The leading independent voice for Australia's startup community, StartupAUS, has made the Allens Accelerate A-Suite, a collection of 14 essential legal documents created by top-tier Australian law firm Allens, available through its website.
The A-Suite, which has been released by Allens on a completely free, open-access basis, will be available through both the StartupAUS and Allens Accelerate websites and is designed to provide the startup community with a new industry standard through free access to high-quality, independent legal documentation.
The StartupAUS decision to host the A-Suite documents is a legal initiative supported by Google Australia.
Allens Partner and head of the Allens Accelerate practice Gavin Smith said the decision by StartupAUS to host the documents was significant.
'The goal for the A-Suite documents is for them to become the industry standard and this decision by StartupAUS is a significant step forward towards this. The documents are drafted from an entirely independent perspective which means they are founder friendly, but can also be used as a base for future fundraising rounds, ' Gavin said.
'With the documents being made available via StartupAUS, we are seeking feedback from startups, VCs and other stakeholders in order to continuously update the A-Suite documents and to position them as an independent industry standard.'
Allens launched the Allens Accelerate practice and the A-Suite documents on 25 May this year.
The aim of Allens Accelerate is to provide a range of legal services to solve the problems faced by startups by ensuring legal guidance is affordable, accessible and efficiently delivered in line with the startup's needs.
These legal services include the A-Suite documents and fixed price legal services designed to help startups get incorporated, customise the A-Suite documents and to protect their intellectual property. Allens Accelerate also offers innovative, cost-efficient legal services for ongoing work such as capital raisings, commercial contracts and regulatory advice, in a way that reflects and adjusts to the startup's particular funding and cashflow position.
'We see our Allens Accelerate practice as a strong commitment and investment into the startup community,' Gavin said.
'The goal is to not only help startups get off the ground, but to build a long-term relationship where we can bring to bear the expertise and contacts we have at our firm during the different growth cycles of a startup.'
The A-Suite documents can be downloaded either via the StartupAUS website at http://startupaus.org/ or at the Allens website at http://www.allens.com.au/services/accelerate/accelasuite.htm.
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Allens is a commercial law firm working throughout Australia and Asia. Through its integrated alliance with Linklaters it provides clients access to 40 offices in 28 countries around the world.