Software publishers and SaaS
Lawyer for software publishers and SaaS startups
Legal support for software publishers and SaaS startups: code protection, subscription contracts, GDPR, intellectual property and fundraising.
Context
SaaS, a model where legal matters drive growth
Software publishers and SaaS startups operate in an environment where technology, data and contracts are inseparable. Code is the central asset, subscriptions structure revenue, and personal data often runs through the product. At every stage, from launch to fundraising, the legal framework determines the ability to grow with confidence.
I support SaaS and software publishing players across all of their challenges: protecting technology, subscription contracts, GDPR compliance, intellectual property and securing strategic operations.
The Challenge
Legal foundations that are often fragile
Many publishers build their product quickly without securing the legal foundations. The result: an incomplete chain of rights over the code, generic subscription terms poorly suited to the model, partial GDPR compliance and poorly managed open source components.
These weaknesses remain invisible as long as everything goes well, but they resurface at the worst possible time: during a fundraising round, due diligence or a customer dispute. An incomplete chain of rights can block a transaction, GDPR non-compliance can be costly, and weak contracts create exposure to disputes over liability and service availability.
Solutions
A legal partner for the entire SaaS value chain
I support software publishers and SaaS startups across all of their legal challenges, with a detailed understanding of their business model.
I first secure your technology: auditing and consolidating the chain of rights over the code, filing strategy, mastering open source. I draft your tailor-made contracts: general subscription terms, SLAs, GDPR sub-processing, partnerships. I bring your GDPR compliance up to standard, a central issue for a product that processes data.
Finally, I support you in your strategic operations, in particular the legal preparation of fundraising rounds, so you can approach due diligence on solid foundations. The goal is to make legal matters an accelerator of your growth, not a brake on it.
Audit of your SaaS legal foundations
I carry out a complete audit of your software's legal foundations: the chain of rights over the source code, the status of developers, freelancers and founders, integrated open source components and their licenses, existing general subscription terms and the level of GDPR compliance. This assessment precisely reveals the gaps that could block a fundraising round or a sale, and prioritizes the securing work to be carried out first.
Securing ownership of the code and technology
I consolidate the intellectual property of your code: drafting the missing assignments of rights, framing development contracts, clarifying the status of contributions and mastering open source licenses. I advise you on the filing strategy (APP, Soleau envelope) so you have enforceable evidence. Your company thus truly and fully owns the technological asset that creates its value.
Drafting SaaS contracts and GDPR compliance
I draft your SaaS subscription contracts on a tailor-made basis: general terms, service levels (SLAs), liability and reversibility clauses, GDPR sub-processing contracts with your service providers and partnership agreements. I bring your GDPR compliance up to standard, a central issue for a product that processes personal data and a genuine argument for commercial credibility with your key account clients.
Preparing fundraising rounds and ongoing support
As a fundraising round or a sale approaches, I prepare your legal file so you can approach due diligence from a position of strength: review of the chain of rights, compliance and customer contracts. I then support you over time, as your product, your offerings and your organization evolve, so that legal matters remain an accelerator of growth.
Initial answers to your questions
Why does a SaaS publisher need a specialized lawyer?
The SaaS model combines specific legal challenges: subscription contracts with SLAs, ownership of the code, GDPR compliance, management of customer data, reversibility. A lawyer who masters both digital law and the realities of SaaS anticipates these issues instead of merely reacting to them, which secures growth and facilitates operations such as fundraising rounds.
How do I secure ownership of my startup's code?
The critical point is the chain of rights: any code developed by external service providers, freelancers or non-employee founders must be the subject of a formalized assignment of rights. Without this, the company does not truly own its technology, which can block a fundraising round. Auditing and securing this chain are top priorities.
Which contracts are essential for a SaaS company?
The essentials are: the general subscription terms (governing the service, SLAs, liability and reversibility), the GDPR sub-processing contracts with your service providers, and confidentiality agreements. Depending on your activity, partnership, reseller or integration contracts may be added. Tailor-made documents, adapted to your model, offer far better protection than a generic template.
How do I prepare for a fundraising round from a legal standpoint?
Investors carry out due diligence that scrutinizes ownership of the technology, GDPR compliance, customer contracts and the strength of intellectual property. Anticipating this review by securing the chain of rights, bringing compliance up to standard and structuring the contracts avoids the blocking points that slow down or devalue the transaction. This is work to be carried out upstream.
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Need to secure a contract, ensure compliance, or anticipate a dispute? The first meeting is to understand your needs and clearly explain how we can help you.
Digital and Distribution Law Attorney, Paris Bar. We secure your contracts, data, and business.
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