Legal Counsel for Distressed Startups & Businesses
Montague Law is trusted by founders, executives, and investors to provide fast, clear, and strategic legal advice when businesses are in trouble. Whether you’re a startup staring down a cash crunch, a growth-stage company struggling with operational burn, or a board facing fiduciary uncertainty, we are your legal partner in moments of disruption. We work closely with high-growth companies across the venture and tech ecosystem to navigate financial distress, minimize legal exposure, and explore every viable path forward—from lifeline financing to strategic exits or clean dissolutions.
In today’s economic climate, distress is more common than ever. Markets shift. Rounds fall through. Products misfire. What matters is how you respond. We help you regain control and make decisions that serve both short-term survival and long-term reputation. With decades of experience in venture capital, distressed M&A, and general counsel roles inside fast-moving startups, Montague Law delivers more than legal advice—we deliver business guidance in legal form.
Strategic Legal Solutions for Businesses in Transition
Our practice is purpose-built for the unique needs of distressed startups and investor-backed businesses. We understand SAFE notes, liquidation preferences, cap table complications, vesting cliffs, and how cash burn interacts with term sheet negotiations. We don’t give one-size-fits-all solutions—we provide founder-sensitive, investor-aware strategies that reflect the realities of your business stage, funding history, and growth model.
For many companies, early distress shows up as a short runway, tight vendor relationships, or employee attrition. Others experience more urgent issues: defaulting on debt, missed payroll, threatened lawsuits, or a silent board. At every stage, Montague Law provides triage, helping you prioritize issues and act quickly. Sometimes that means renegotiating key contracts, pursuing a last-minute bridge round, or preparing your data room for an expedited acquihire. Other times, it means helping the board weigh insolvency risk, execute a soft landing, or coordinate an orderly wind-down. We help you focus not just on getting through the next week—but on doing so in a way that avoids personal liability and preserves optionality for the future.
We routinely support companies managing complex internal dynamics—like founder breakups, hostile board environments, and tense investor negotiations. Our team acts not just as outside counsel, but as your strategic partner, helping you frame decisions, manage communications, and engage stakeholders effectively. When things are unraveling, the quality of your legal partner can make all the difference between chaos and a clean exit.
When to Engage Distress Counsel
You don’t need to be on the brink of collapse to benefit from distress-focused legal counsel. In fact, many of the best outcomes come from calling us early—when there’s still time to shape outcomes, negotiate terms, and avoid irreversible decisions. Here are common scenarios where Montague Law can step in:
You’ve missed a key funding milestone and runway is shrinking
A bridge round is being discussed, but investors are demanding aggressive terms
There’s uncertainty about whether to continue, pivot, or shut down
You’re facing pressure from creditors, vendors, or former employees
A potential buyer is interested, but the company’s financials or obligations complicate the deal
You’re trying to protect founder equity or renegotiate SAFEs before a down round
Your board is unsure about its obligations as insolvency nears
You’re considering a wind-down but unsure of the legal or reputational fallout
Our approach always begins with a rapid but comprehensive risk and opportunity assessment. We identify key liabilities, control points, leverage opportunities, and stakeholder dynamics. From there, we help you chart a course forward, whether it’s capital infusion, controlled transition, or strategic closure.
What Sets Montague Law Apart
Montague Law is not a bankruptcy firm—we’re a high-growth business law firm with deep expertise in distressed situations. That distinction matters. Our attorneys have worked at top-tier venture law firms, served as general counsel inside venture-backed startups, and closed major M&A, token, and private equity deals. We bring that cross-disciplinary experience to distressed scenarios, which are often messy, fast-moving, and emotionally charged.
We don’t just give legal opinions—we provide strategic clarity. We help boards avoid personal liability. We structure bridge rounds that make sense in a distressed cap table. We protect founders from last-minute equity wipeouts. We keep deals alive that other firms would walk away from. And we do it all while maintaining confidentiality, empathy, and a clear focus on what our clients value most.
Clients turn to us not just for technical excellence, but for responsiveness. When cash is running out or litigation is on the horizon, you can’t wait days for a callback. Our firm is structured to move fast. We provide direct access to senior attorneys and a flat, agile model that reflects how startups operate. That’s why we’ve been trusted to lead legal strategy in multimillion-dollar distressed sales, multi-jurisdictional dissolutions, and insider-led rescues.
Reach Out Before It’s Too Late
Distress is not a death sentence. It’s a pivot point. With the right counsel, what looks like failure can become an orderly exit, a reputation-preserving wind-down, or even a comeback story. If your business is facing financial pressure, board conflict, or liquidity uncertainty, the most important thing you can do is talk to an experienced legal team early. The cost of delay is almost always higher than the cost of action.
Montague Law helps you protect your company, your leadership team, and your future. We’re here to reduce risk, expand options, and bring calm to chaos. Contact us today for a confidential consultation. You’ve worked too hard to leave your future to chance.