Circuit Launch Masterclass series: Legal Foundations for Hardware Startups

Legal mistakes made early can cost a lot to fix later. They can slow a fundraise, put your IP at risk, or cause fights between cofounders. Li Nan and Milo Poplar of Fellow Legal will walk through the legal basics every hardware and deep tech startup should get right from day one. What you'll learn: Choosing and forming an entity, and why investors expect a Delaware C-Corp Founder equity, vesting, 83(b) elections and cofounder agreements IP basics: invention assignment, patents vs. trade secrets, and when to file Contractors, early hires and advisors: agreements that protect you SAFEs, convertible notes and priced rounds: key terms to understand Contracts that matter for hardware: NDAs, supplier and manufacturing agreements, pilot agreements Agenda: 6:00: Check-in and networking 6:30: Masterclass: legal foundations with Li Nan & Milo Poplar 7:15: Open Q&A with both speakers (general education only, not legal advice) 7:40: Networking Who it's for: Founders who are about to incorporate, raise, hire or sign their first commercial contract. About the speakers: Milo Poplar | Founder & CEO, Fellow Milo Poplar is the Founder and CEO of Fellow, a San Francisco-based law firm built for startups, founders, and investors. He advises emerging companies across the startup lifecycle, including company formation, venture financing, commercial agreements, employment, intellectual property, and cross-border expansion. Milo founded Fellow to combine experienced startup legal counsel with a technology-enabled operating model designed around how founders actually work—faster response times, practical guidance, and closer integration with startup teams. Fellow has worked with more than 200 companies since launching in 2025, serving both U.S.-based startups and international founders building and fundraising in the Bay Area.

Li Nan (Larry) | Managing Associate, Fellow Li Nan (Larry) is a Managing Associate at Fellow and a U.S.- and China-trained attorney with nearly a decade of experience advising companies on corporate and transactional matters. His practice focuses on emerging companies and venture capital transactions, commercial contracts, general startup corporate matters, and cross-border transactions. Before joining Fellow, Larry practiced at traditional law firms in both the U.S. and China, giving him a particularly strong perspective on the legal challenges faced by international founders building and raising capital in the United States. Based in the Bay Area, Larry works closely with founders and investors across the startup and VC ecosystem, helping companies navigate issues ranging from formation and financing to commercial agreements and regulatory considerations. He is admitted to practice in California and New York and studied corporate and M&A law at Vanderbilt University.

📍 Circuit Launch Oakland

This session is for education only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.