Justin McNaughton

Partner @ CAS | 🗡️ Lawyer for Emerging Tech Companies | Photographer / Mountain Biker / Dad

𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝘄𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲:

•	They focus on growth, no time for details
•	They believe legal services create headaches, not growth
•	They DIY with ChatGPT
•	They think they will have time “later”

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲: 

•	Their contracts become sloppy
•	Their operating documents leave massive gaps
•	Investors reject them because “it’s not buttoned up”
•	Their businesses lose momentum

𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀.


Consider the large tech companies you’re disrupting. 

They have a c-suite lawyer who:

• Protects company assets 
• Advises on legal obstacles
• Identifies and reduces risks
• Oversees compliance issues
• Oversees the company's specialist lawyers
• Acts as the company's legal representative
• Acts as a key negotiator in strategic transactions

They 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 have Intellectual property lawyers who:

• Register patents, trademarks, and copyrights
• Safeguard intellectual property
• Enforce against infringers

These companies have $100M legal budgets.

Emerging companies can’t afford all of this, so what do you do?

𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: a combined outside general counsel and intellectual property counsel.


𝗠𝘆 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱:

Over the last 17 years, I’ve worked with all kinds of tech & creative companies:

⇨ I handled trademarks for two leading private timeshare companies
⇨ I negotiate technology agreements across multiple industries
⇨ I’m keen on intellectual property protection and licensing 
⇨ I advised one of the first cell-cultivated meat startups 
⇨ I protected Pitbull's signature "eeeeyoooo" sound 
⇨ I manage m&a for buyers and sellers 
⇨ I negotiate fundraising for startups 

If you plan to exit your tech company or sign a million-dollar contract, send me a dm. 

We’ll set up a call.

Photographs © 2023-2025 Justin McNaughton unless otherwise indicated. 
All rights reserved.
_________________

THIS ACCOUNT IS AN ADVERTISEMENT

Partner

Your trademark registration can be canceled.

We carefully consider sending demand letters.

Because sometimes they backfire.

Your own trademark gets canceled instead.

But there's a fix:

File a statement of incontestability.

I discussed this little-known filing with Sharon Urias.

It takes 5 years  to be eligible, but it is well worth the added security.

Once your trademark becomes incontestable, most legal threats disappear.

——
Follow for tips like this: 🗡️ Justin McNaughton 

#startups #entrepreneur #ip #trademarks

Justin McNaughton 🗡️

Emerging tech & creative companies are different.

You have to know and be everything.

𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜: 

There are more THINGS YOU DON’T KNOW than things you know.

One of those things is legal compliance.

Large tech & creative companies have a General Counsel (GC) or Chief Legal Officer (CLO).

This executive team member:
• Advises on legal matters
• Oversees compliance issues
• Acts as a key negotiator in strategic transactions
• Acts as the company's legal representative
• Identifies and reduces risks
• Protects company assets
• Oversees the company’s specialist lawyers. 

Large tech & creative companies 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 have Intellectual property lawyers who oversee the company’s most valuable asset.

These are two lawyers you don’t have on your team YET.  

So you ignore legal issues or try to learn them yourself.
 
𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩?

You’re not sure - 
⚔ What do you NEED TO KNOW?
⚔ What things CAN’T BE IGNORED?
⚔ Are your RESOURCES RELIABLE? 

_________________

You don’t need a full-time General Counsel or a full-time intellectual property lawyer YET.

I serve as combined outside general counsel and intellectual property counsel for tech & creative companies.

Over the last 17 years, I’ve worked with all kinds of tech & creative companies.

My LinkedIn account is a curated legal resource.

Using short videos and easy-to-read posts, I’ll provide you with legal tips, information, and resources. 
 
𝙄'𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:

⇨ I registered Pitbull’s trademark protecting his iconic grito “eeeeyoooo” when he sings.
⇨ I managed trademarks for two of the largest privately owned timeshare companies in the world.
⇨ I’ve spent years protecting and licensing intellectual property for cannabis companies.
⇨ I’ve negotiated agreements with almost every major pharmaceutical company.
⇨ I assisted one of the world's first cell-cultivated meat producers as an early startup.

𝙇𝙚𝙩'𝙨 𝙙𝙤 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙖𝙬𝙮𝙚𝙧:

FOLLOW ME ON LINKEDIN
-Posts geared to creative & tech companies
-Frequent, short videos about relevant legal topics
-You can unfollow any time

REACH OUT TO ME
⇨ Send me a dm. I’ll respond.

SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER
⇨ I’m still working on this, but it is coming soon.  

DOWNLOAD MY HOW-TO GUIDES
⇨ linke.to/guidebooks

_________________

THIS ACCOUNT IS AN ADVERTISEMENT

Partner @ CAS | 🗡️ Lawyer for fast-growing tech companies / Photographer / Biking enthusiast / Dad

Co-founder breakups are messy.

Especially with equity involved.

This stress is real.

And, sometimes, there's no clean solution.

So Adam Kemper and I talked about it.

Because:

You can prevent some of the pain.

A solid founder agreement protects everyone.

For LLCs that can be your operating agreement.

For corporations that can be a shareholder agreement.

The company can survive when relationships don't.

This year, I saw a pattern:

• Founders leaving. 
• Companies scrambling. 
• Equity chaos.

Plan now. 

Watch our conversation below. ⬇️


——
Follow for tips like this: 🗡️ 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗰𝗡𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗼𝗻

#𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 #𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿 #𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 #contracts

Some CEOs don't use vendor contracts.

Or so they think.

• They use purchase orders.
• They send email confirmations.
• They might still use a handshake.

Here's what actually happens:

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲'𝘀 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀.

That vendor?

Has terms buried in the purchase order.

Vendor-favored terms.

Unread terms.

𝗢𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀:

They create an unwritten contract.

• No write-up.
• No clarity.
• No terms.

And they squabble later about what was in it.

You don't need 100 pages to cover a deal, but consider these items:

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁: 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁.

• Three-year terms lock you in.
• Thirty-day terms keep you flexible.

Trade-off? 

• Investors undervalue short relationships.
• You won't get stuck in a 30-day contract.

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱: 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.

• Upfront payments squeeze your cash flow.
• Not all vendors give net terms.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱: 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Do you need a reason to terminate?

• Having termination without cause feels safe.
• Allowing termination only for cause creates commitment.

𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵: 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲.

The most likely part to be omitted.

When things go wrong, your specifications tell everyone what you expected and your timeline tells them when.

List everything:

• Uptime commitments
• Core features
• Response times
• Delivery dates

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺?

When founders forget to write these things down:

• Fights get messier.
• People forget.
• Vendors change the deal.

When CEOs take time to document a deal upfront, they reduce risk and save countless hours later.

——
Follow for tips like this: 🗡️ Justin McNaughton 

#startups #entrepreneur #ip #trademarks

I hear this same thing,

all the time.

"I hired them. I paid them. I own it."

Not always.

I spoke with Luke Zimmerman Esq. LL.Mx2  about this and the hidden risks.

When you hire an employee:

-Their work belongs to you automatically
-No extra paperwork needed
-It's called "work made for hire"

When you hire a contractor:

-They own what they create
-Even if you paid them
-Even if it's for your business

*Unless you have a written assignment.

Think about that.

-Your contractor builds your app.
-Designs your logo.
-Writes your code.

Without a written contract?

They own it.

Not you.

Check out the video.

——
Follow for tips like this: 🗡️ Justin McNaughton 

#startups #founders #businessowners #ip

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