Legal for people who make things.
Helping founders build businesses worthy of their great work.
Building and running a business is exciting. It's also a bit chaotic at times.
There are opportunities to chase, decisions to make, people to bring in, contracts to negotiate, work to get out into the world and the occasional problem you'd rather not be dealing with.
That's where we come in.
Makers Counsel helps founders of creative businesses handle the legal and commercial side of building and running a business. We help you and your team make good decisions, avoid unnecessary friction and get great work out into the world.
How Makers Counsel helps
Most clients don't come to us with a legal problem. They come to us because they're trying to figure something out.
A new opportunity. A difficult conversation. A contract that needs signing. A campaign they're excited about that needs a bit of guidance.
A collaborator they're bringing into the business. An idea they're not quite sure how to approach.
Sometimes it turns out to be a legal question.
Sometimes it doesn't.
Either way, our job is to help you understand the options, help you make the call and know what to do next.
Building stronger businesses
Growth changes the questions before you've finished answering the last lot - new hires, senior team members, partners, structure, higher-stakes work. We help founders work through those moments and put the right things in place, without overcomplicating the business they want to build.
Bringing ideas to life
Creative businesses create valuable things - ideas, campaigns, brands, content, experiences. We help make sure they're protected, properly documented and ready to share with the world, covering IP, rights clearance, licensing and usage rights.
Managing risk without losing momentum
Founders don't need a thirty-page risk report - they need someone to tell them what matters and where to focus. We help clients navigate regulation, compliance and commercial risk in a way that's clear, calm and useful. No drama, just a sensible way forward.
Working with Makers Counsel
There isn't really a typical client.
Some businesses come to us for a specific project. Others need support around a campaign, commercial negotiation or a particularly busy period.
Many work with us on an ongoing basis. That usually means we get to know the business, the people behind it and what everyone's trying to achieve.
Over time, we become less like an external adviser and more like part of the team. Available when questions come up. Helping solve problems before they become bigger problems.
Providing reassurance when things feel uncertain. Celebrating the wins when things go well.
The kind of support most growing businesses need, but don't necessarily need in-house.
We often work with businesses that are:
hiring their first employees;
growing beyond the founders;
winning bigger clients;
launching new products or services;
bringing in collaborators, partners or investors;
putting proper foundations in place for growth; or
simply figuring things out as they go.
If that sounds familiar, you'll probably feel right at home.
What good support looks like
Good support should make things easier.
That means:
clear answers where clear answers are possible;
proper detail where proper detail is useful;
contracts people can actually read;
risk advice that helps you make decisions; and
support that fits naturally into the way you already work.
Because good advice shouldn't create more work.
Not sure where to start?
Most clients come with a mix of things rather than a neatly defined need. Get in touch and we’ll figure it out together.