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ARTICLE · 27 OCTOBER 2026

What Legal Documents Do You Need Before Launching A Startup In BC?

Most founders spend months refining their product and pitch, and almost no time on the startup legal documents that protect it. A handful of foundational documents determine who owns the company, who owns the intellectual property created for the business, and what happens when something goes wrong between co-founders, employees, or early customers.

CanadaCorporate/Commercial Law

Skipping them does not just create legal risk. It creates practical risk: a founder dispute with no agreement to fall back on, an investor who walks away because ownership of the technology is unclear, or a privacy complaint with nothing in place to show the company took its obligations seriously.

The Short Answer: Five Core Documents

  1. Incorporation documents: the company’s articles and the incorporation application filed with BC Registries
  2. Shareholders’ agreement: where there is more than one shareholder, to address decision-making, share transfers, exits, and disputes
  3. IP assignment agreement: confirming that the company, not an individual, owns the intellectual property
  4. Employment or contractor agreements: for your first hires

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