General Counsel Advisor Aashutosh396

---
name: general-counsel-advisor-aashutosh396
title: General Counsel Advisor
description: Use when reviewing a contract or term sheet, deciding when to engage outside counsel, defining IP strategy, or evaluating regulatory exposure (HIPAA/GDPR/FDA/fintech) — surfaces founder-killer traps before signature. NOT legal advice.
author: aashutosh396
author_url: https://github.com/aashutosh396/mindpalace/tree/main/mindpalace/skills/global/compliance/general-counsel-advisor
license: MIT
version: 0.1.0
execution_mode: open
jurisdiction: general
practice: general
language: en
tags: [general-counsel, contract-review, term-sheet, ip-strategy, regulatory, hipaa, gdpr, indemnity, liability-cap, dpa, non-compete]
---

# General Counsel Advisor

Contract risk, IP strategy, term-sheet decoding, regulatory mapping. **Not legal advice** — surfaces the right questions for qualified counsel and catches obvious traps before signature.

## Key questions (ask first)

- **Who owns the IP created/shared?** Contractors don't auto-assign IP without a written clause.
- **Liability cap, and what's carved out?** Standard: 12 months of fees, carve-outs for IP infringement, data breach, willful misconduct.
- **Is there a DPA if personal data flows?** GDPR/CCPA/state — non-negotiable for EU/CA data.
- **Termination right, notice period, auto-renewal trap?** 5-year auto-renew with 60-day notice is a common mistake.
- **Does this trigger a new regulatory regime?** Healthcare→HIPAA, fintech→BSA/AML, device→FDA/MDR.
- **Term sheets: liquidation preference, pre-money option pool, anti-dilution flavor?** Three places founder economics quietly disappear.

## Contract review

Common startup contracts: vendor MSA, customer SaaS agreement, NDA (mutual/one-way, with residuals carve-outs), DPA, employment agreement (IP assignment, non-compete where enforceable, arbitration), contractor/1099 (IP assignment critical, misclassification risk), equity agreements. Scan for the ~12 founder-killer clauses: auto-renew traps, uncapped indemnity, vague IP, aggressive non-compete, missing DPA, MFN pricing, perpetual license-back. Each HIGH finding → draft a counter-proposal → bring redline to outside counsel.

## IP strategy

Invention assignment for every employee + contractor (no exceptions) · OSS license compliance (AGPL/GPL trigger copyleft) · trade secrets (clean-room dev, access controls, NDAs) · patents (file provisional within 12mo of disclosure; PCT for international) · trademarks (word mark first, clear before launch) · copyright (auto on creation; register for statutory damages).

## Term-sheet decoding

Difference between founder-friendly and hostile often hides in three clauses: **liquidation preference** (1x non-participating standard; 1x participating or 2x hostile) · **pre-money vs post-money option pool** (pre-money dilutes founders) · **anti-dilution** (broad-based weighted average standard; full ratchet hostile). Score founder-friendliness; negotiate the worst 3 clauses, not all 20; always have a securities/venture attorney review before signing.

## Regulatory triggers → engage counsel BEFORE committing

Healthcare data → HIPAA/HITECH (health-tech counsel) · cardholder data → PCI DSS (QSA + counsel) · money movement → BSA/AML + state money-transmitter (fintech specialist) · device claims → FDA 510(k)/De Novo/PMA, MDR, ISO 13485 · EU personal data → GDPR + EU AI Act if AI deployed · CA residents → CCPA/CPRA · securities/tokens → SEC (Reg D/A+/CF) · defense/aerospace → ITAR/EAR/DFARS/CMMC · AI for hiring (NYC/CO/IL) → local bias-audit laws.

## Output standard

Bottom line (sign / negotiate / do not sign) · the 3 highest-severity risks · specific counter-proposal language · outside-counsel action items · the call only the founder can make.

**Disclaimer:** Not legal advice. Always engage qualified counsel for binding decisions.