Closed-Door Founder Roundtable Legal Essentials for Founders in the UK

​A practical conversation on the decisions that shape early-stage businesses in the UK

​Agenda

​2:30 PM – Arrival & welcome drinks

​2:45 PM – Welcome & introduction
Sevcan Akbayrak & Yasemin Olcay
Rise Her Collective

​3:00 PM – Company structure, founder setup & shareholders’ agreements
Tülin Kıranoğlu Hamit – Corporate, Venture & Tax Lawyer

​Topics:

• ​Ltd vs LLP

• ​Share structure & vesting

• ​Director liability

• ​Common tax pitfalls

• ​When to put a shareholders’ agreement in place

• ​Protecting the company if a founder leaves

​3:30 PM – Investment & term sheets
Iman El Sherif – Investment & Startup Law Specialist

​Topics:

• ​What to look at first

• ​Liquidation preference in practice

• ​Founder-friendly terms

• ​EIS/SEIS pitfalls

• ​Knowing when to push back or walk away

​3:55 PM – Contracts & liability
Shivani Karimitari – Solicitor, Ashtons Legal

​Topics:

• ​The three contracts every UK startup needs

• ​SLAs

• ​Liability caps

• ​Breach of contract

• ​When NDAs hold up – and when they don’t

​4:20 PM – Employment law
Employment Law Specialist – To be confirmed

​Topics:

• ​Costly first-hire mistakes

• ​Employee vs contractor

• ​IR35 risks

• ​EMI / share options

• ​Handling terminations in the UK

​4:45 PM – Intellectual property & tech law
Ahu Güneyli – IP & Technology Law Specialist

​Topics:

• ​Ensuring IP sits with the company

• ​Freelancer risks

• ​Protecting software

• ​Trademark priorities

​5:10 PM – Immigration & founder visas
Buket Erdoğan – Immigration Lawyer

​Topics:

• ​Innovator Founder visa

• ​Self-sponsorship

• ​Links to company structure

• ​What the Home Office looks for

​5:30 PM – Close