The 7 Best Law Firms for SaaS in 2024

How to find a SaaS focused Law Firm you trust 

1. Figure out what you need, for now: assuming you’re working on either a corporate matter (like a formation, financing, or cap table question) or commercial matter (like a terms of service, customer contract or redline), keep in mind that lawyers sometimes specialize in one or the other, or sometimes are generalists in both.  The former tends to be more sensitive and technical and require more specific training.  You can (and often should) work with several different lawyers, so don’t worry about solving for everything in a future-proof way; start small.
2. Start with your network:  Start by asking people you know who are heavily involved with SaaS if they know any great lawyers; you can always Google (hi! Is this how you found us?), but, it can be hard to vet these folks (as much as we’d like you to take our word for it, you shouldn’t!).  Platforms like Avvo can skew towards paid engagements, and for one-off projects, you can try platforms like UpCounsel.  Beyond that, try to work with people in your network, directly or indirectly, and consider backdoor references from mutual connections on LinkedIn.
3. Engage with multiple attorneys:  Maybe not right now, and all at once, but one really important data point about a lawyer is how it feels to work with them, which you can only know by trying.  Especially because so much of the work of a startup lawyer is specialized, one lawyer won’t be able to do it all anyway, and your privacy lawyer may have ideas about a corporate counsel; your tax lawyer may know a great litigator, and so on. Building relationships with multiple lawyers is always a great idea, especially when they don’t charge a retainer (and most who work with startups shouldn’t).

To help you find a great law firm, we put together a list of some great ones below!

The Top SaaS Law Firms You Need to Know

1. Legal and Ops PC

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Size: Boutique

Our Take: Our price transparency, service level agreement & fixed turnaround times, and a la carte legal services set us apart. Legal and Ops PC offers ex-Wilson Sonsini, Harvard Law talent from folks that have worked with startups for years, including one backed by A16Z.  As a startup ourselves, we get it, and we aim to be your first (and often last) stop for everything a B2B SaaS company needs in legal.

2. Westaway Law

Size: Solo

Our take: Kyle Westaway, a Harvard Law professor and first-to-market Fractional General Counsel, was, in our eyes, one of the first people to make fixed-price legal services for startups largely accessible.  In addition to being a deeply entrenched community member who cares about people in his network, he is one of the best startup lawyers you can work with; leveraging sensible processes and technology to deliver more consistent work product at predictable pricing, we highly recommend Westaway Law. 

 3. SPZ

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Size: Boutique

Our Take:  SPZ has contributed a significant amount of expertise to the SaaS community. Their website offers a ton of great resources that would be helpful to any SaaS company, plus they’re very involved in the Bay Area startup scene and community.  On top of being great people, they are top of the line professionals–we recommend them in a heartbeat! 

4. Presidio Legal

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Size: Boutique

Our Take: As a boutique firm bringing former BigLaw experience as well as startup experience to the table, Presidio Legal is a top choice for startups looking for help with everything from formations to financings, contracts and more.  As a top up-and-coming firm, no doubt your experience will matter a lot to them; this combination of BigLaw experience, boutique pricing, and small-shop attention means you’re very likely to have an excellent experience. 

5. Goodwin

Size: BigLaw

Our Take:  BigLaw at its best; it’s now wonder Goodwin has been aggressively climbing in market share as well as recruiting talent among lawyers; happy lawyers make the best work product, and Goodwin Lawyers love what they do, so chances are you will as well.  One of the best BigLaw firms for startup work, and one of the most personal feeling ones, this is our first choice for BigLaw solutions.

6. WSGR

Size: BigLaw

Our Take: WSGR is one of the OG names in startup law; it offers decades of experience and as of lately, an innovative model for delivering legal services, having launched a number of products for SaaS companies to get more automated legal support, including Neuron and SixFifty; tools for corporate governance, contract review, Human Resources / employment compliance, and more.  If you have a budget, need white glove service in the day-to-day, and want just one team to take you from formation through IPO, we highly recommend WSGR.

7. Cooley

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Size: BigLaW

Our Take:  Cooley was named 2020’s Firm of the Year by Law360; alongside WSGR, its one of the OG names in BigLaw for startups, and in recent years has picked up so much of the BigLaw startup talent.  Furthermore, their Cooley Go tool is an incredible gift of value to startups everywhere, letting you sign employees, consultants, and even form your company using their precedent bank. When you need white glove service, deep expertise, and a single team to take you from formation to exit, then as long as your budget is available, this is a great choice!

Cooley is an excellent choice!

8. Founders Legal

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Size: Boutique

Our Take:  A top boutique, having helped companies like Calendly and PrizePicks, Founders Legal offers BigLaw experience with boutique pricing.

9. Axiom Law

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Size: BigLaw

Our Take:  Axiom Law stands out due to its innovative approach to providing legal services. Their tailored legal solutions address the specific needs of SaaS businesses such as contracts, compliance, and intellectual property. Axiom offers flexible and on-demand services on a large scale coming from their BigLaw background. Overall, Axiom can be an asset to those who would benefit from the a la carte business model on a larger scale.

10. KO Law

Size: Midsize Firm

Our Take: KO Law has provided specialized SaaS lawyer services for over twenty years, making them a great choice for businesses that can accommodate the higher cost.