Resources

Getting the foundations right early on in your business’ growth journey can make the difference between a business that scales smoothly and one that stumbles just when momentum builds. Legal and governance basics quietly shape every decision and shouldn’t be overlooked. Here are mistakes that we see regularly, alongside some practical, founder-friendly tips on how to successfully grow and operate your business. Nail down your Articles of Association Think of this as the ruleb

A capitalisation table, or cap table, is one of the key sources of truth for your company’s ownership structure.  At its simplest, it should tell you who owns how many shares, what class those shares are, and what percentage in the company those shares represent. Properly maintaining your cap table will give you and your investors a clear picture of your ownership and equity structure, making fundraising easier and helping to prevent any unwelcome surprises.  Your investors w

As your company prepares to raise venture capital, the legal foundations you put in place become as critical as your pitch. Investors aren’t just assessing your growth story - they’re assessing your structure, your documentation, and your ability to scale without friction. Clean ownership, protected IP, and coherent governance all become core to valuation, negotiation speed, and investor trust. Polly Mears, Associate in Lewis Silkin’s Venture Capital team, shares practical gu

As your company scales rapidly, the stakes around every hire shift from simply finding a good 'fit' to managing significant legal and operational risk. With capital at play and an expanding headcount, establishing a robust, objective hiring framework is critical for compliance and future funding due diligence. Sarah Armstrong, Senior HR Consultant at Lewis Silkin, shares essential, foundational guidance on how to formalise your recruitment process. These practices are crucial

Top tips on how to use your option pool to recruit, retain and motivate your staff. Why should we be thinking about share incentives? Motivating key staff to stay and grow your business should be central to your strategy, whatever your long-term goals – and that’s where longer-term share-related incentives play a key role. If you’re thinking ahead to exit, it will also be essential for any buyer to see a clear and effective share-linked incentive program in place for the righ