Don't Skip the Legal: The Startup Guide for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners - Paperback

by Andrew J. Contiguglia (Author)

You started a business. Right now, without knowing it, you are probably making at least one legal mistake that could cost you everything. This book fixes that.

Most entrepreneurs find out about their legal problems the hard way. A co-founder dispute that drains six figures in litigation costs. A contract drafted from an online template that a client uses to sue them. A handshake deal that falls apart the moment money gets tight. An LLC set up incorrectly that offers zero personal liability protection. These are not rare situations. They happen every day to smart, hardworking business owners who simply did not know what they did not know.

After 30 years of watching entrepreneurs walk into his conference room with problems that should never have happened, business attorney Andrew Contiguglia wrote this book so you never have to be one of them.

Here is what you will learn inside:

How to choose the right business structure from day one. LLC, S-Corp, sole proprietorship, they are not interchangeable. The wrong choice exposes your personal assets to business lawsuits. This book shows you exactly how to choose the structure that fits your business and protects you.

Why online contract templates are legal landmines. A bad contract is still binding. You will learn what every contract must contain, what clauses put you at risk, and why the $500 you spend on a lawyer to review an agreement can save you $50,000 in litigation costs later.

How to protect what you build. Your brand, your ideas, your content, and your systems are assets. This book walks you through trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and NDAs in plain language so you can protect them before someone else claims them.

What artificial intelligence is actually doing to your legal exposure right now. Who owns content your employee created using ChatGPT? What happens when AI drafts a contract that creates unintended obligations? This book has a full chapter dedicated to AI and business law that no other legal guide for entrepreneurs covers.

How to hire, structure your team, and stay out of court. Employee versus independent contractor is not a gray area to the IRS and the courts. Getting it wrong triggers back taxes, penalties, and lawsuits. This book gives you the framework to hire correctly from the start.

Whether you are launching your first business or scaling one that is already running, the legal mistakes covered in this book are ones you cannot afford to make twice.

Andrew J. Contiguglia is a business attorney with 30 years of experience practicing in Colorado, New York, and California. He holds a B.A. from Columbia University and a J.D. from the University of Denver. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers, AVVO, and Best Lawyers in America. He is the host of the Don't Skip the Legal Podcast and the founder of the Contiguglia Law Firm, P.C. in Denver, Colorado.

And in the end, remember: Don't skip the legal.