What drew you to Victoria, and to Reed Pope specifically?
My wife and I wanted a change from Vancouver, and after visiting her hometown of Victoria a few times, we felt confident that we wanted to plant our family roots here. As a lifelong Vancouverite, Victoria offers that perfect balance in that it is familiar enough, but with a more relaxed pace that makes for an easy transition. I was drawn to Reed Pope’s strong connections to the local business community, particularly the tech sector and organizations like VIATEC, which aligns perfectly with the kind of practice I hope to build.
What uniquely qualifies you to advise startups?
I’ve been fortunate to have spent the past four years in Western Canada’s largest dedicated emerging technology and venture capital group, where I worked exclusively with startups and emerging growth companies and helped close over $1 billion in financings and exits. Due to the concentration of these services at only a few law firms in Vancouver, there aren’t many lawyers in British Columbia with deep experience working in this space.
Additionally, prior to focusing on startup work, my background involved advising public companies and those preparing to go public, which gives me a broader perspective than many lawyers who focus exclusively on advising private companies. This allows me to guide companies through multiple exit paths, including IPO and other going-public transactions.
What’s one legal misconception you often see in the startup world?
I frequently see early-stage companies creating unnecessarily complex share structures. In most cases, a single share class structure works best for new
ventures. Most investors and acquirors are familiar and comfortable with this structure, and it is ideal for companies to structure their company in an investor and acquiror friendly manner from the outset.
How do you help early-stage startups balance legal structure with budget constraints?
Accommodating the time and budget constraints faced by founders is essential to maintaining a startup law practice. I achieve this by maintaining consistent and open communication about fees, seeking approval before expanding the scope of existing projects and offering fixed fee packages where appropriate. What I’ve learned is that, counterintuitively, engaging legal counsel early actually helps manage costs more effectively because things get done properly the first time around, avoiding expensive corrections later on.
What’s your approach to working with first-time founders who might be new to legal processes?
I see my role as not just that of a lawyer but also as an educator and a strategic advisor. Founders are typically quick learners who want to understand all aspects of their business. I enjoy explaining different legal, financial and business concepts to clients, showing how certain early decisions might affect future outcomes.
How early should founders loop in legal support – and what’s the cost of waiting too long?
At the very latest, I recommend engaging a startup lawyer before incorporation. Early legal guidance helps make sure that all critical elements are in place, such as ensuring that the company owns its intellectual property and establishing arrangements to mitigate unexpected co-founder disputes.
The cost of fixing early mistakes at later stages can be substantial, sometimes 2 to 3 times what an adequate initial setup would have cost. In worst-case scenarios, unresolved issues can delay transactions or even cause deals to fall through.
What specialized knowledge does a startup lawyer with a focus on the industry bring to financing and exit transactions?
In addition to setting the foundation for financing and exit transactions by establishing a transaction-friendly corporate structure and maintaining organized corporate records, a startup lawyer provides substantial value in the transaction execution process.
The financing instruments and methodologies used by startups – from SAFEs to complex preferred share structures – are uniquely designed for the risks
and dynamics associated with investing in high-growth ventures. A dedicated startup lawyer understands these concepts at a deep level and stays current with rapidly evolving market trends.
The unique nature of startups is also relevant to exit transactions. Among other things, capitalization tables of venture-backed companies can be complex and terms of the shareholders’ agreements from a previous financing can become relevant to the sale. Intellectual property also plays a much larger role in technology M&A, so startups should seek a lawyer comfortable dealing with high-level intellectual property issues and working with intellectual property specialists on more granular issues.
What are you most excited about when it comes to working with the technology sector in Victoria?
I am excited to build upon Reed Pope’s longstanding ties to the Victoria tech community by providing specialized startup legal services that previously might have required looking to Vancouver or beyond. Our firm is committed to the growth of Victoria technology companies, and my goal is to be a trusted local resource that helps local companies thrive.