleylaw.com/blog) - [Free Resources](https://turleylaw.com/corporate-manual) - [Client Portal](https://clients.clio.com/login) - [Legal Notices](https://turleylaw.com/disclaimer) #### // Reach Out - [hello@turleylaw.com](mailto:hello@turleylaw.com) - [(203) 404-3000](tel:2034043000) - [Book a Consultation](https://turleylaw.com/consultation#book) Attorney Advertising. This website is intended solely for the purpose of attorney advertising and for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and viewing this website's content does not constitute or establish, an attorney-client relationship. An attorney-client relationship is only formed when you have hired Turley Law PLLC and signed an engagement letter. The results of all client matters depend on a variety of factors unique to each matter; past successes do not predict or guarantee future successes. Do not send confidential information until an attorney-client relationship has been established. This communication is made by Turley Law PLLC, 63 Wall St 1B, Madison, CT 06443. Blake Turley, Esq., responsible attorney. Licensed: Nationwide · Litigation: CT, NY & MA © 2026 Turley Law PLLC This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google [Privacy Policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy) and [Terms of Service](https://policies.google.com/terms) apply. ## Get Started We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime. ## One Good Legal Tip Join business owners and attorneys who get one plain-English legal tip at a time. No fluff. Just one thing you can use. We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime. 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