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    Contact Us
    Corporate services
    Individual services
    Startups & founders · Fixed fees

    Startup lawyers in London From idea to investment. Sorted.

    Legal support for founders from incorporation to your first round: company structure, founder agreements, ownership of your code and brand, and the documents your platform needs. Fixed fees, told to you up front, in plain English.

    Build your package
    Ranked in The Legal 500 UK 2026Authorised and regulated by the SRARegistered with the IAATemple Chambers, 3-7 Temple Avenue, London EC4Y 0DT
    Who we are

    We know our stuff.

    A City of London law firm built for growing international businesses. Ranked in The Legal 500 UK 2026, authorised and regulated by the SRA, registered with the IAA.

    60Legal professionals across 10+ practice areas
    27,000+Clients worldwide who trust us
    4,000+Client reviews, average rating 4.8 out of 5
    10+Languages spoken across the team

    One team.

    Formation, founders' agreements, contracts, trade marks and visas, all with one team that knows your business.

    Fixed fees.

    Every piece of work is quoted as a fixed fee before it starts, with no hourly billing within scope.

    A network beyond the law.

    Accountants, a banking partner and a government relations firm, with you keeping one point of contact.

    Built for your stage.

    We have taken technology and advisory businesses from incorporation through funding rounds to exit.

    Why founders come to us early

    Small gaps. Big bills.

    Most of the expensive problems we are asked to fix started as something small that nobody documented. None are hard to prevent. All are slow and costly to unwind, usually just as you try to close a round or a sale.

    Getting the legal foundations right in your first year is far cheaper than repairing them in a funding round. All fees exclude VAT.

    What we help with

    Built for founders.

    Seven topics, one team. You build the business; we set up the legal side. Pick a topic.

    01 / 07

    Company structure and incorporation

    Limited company, LLP or UK subsidiary: the right structure depends on where your investors and revenue are. We advise, then handle the Companies House filings and constitutional documents.

    Directors must now verify their identity with Companies House. We guide you through it.

    Founder FoundationsArticles £600
    More on this: Set up a company in the UK Organisation & structuring
    Find your fit

    There's a package for that.

    Tell us where you are. Each answer takes you to the part of the offer that covers it.

    Fixed-fee startup packages

    Get work done.

    Each package is quoted before we start and includes a call to take you through the documents. Select what you need and the total updates as you go.

    Founder Foundations

    For incorporating and setting up the founding team.

    £1,200+ VAT
    • Incorporation, constitutional documents and Companies House filings
    • Shareholders' agreement and articles
    • Founder / director service agreement
    • IP assignment and NDA
    • Advice call on equity, vesting and leaver terms
    £3,000+ if bought as individual documents

    Online & Data Ready

    For a website or platform that collects customer data.

    £1,000+ VAT
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookie policy
    • Website terms and conditions
    • UK GDPR compliance review
    • Data processing agreement, where required
    £1,700 if bought as individual documents
    Best value

    Startup Complete

    Both packages, plus your customer terms and IP advice.

    £2,000+ VAT
    • Everything in Founder Foundations
    • Everything in Online & Data Ready
    • SaaS or B2B terms of business
    • Advice on source code, trade secrets and confidential information
    £5,600+ if bought as individual documents

    All fees are fixed for the scope confirmed in writing after an initial call, exclude VAT, and exclude disbursements such as Companies House and UKIPO fees. Indicative for an early-stage business with straightforward requirements; complex matters (multiple share classes, group structures, regulated activity, bespoke negotiation) are quoted accordingly.

    How Sterling Law compares

    Four questions to ask any lawyer.

    Worth asking any firm before you choose. A general description of how many firms work, not a statement about any named firm.

    What will I pay?A fixed fee, agreed in writing before we startOften billed hourly, so costs are hard to predict
    Who will I deal with?One team for corporate, IP, employment and immigrationYou may need to brief more than one firm
    Will you grow with me?A fixed package first, then in-house counsel as you growSupport often goes project by project
    Are you ready for investors?Documents ready for investors' lawyers to reviewStartup experience varies
    How it works

    Six steps. No surprises.

    No hourly billing on package work. If something falls outside the scope we quoted, we tell you before we do the work, not afterwards.

    01

    A free initial call

    Tell us what you are building and where you have got to. We will tell you what you need now, what can wait, and what we would not spend your money on yet.

    When you startStart with a package

    Everything a new company needs, agreed in writing before work starts.

    As you goAdd what you need

    Individual documents and extras, each at its own fixed fee.

    When projects call for itBring in-house counsel on board

    Contract review, drafting, day-to-day questions, IP and regulatory support. From £600 + VAT a month.

    Your team

    Our specialists.

    Otabek Gulomov and Nadezhda Goenko are your leads, under partner oversight: Otabek day to day, Nadezhda for trade marks and brand protection. Hover or tap a photo to see what each person does for you.

    Ruslan Kosarenko, Managing Partner
    Leads the relationship at board level. Director of Humanoid’s US and Canadian entities.
    Ruslan KosarenkoManaging Partner
    Mikhail Yatsuha, Senior Partner, Head of Commercial
    Partner oversight of commercial, licensing and client terms. Co-founder and CEO of CaseCraft.AI.
    Mikhail YatsuhaSenior Partner, Head of Commercial
    Yuriy Lysenko, Partner and Co-Founder
    Partner oversight of international set-up, global mobility and our partner network.
    Yuriy LysenkoPartner and Co-Founder
    Otabek Gulomov, Head of Corporate Clients, Senior SolicitorYour lead
    Leads your engagement: incorporation, founders’ agreement, structuring and contract transfers. Owns every request.
    Otabek GulomovHead of Corporate Clients, Senior Solicitor
    Nadezhda Goenko, IP SolicitorYour lead
    Leads on trade mark filing and brand strategy, UK and abroad.
    Nadezhda GoenkoIP Solicitor
    Ilia Martynov, Head of Corporate Advisory
    Group structuring and investor documents when equity or carry structures arise. Led Humanoid’s US$152 million Series A.
    Ilia MartynovHead of Corporate Advisory
    Edward Meade, Senior Immigration Solicitor
    Innovator Founder and other UK visa routes, if a founder relocates.
    Edward MeadeSenior Immigration Solicitor
    Michael Bartuli, Legal Consultant
    Drafts and reviews your client terms and routine commercial agreements.
    Michael BartuliLegal Consultant
    Dovudbek Karimov, Paralegal
    Incorporation, statutory registers and Companies House filings.
    Dovudbek KarimovParalegal
    Vsevolod Sydorenko, Paralegal
    AML and KYC checks, trade mark searches and legal research.
    Vsevolod SydorenkoParalegal
    Maria Volovaya, Investor Relations Contact
    Warm introductions to funds and family offices we know. Introductions only.
    Maria VolovayaInvestor Relations Contact
    Anastasia Shiyanova, Banking Relationships Lead
    Bank onboarding with Law & Latter for the UK company.
    Anastasia ShiyanovaBanking Relationships Lead
    Our partner network

    One point of contact.

    We brief each partner, review what comes back and remain your single point of contact.

    YouSterling LawBanking · Accounting · Government · Overseas law
    Banking and family officeLaw & Latter

    Opens the UK business account for a company with directors abroad, and introduces you to its family office where relevant.

    Accounting and taxFaros Capital

    Bookkeeping, statutory accounts, corporation tax and VAT, and tax modelling of the UK and Singapore options with your numbers.

    Government and partnershipsMilton Advisers

    A London public affairs and strategic communications firm. Opens doors to UK departments, trade bodies and potential partners.

    US and EuropePartner law firms

    For questions outside English law, including German and US matters. We instruct and review.

    Experience: technology, advisory and capital

    We've been there.

    Companies we have taken from incorporation through fundraising to exit. The same team and the same model, applied to your business. Tap a card for the detail.

    Also on the investment-ready documentation for Modifire (defence AI) and Invitrace (AI digital biomarker medical devices), and on the UK operation and enterprise data agreements of OpenWeather.

    Frequently asked questions

    Fair questions.

    The questions founders ask us most, answered plainly.

    What legal documents does a startup actually need in year one?

    For most early-stage companies: a shareholders' agreement and matching articles if there is more than one founder; an IP assignment so the company owns what has been built for it; contracts for anyone you engage, employed or freelance; and accurate website documentation including a privacy policy and terms of business. Beyond that depends on your sector and business model.

    We are two founders who trust each other. Do we really need a shareholders' agreement?

    Trust is not the problem it solves. It solves two people remembering an early conversation differently three years later, usually when there is money involved. It also answers the questions an investor will ask about control and leaver provisions. Inexpensive now; very expensive to negotiate mid-dispute.

    A freelancer built our app. Who owns the code?

    Unless the contract says otherwise, a self-employed contractor generally retains copyright in what they create, even though you paid for it. Employees are treated differently. It is usually fixable with an assignment, provided the person is still contactable and willing to sign. That gets harder with time.

    Do we need a privacy policy and a GDPR review if we are B2B only?

    Yes. You still process personal data: your business customers' staff at a minimum, and often their own clients' data as well. Where you handle data on your customers' behalf you also need a data processing agreement.

    Is the fixed fee really fixed?

    Yes, for the scope we set out in writing. If your matter needs work outside that scope, we tell you and agree a further fixed fee before doing it. All quoted fees exclude VAT and disbursements such as Companies House and UKIPO fees.

    Can you register our trade mark, and will it definitely be accepted?

    We search, advise on classes, file the application and handle UKIPO correspondence. No solicitor can guarantee registration: the UKIPO may object and third parties may oppose. We give you our honest view of the prospects before you file.

    We are based overseas. Can you set up and advise a UK company for us?

    Yes. We regularly act for founders incorporating in the UK from abroad, and deal with the related immigration questions where you also intend to relocate.

    Do you offer ongoing support after the initial documents?

    Yes. Our outsourced in-house legal service starts from £600 + VAT per month, covering contract review and negotiation, bespoke drafting, day-to-day questions, and IP and regulatory compliance.

    Next steps

    Let's do this.

    Tell us what you are building. We will tell you what you need now, what can wait, and what we would not spend your money on yet. The first call is free, and no chargeable work starts until you agree the scope and fees in writing.

    Sterling Law is the trading name of Sterling Lawyers Ltd, registered in England and Wales (Company No. 09711065). Authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, SRA No. 630147. Temple Chambers, 3-7 Temple Avenue, London EC4Y 0DT. This page is general information, not legal advice.
    
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