UC Berkeley founders can access core incorporation services through campus partnerships with leading law firms specializing in startups. Through IPIRA's partnerships with legal service providers, startups can consult at no charge with lawyers experienced in launching companies based on technologies developed at universities. QB3 and Berkeley Law offer additional opportunities, with connections to different law firms, educational workshops, and more.
Startup@BerkeleyLaw is Berkeley Law's institute for entrepreneurship, venture capital, and the law. The program supports law students interested in the law surrounding entrepreneurship and provides legal education and services to the Berkeley startup community. These services include the FORM+FUND Workshop Series, an exclusive program designed to educate and empower entrepreneurs in the UC Berkeley community. This series focuses on teaching the essential legal, financial, and organizational aspects involved in starting and scaling a new business, pro bono office hours, and various corporate legal offerings.
With the help of volunteer attorneys from top firms, law students at UC College of the Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings) meet new companies’ legal needs from incorporation to privacy policies to option plans, licensing, trademark, and beyond. This pro bono program saves startups up to $30K.
Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton will provide to eligible startups associated with UC Berkeley a set package of core incorporation services at no charge, consisting of:
For qualified life science companies, QB3's affiliated law firms offer incorporation at no charge. Typically founders elect to incorporate as Delaware or California C-corporations.
QB3's legal affiliates may also offer introductory discussions of corporate or intellectual property matters at no charge. In some cases they are able to defer fees, up to $25K, until a company’s first funding round.
In general, companies developing biotechnology or pharmaceutical technologies are eligible for support.
For startups developing medical devices and health technologies, explore services through UCSF Rosenman Institute (formerly part of QB3).
Gunderson Dettmer can provide qualifying startups associated with UC Berkeley a set package of core incorporation services at no charge, consisting of the below legal services.
Incorporation as a Delaware corporation and related startup documents, for example:
Cost for Services: $0, plus out-of-pocket costs (including any applicable state filing fees), subject to (i) the use of the Firm’s standard forms with customary terms, and (ii) no negotiation of such documents by one or more founders, stockholders, or employees. Fees for the Firm’s time spent on the negotiation of such documents or other formation documents will be billed as incurred.