José Ancer
UT Austin B.A. highest honors in Economics and Philosophy, Harvard Law School J.D. cum laude.
For over a decade in practice I’ve counseled “startup” clients and boards on transactions across the U.S., with a focus on pre-seed through Series C-ish deals (M&A is handled by specialist colleagues). My favorite role is to serve as a founding team’s “equalizer” – bringing my expertise and strategic guidance to the table to ensure they aren’t taken advantage of by market players who are more experienced and knowledgeable (about VC and legal issues) than they are. My clients have raised from a16z, Sequoia, Susa, Y Combinator, Accel, Khosla, and many other marquee funds, and of course the “long tail” of smaller funds across the country as well.
I’m also a Partner and Legal CTO at Optimal Counsel, a top-tier boutique that combines the expertise and experience of the most elite “startup” law practices in the world, with a leaner tech-enabled platform that is more accessible (lower rates, more responsiveness) for early and growth-stage “pre-unicorn” companies.
The purpose of this blog is to provide founders a curated resource for educating themselves on core startup law & finance concepts, without wasting money or equity on lawyers or advisors; and importantly, without the biased advice that is often given by the investor community. I write about startup law practice frequently on this blog.
For new client inquiries, please contact me via LinkedIn (link below) or at [email protected].
Why the name “Silicon Hills Lawyer?” I spent a portion of my early career in Austin, which for a long time was referred to as “Silicon Hills” (the Texas hill country). The name stuck and I haven’t wanted to change it, even though I no longer live in Austin.
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Obligatory Disclaimer: The purpose of this blog is to provide conceptual educational materials to entrepreneurs and startup law practitioners. Individual circumstances vary, and any particular path of action suggested by an article or blog post may be inappropriate for your particular context. That’s why you should hire a lawyer. If, after reading this blog, you decide to take matters into your own hands and mess something up, don’t complain to me about it. It’s a risky world we live in. I warned you.
Further, all opinions stated on this blog are my own and not that of Optimal Counsel LLP.