Serotonin Legal Services

Serotonin Legal partners with technology startups and venture capital firms from formation to exit. Founders and investors partner with us because we understand their business, move fast, and are always a text away.

1.2 Services

a) Launch

  • Entity formation

  • Founder equity, tokenomics

  • Early fundraising (convertibles, seed, etc.)

  • Service provider agreements (employees, consultants)

  • Fund/SPV formation

  • GTM advice

b) Accelеrate

  • Priced equity and token fundraising

  • Commercial contracts

  • Equity incentive plans

  • Policy development (terms of service, privacy policy)

  • Product compliance

  • Securities filings

b) Accelеrate

  • Priced equity and token fundraising

  • Commercial contracts

  • Equity incentive plans

  • Policy development (terms of service, privacy policy)

  • Product compliance

  • Securities filings

c) Scale

  • Complex transactions (M&A, JVs)

  • Executive compensation

  • Data privacy (GDPR, CCPA)

  • Multi-jurisdictional commercial agreements

  • Strategic partnerships

  • Investor relations

c) Scale

  • Complex transactions (M&A, JVs)

  • Executive compensation

  • Data privacy (GDPR, CCPA)

  • Multi-jurisdictional commercial agreements

  • Strategic partnerships

  • Investor relations

d) Fractional General Counsel

  • Manage all legal matters and outside counsel relationships so you can focus on growing your business

  • Integrate into your systems to provide one point of contact for investors, customers and vendors

  • Develop more robust and compliant internal systems and allow us to build out your internal policies

  • Partner with HR on on employment and consulting matters, setting your team up for success

  • Hire a trusted team to operate your legal functions and act as a business partner

d) Fractional General Counsel

  • Manage all legal matters and outside counsel relationships so you can focus on growing your business

  • Integrate into your systems to provide one point of contact for investors, customers and vendors

  • Develop more robust and compliant internal systems and allow us to build out your internal policies

  • Partner with HR on on employment and consulting matters, setting your team up for success

  • Hire a trusted team to operate your legal functions and act as a business partner

1.3 Team

Professional headshot of Teddy Ellison

Teddy Ellison

Managing Partner

Bio

Joshua Bressman

Associate

Bio

Sean Downey

Associate

Bio

Sean Downey

Associate

Bio

1.4 Process

  • Initial Consultation: We start with a conversation about your business and immediate needs

  • Transparent Pricing: We send you a clear proposal that outlines scope, timeline, and cost

  • Fast Execution: We work fast so you can put your money towards growing your business

  • Ongoing Partnership: Whether you need us for a single project or as your embedded legal team, we scale our involvement to match your growth and budget

1.5 Representative Transactions

  • Numerata

    • In its Series Seed financing led by Jane Street and including Coreweave

  • OpenNetworks 

    • In its Founder and Series A financing

  • Pipedrive

    • In its $60M Series C financing*

    • In its acquisition by Vista Equity Partners*

  • Ro

    • In its $150M Series D-1 financing led by ShawSpring Partners*

    • In its $500M Series D financing led by General Catalyst, FirstMark, and TQ Ventures*

View More

1.6 Pricing

  • Retainer Model: Predictable monthly fee for ongoing general counsel services

  • Billable Hours: Traditional law firm model for project-based work

  • Flat Fees: Fixed pricing for formations, financings, and standard transactions

2.2 FAQs

  • How is Serotonin Legal different from a traditional law firm?

  • Three things stand out. First, our team: we came from Latham & Watkins and Goodwin Procter, so the quality of our legal work is big law-caliber. Second, speed and access: we're responsive and founder-friendly in a way that large firms structurally cannot be. Third, the cost: no billing surprises, no associate hours you didn't need, and monthly quote estimates when you want them. You get the advice without the overhead that funds it at a traditional firm.

  • How much does a startup lawyer cost?

  • Legal fees vary based on billing structure, with big law rates regularly running $700-1,200 per hour for associates and often upwards of $1,500 per hour for partners. Serotonin Legal offers hourly billing for project-based work at lower rates than large firms, as well as other payment structures that may be better suited for some startups. This includes flat fees for defined projects (incl. formations, SAFEs, and standard financings) and monthly retainers for ongoing general counsel services. We send a clear proposal and cost estimate before any engagement begins, so there are no surprises.

  • Can Serotonin Legal act as a fractional general counsel?

  • Yes, and for many growth-stage companies it's one of the highest-leverage legal investments they make. Our fractional GC offering means we become part of your everyday team, providing legal guidance on all matters, managing outside counsel and related fees, building relationships with your investors, customers, and vendors, and developing in-house compliance systems and policies. Think of it as an in-house GC that won't break the bank.

All FAQs ›

3.1 Contact

Interested in working together? Sign below to request a consultation.

Serotonin Legal Services PLLC

By

Name: Teddy Ellison

Your Company

By

Click to sign

Name:

Your Company

By

Click to sign

Name:

Serotonin Legal Services

Serotonin Legal partners with technology startups and venture capital firms from formation to exit. Founders and investors partner with us because we understand their business, move fast, and are always a text away.

1.2 Services

a) Launch

  • Entity formation

  • Founder equity, tokenomics

  • Early fundraising (convertibles, seed, etc.)

  • Service provider agreements (employees, consultants)

  • Fund/SPV formation

  • GTM advice

b) Accelеrate

  • Priced equity and token fundraising

  • Commercial contracts

  • Equity incentive plans

  • Policy development (terms of service, privacy policy)

  • Product compliance

  • Securities filings

c) Scale

  • Complex transactions (M&A, JVs)

  • Executive compensation

  • Data privacy (GDPR, CCPA)

  • Multi-jurisdictional commercial agreements

  • Strategic partnerships

  • Investor relations

d) Fractional General Counsel

  • Manage all legal matters and outside counsel relationships so you can focus on growing your business

  • Integrate into your systems to provide one point of contact for investors, customers and vendors

  • Develop more robust and compliant internal systems and allow us to build out your internal policies

  • Partner with HR on on employment and consulting matters, setting your team up for success

  • Hire a trusted team to operate your legal functions and act as a business partner

1.3 Team

Professional headshot of Teddy Ellison

Teddy Ellison

Managing Partner

Bio

Joshua Bressman

Associate

Bio

Sean Downey

Associate

Bio

1.4 Process

  • Initial Consultation: We start with a conversation about your business and immediate needs

  • Transparent Pricing: We send you a clear proposal that outlines scope, timeline, and cost

  • Fast Execution: We work fast so you can put your money towards growing your business

  • Ongoing Partnership: Whether you need us for a single project or as your embedded legal team, we scale our involvement to match your growth and budget

1.5 Representative Transactions

  • Numerata

    • In its Series Seed financing led by Jane Street and including Coreweave

  • OpenNetworks 

    • In its Founder and Series A financing

  • Pipedrive

    • In its $60M Series C financing*

    • In its acquisition by Vista Equity Partners*

  • Ro

    • In its $150M Series D-1 financing led by ShawSpring Partners*

    • In its $500M Series D financing led by General Catalyst, FirstMark, and TQ Ventures*

View More

1.6 Pricing

  • Retainer Model: Predictable monthly fee for ongoing general counsel services

  • Billable Hours: Traditional law firm model for project-based work

  • Flat Fees: Fixed pricing for formations, financings, and standard transactions

2.2 FAQs

  • How is Serotonin Legal different from a traditional law firm?

  • Three things stand out. First, our team: we came from Latham & Watkins and Goodwin Procter, so the quality of our legal work is big law-caliber. Second, speed and access: we're responsive and founder-friendly in a way that large firms structurally cannot be. Third, the cost: no billing surprises, no associate hours you didn't need, and monthly quote estimates when you want them. You get the advice without the overhead that funds it at a traditional firm.

  • How much does a startup lawyer cost?

  • Legal fees vary based on billing structure, with big law rates regularly running $700-1,200 per hour for associates and often upwards of $1,500 per hour for partners. Serotonin Legal offers hourly billing for project-based work at lower rates than large firms, as well as other payment structures that may be better suited for some startups. This includes flat fees for defined projects (incl. formations, SAFEs, and standard financings) and monthly retainers for ongoing general counsel services. We send a clear proposal and cost estimate before any engagement begins, so there are no surprises.

  • Can Serotonin Legal act as a fractional general counsel?

  • Yes, and for many growth-stage companies it's one of the highest-leverage legal investments they make. Our fractional GC offering means we become part of your everyday team, providing legal guidance on all matters, managing outside counsel and related fees, building relationships with your investors, customers, and vendors, and developing in-house compliance systems and policies. Think of it as an in-house GC that won't break the bank.

All FAQs ›

3.1 Contact

Interested in working together? Sign below to request a consultation.

Serotonin Legal Services PLLC

By

Name: Teddy Ellison

Your Company

By

Click to sign

Name: