The Most Overlooked Mistake That Can Kill Your Company
Before It Starts
Most founders assume their company owns what it builds. It
doesn't, at least not automatically.
Under U.S. law, the person who creates intellectual property
owns it unless they've assigned it in writing. That means your
company may not own its core code, designs, or brand even if you
paid for them.
I've seen financings delayed, acquisitions fall apart, and
founders lose control of their own products because they never
secured clear IP ownership. It's the single most common, and
most avoidable, legal mistake in early-stage companies.
The Real-World Scenario
A SaaS company built a platform that was gaining real traction.
The founders hired a freelance developer to build the initial
backend and integrate several third-party APIs. By the time the
company engaged Weintraub to negotiate its Series Seed, everything
looked solid: strong revenue, low churn, and interested investors.
Then the
