Level Your Playing Field.
Companies have lots of lawyers. Shouldn’t you have one in your corner, too?
How We Help You Move Forward
We advise on the most important aspects of your relationship with employers:
Employment Offers and Agreements
Reviewing and negotiating employment offer letters to ensure fair terms and protect your interests.
$499
✓
Thorough review of all clauses in your offer letter and supporting documents.
✓
Assessment of salary, bonus, and equity against market standards.
✓
Identification of unfavorable terms (e.g., restrictive covenants, clawbacks).
✓
Strategic advice on negotiating key terms for a better overall package.
✓
Guidance on responding to the employer professionally and effectively.
Equity Agreements
Analyzing and advising on stock options, RSUs, and other equity compensation plans.
$399
✓
Detailed explanation of your stock options, RSUs, or other equity grants.
✓
Analysis of vesting schedules, and strike prices.
✓
Assessment of equity value and comparison to industry benchmarks.
✓
Strategies for negotiating more favorable equity terms.
✓
Understanding what happens to your equity upon termination or acquisition.
Separation Agreements
Negotiating favorable terms for your departure, including severance pay and release of claims.
$399
✓
Comprehensive review of all terms, including severance pay, benefits, and release of claims.
✓
Assessment of the adequacy of the proposed severance package.
✓
Negotiation of key terms such as non-disparagement, references, and outplacement services.
✓
Explanation of the legal implications of signing the agreement.
✓
Ensuring a smooth and fair transition out of the company.
Independent Contractor Agreements
Assessing and advising on independent contractor status and agreement terms.
$349
✓
Analysis of clauses to ensure proper classification as an independent contractor.
✓
Review of payment terms, project scope, and deliverables.
✓
Review of payment terms, project scope, and deliverables.
✓
Identification of potential risks (e.g., non-compete, liability).
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Negotiation points for a fair and balanced contractor agreement.
Performance Improvement Plans
Providing guidance and strategies for responding to Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs).
$349
✓
Detailed review of the PIP document and stated performance deficiencies.
✓
Assessment of the fairness and achievability of PIP goals.
✓
Strategies for formally responding to the PIP and documenting your efforts.
✓
Guidance on protecting your rights during the PIP process.
✓
Exploring options if the PIP appears to be a pretext for termination.
Invention Assignment & Confidentiality
Protecting your intellectual property rights and ensuring fair confidentiality terms.
$299
✓
Review of intellectual property ownership clauses to protect your prior inventions.
✓
Assessment of the scope and reasonableness of confidentiality obligations.
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Identification of overly broad non-disclosure terms.
✓
Negotiation strategies to limit post-employment restrictions.
✓
Clarification of your rights and obligations regarding company IP and trade secrets.
Offer of Employment
The time you receive a job offer is when you have the most negotiating leverage.
It’s also the best time to make sure upfront that your Dream job doesn’t have side effects that can impact your personal and professional life in an unexpected manner.
Maximize your overall compensation and protect yourself by getting a legal review of your employment agreement.
Our attorneys have reviewed hundreds of employment agreements and know the tricks and traps to watch out for. They also know the levers that can be pushed to increase the value of your new role, both in monetary and non-monetary terms.
Our employment agreement review is not just a redline of documents. Our goal is not just being a naysayer. Our attorneys are focused on educating you and empowering you to establish the best possible relationship with your employer.
That’s why Changes we suggest in your employment document are accompanied by an explanation as to why the change is appropriate.
And we prepare a separate confidential memorandum for you explaining the issues we spotted in In the proposed agreement, and tell you which are the most important and what impact they might have.
Our attorneys negotiate deals for a living and they’re happy to share their expertise with you. That’s why we arm you with a detailed negotiating strategy for each of the points that you might want to change in your agreement. Many of our clients have told us that this negotiating advice alone Created far more value for them than the cost of reviewing their employment agreement.
Equity Agreements
Translate complex equity structures to help you understand the value and hidden risks in your equity grant and vesting the implications
The founders of Bentham Locke have all served as lead in-house attorneys at companies that offered equity compensation to their employees. That means we actually understand the complicated documents that you’ve been given and where the traps for the unwary are located.
Our attorneys do a lot more than review your equity compensation documents. We apply our market knowledge to tell you whether your terms are fair for the type of company you’re joining. We also provide you with a checklist of steps to take to maximize the value of your equity grant and give you negotiating advice on how to enhance your equity compensation.
Separation Agreements
Strategic analysis of the terms of a separation to protect your interests and future career opportunities.
When companies are giving you compensation, they expect something in return. Our attorneys’ goal is to make sure that any conditions or restrictions put upon you do not have unintended consequences or hinder your ability to line up your next employment role. Our mission is to tell you how to get as much compensation as possible without hindering your future economic livelihood. In addition to pointing out the traps, We’ll provide you negotiating advice on how to disarm them with your former employer.
Independent Contractor Agreements
Comprehensive review of the terms of the agreement to ensure a clearly defined scope of work appropriate for an independent contractor while protecting your intellectual property.
You’re an expert in your field, which is why companies want to hire you. However you need to be careful that your contractor agreements don’t give clients too much of your intellectual property or contain obligations that will harm your future work. Our attorneys regularly advise parties on both sides of independent contractor agreements so where to find the landmines and how to defuse them. And because members of our team also have a litigation background, we know how to structure the agreement to best protect you if the relationship breaks down.
Performance Improvement Plans
Practical advice for navigating performance concerns while safeguarding your professional reputation and future career opportunities.
You have received the dreaded Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). This means your relationship with the company is on the line. It’s time to get expert advice about your rights and how to negotiate the PIP to overcome it or capitalize on it.
Our attorneys are experts at helping you figure out whether the PIP is set up for termination, perhaps as a pretext for an unlawful reason. We can explain your protections under the law and identify red flags in how the PIP is written. After we figure this out, we’ll help you craft a strategic response to preserve your legal rights and prevent statements and actions that might be used against you later. We’ll also help you build the right paper trail that both demonstrates your good faith cooperation and gathers evidence to substantiate any later legal claims that you might need to raise.
Invention Assignment & Confidentiality Agreements
Analysis of intellectual property provisions, confidentiality obligations, and assignment clauses to safeguard your innovations.
If you are an expert in some area of technology, odds are high that you’re being hired for your expertise. While your future employer has the right to profit from your innovations while working for them, it’s important to prepare your invention assignment agreement carefully so you do not accidentally give your new employer ownership of your prior inventions or obligate yourself to disclose your personal work.
One of our specialties at Bentham Locke is working with employees and contractors who are innovators. We advise you on how to properly disclose your prior inventions and innovations in a manner that protects them and ensures that you get full value from them, rather than your new employer getting them for free.