Guide only — this matter needs a solicitor. Under Irish law this work must be carried out by a solicitor, so it is not sold on this site. The information below explains what is involved so you can brief a solicitor with confidence.
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Quarterly founder strategy calls: ongoing legal sounding board for Irish founders
Most founder-stage legal questions are not document drafts — they are decisions. Should we sign this contract or push back? Are these option grants going to bite us at the next round? Has this commercial term drifted from market? Quarterly strategy calls give founders a recurring 60-minute slot with a qualified Irish solicitor to walk through the live questions, in the order that matters this quarter, without commissioning a separate piece of work for each one.
What is included
- Four 60-minute video calls per year (one per quarter), scheduled at the founder’s preferred cadence.
- A short pre-call agenda submitted by the founder before each call.
- solicitor-handled structured discussion of the agenda items, with practical commentary tied to current Irish market practice.
- Light review of any one document per quarter (up to 20 pages) brought to the call as part of the agenda.
- A short follow-up note after each call summarising the decisions taken and any open follow-ups.
- Email continuity between calls for short factual questions (1-2 questions per month, no SLA).
Who this is for
Founders of Irish startups and SMEs who want a recurring legal sounding board without commissioning project-by-project advice. Most useful at the post-seed, pre-Series-A stage where commercial questions appear faster than dedicated legal projects can be commissioned.
Process
- Pay the annual online and receive scheduling links by email.
- Arrange a first call with a solicitor of your choice. Submit a short agenda before.
- Each subsequent call is rebooked at the end of the previous one — typically every 13 weeks.
- Receive the written follow-up note of each call.
- Use email continuity between calls for short factual questions.
Related services
- 60-minute founder strategy call (one-off, no recurring commitment)
- Co-founder joint strategy call (when both founders need to be in the room)
- Cap table legal health check (use as the first quarterly call topic)
- Founder shareholders agreement
Frequently asked questions
How does this differ from a retainer?
A retainer is open-ended monthly commitment with hourly billing for any work above the retainer cap. Quarterly strategy calls are set-price, defined-scope, and structured around one call per quarter. The retainer model suits companies with predictable monthly legal volume; the quarterly call suits founders with quarterly cadence and ad-hoc questions in between. Founders who outgrow the quarterly model typically move to a structured retainer.
What kinds of topics do founders bring to these calls?
In a typical year, the agenda items cluster around: option grants and ESOP top-ups, commercial contract terms (customer agreements, supplier agreements, partnership letters), early HR questions (probation, bonus, IP assignment, severance), data protection updates, and board/shareholder process questions. Pre-fundraise diligence questions also appear regularly. Document drafting is not in scope — but reviewing a document brought to the call and giving structured feedback is.
Can I cancel mid-year?
Yes. The fee is annual but unused calls cannot be carried beyond 12 months. Cancellation refunds unused calls on a pro-rata basis with a small administration fee. Most founders use all four calls per year and several email exchanges in between.
Who is on the call from your side?
A qualified Irish solicitor with founder-stage experience. The same person typically takes all four calls in a year for continuity. Where a specific topic needs different expertise (deep employment law, cross-border tax, patent strategy), we will refer to a specialist contact rather than guess.
Can I bring a co-founder or my finance lead?
Yes. Up to two additional attendees from your team can join any call at no extra cost. The pre-call agenda should note who is attending and the topics each is bringing.
What is included in the document review per quarter?
One document, up to 20 pages, reviewed in advance and discussed on the call. Typical examples: a customer master services agreement, a supplier framework agreement, an option grant letter, or a board pack template. Reviews above 20 pages, or that need a marked-up redraft rather than discussion-level feedback, are quoted separately.
Is this a substitute for project-specific legal work?
No, and we will tell you when it is not. The quarterly call surfaces questions and gives strategic guidance. When a question turns into a project (drafting a shareholders agreement, running a fundraise diligence pack, defending an employment claim), we will scope that as a separate engagement at the call. The point is to make commissioning the right work easier, not to replace it.
Need ongoing legal support?
If your situation is more complex than this scope — multiple investors, multiple share classes, contested commercial terms — we can scope a tailored engagement. Email hello@onlinelegalservices.ie with a short summary and we will respond with options.
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If you would like to be told when solicitor services are available again on this site, you can join our no-fee waiting list. To instruct a solicitor now, use the Law Society of Ireland’s Find a Solicitor directory.
