Ryan Roberts is a startup and venture capital lawyer who writes Startup Lawyer. For over twenty years, he’s worked with founders and venture investors to make the legal side of building, funding, and scaling a company feel a lot more straightforward (and a lot less mysterious). If you’ve ever wondered what’s “standard,” what’s negotiable, or what actually matters in a financing, Ryan’s work lives right in that zone.
In practice, Ryan helps companies from day one (formation and founder equity) through early fundraising, venture rounds, and M&A and other exit transactions. Along the way, he’s focused on the practical stuff that keeps deals moving: clear cap tables, clean governance, and terms that align incentives instead of creating surprises later. Ryan also represents venture capital funds on the investor side, which means he spends a lot of time in the middle of the terms, incentives, and “market” dynamics that shape startup deals, so he can translate that context back to founders in plain English.
Ryan received his J.D. from the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, where he was on Law Review. Before law school, he earned an M.A. in Economics and a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the University of Southern California. Ryan also clerked with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Division of Enforcement. He was recognized as a Texas Super Lawyers “Rising Star” from 2013–2018.
He’s also the author of Acceleration: What All Entrepreneurs Must Know About Startup Law. If you like the practical, no-drama approach on StartupLawyer.com, the book goes deeper on the core legal concepts and deal terms founders run into as they raise capital and grow: things like how to think about valuation mechanics, control terms, investor rights, and the (often overlooked) company-formation decisions that can make later rounds easier or harder. It’s written for people building companies, not people trying to memorize legal vocabulary.
StartupLawyer.com is where Ryan shares what he’s learned from working in the startup and venture world and explained in plain English, with an eye toward what actually matters in real deals. You’ll see posts on common financing terms, founder/investor alignment, governance and board dynamics, M&A basics, and how to avoid the kinds of “small” legal mistakes that turn into big distractions during diligence. The goal is simple: help founders, operators, and investors spot the issues early, understand the tradeoffs, and make better decisions with less noise.
Want to connect? If you think Ryan might be helpful—whether you’re forming a company, raising a round, reviewing a term sheet, or exploring an acquisition—you’re welcome to reach out via the Contact Page or the email icon on the top right.
