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For early-stage startups, legal hurdles are often underestimated but they can become major barriers to growth and investment. From structuring shareholder agreements to navigating data protection compliance, startups face a complex legal landscape — one made even more challenging by limited resources and the absence of in-house legal expertise . Unlike large corporations with dedicated legal teams, startups often rely on patchwork solutions that leave them vulnerable to risks that can delay funding, hinder expansion, or even lead to costly legal disputes.
In response to these challenges, legal clinics have emerged as a practical solution to help startups navigate legal complexities. Originally developed in the United States in the 1970s, legal clinics were designed to provide hands-on training for law students while offering pro bono assistance to individuals and organizations unable to afford legal services.
What makes Bocconi Law School’s approach unique is its decision to identify startups as an underserved community — a perspective that shifts the focus from individuals to legal entities. This has significant implications: while many legal clinics assist individuals, Bocconi’s startup-focused clinic operates in a completely different legal landscape, addressing issues related to corporate law, intellectual property, data protection, and regulatory compliance.
In this landscape, initiatives such as the B4i Legal Clinics represent not just a new area of legal practice, but a new model for legal clinics. Unlike traditional clinics that provide one-off legal assistance, B4i offers long-term, structured support. Moreover, it redefines how practical legal training is delivered: advising an innovative startup requires a different skill set than working with a traditional business or even a newly established company.
2“Many startups enter the market with legal structures that are far from investor ready” says Aura Bertoni, Legal of B4i and head of B4i Legal Clinic. “Common mistakes include copy-pasted terms and conditions, poorly drafted contracts, and a lack of awareness of intellectual property rights.” Such oversights can become critical barriers when startups seek funding or partnerships. A mismanaged cap table, an improperly filed trademark or a failure to comply with data protection laws can delay investment rounds or expose the company to litigation. Legal Clinics offer a structured approach to overcoming these challenges, with several key advantages over traditional legal services:
Cost-effectiveness – Startups receive free, high-quality legal support, an invaluable asset given their limited budgets;
Risk Management – Legal structuring at an early stage prevents costly disputes and compliance issues later on;
Investor Readiness – A legally sound startup is more attractive to investors, who prioritize due diligence before committing capital.
This kind of initiatives reflect a growing recognition that ad hoc legal advice is not enough. Startups don't just need answers to isolated legal questions; they need ongoing legal structuring that evolves with their business, ensuring they are legally prepared as they scale.
Rather than providing one-off advice, Legal Clinics assign dedicated legal teams to startups in our acceleration program for several months, ensuring that legal issues are addressed proactively rather than reactively. This ongoing support helps founders build a solid legal foundation, addressing key areas such as corporate structuring, intellectual property protection and compliance. Getting into the details, each startup is assigned to a multi-level legal team, typically consisting of:
A Faculty Coordinator – A legal professional who oversees the clinic;
2 Law students – Who provides research and practical legal support under supervision. (typically, from Bocconi’s Master’s programs, who gain hands-on experience in corporate law);
1+ Partner Law Firms – Startups are matched with legal experts according to their sector and specific needs.
The workflow follows an agile structure, ensuring regular follow-ups and tangible legal progress:
Kickoff Meeting – The legal team and startup identify priority legal issues;
Fortnightly Check-Ins – Every 15 days, the team reviews progress and sets action points;
Ongoing legal work – Teams address issues in areas such as corporate structuring, IP protection and compliance.
At the end of the six-month cycle, startups emerge with a robust legal framework, significantly improving their investment prospects.
1Over the years, the B4i legal clinics have grown from a small initiative involving just five law firms to an extensive network of 30 partners, encompassing both full-service legal giants and boutique firms specializing in niche areas. This rapid expansion reflects the program’s increasing impact and the growing recognition of its value within the legal and business ecosystems.
This ecosystem is mutually beneficial. For startups, access to expert legal advice at a critical stage of growth means a stronger legal support, increased credibility with investors and better preparation for regulatory complexities. For law firms, participation in the program provides exposure to some of the most innovative and high-potential ventures, fostering relationships that often extend beyond the acceleration phase. In addition, these collaborations serve as a talent scouting platform, allowing law firms to work directly with promising young lawyers before they enter the job market.
The impact of the program is further extended through the Legal Voucher initiative, where selected law firms provide additional pro bono support to the most promising startups, ensuring continued access to high-quality legal expertise beyond the formal six-month engagement.
Legal clinics do more than just address legal concerns: they build long-term partnerships that strengthen both the startup ecosystem and the legal profession, fostering a new model of entrepreneurial law that is both practical and deeply collaborative.
One of the latest cases handled by B4i Legal Clinics was Rilemo, a startup requiring specialized legal assistance across three different practice areas. Given the regulatory nature of the Medtech sector, the company faced critical legal challenges from the outset, particularly in structuring relationships with key stakeholders and preparing for its investment round.
"When we joined the accelerator program and the Legal Clinics," explains Valentina Lidoni, Co-founder of Rilemo, "one of our primary challenges was defining agreements with early collaborators, such as advisors and first hires, ensuring the right balance between flexibility and commitment. At the same time, preparing for our investment round meant navigating the complexities of SAFE notes while considering future funding scenarios. Another crucial aspect was finding the perfect equilibrium between protecting our intellectual property and fostering novel know-how in contracting partnerships with third parties. Given the highly regulated nature of the Medtech sector, addressing these issues was essential to avoid roadblocks down the line."
The structured support provided by the Legal Clinics proved to be instrumental in overcoming these hurdles. Over the course of six months, Rilemo worked closely with Aura Bertoni, legal expert from the Clinics' reference law firm MWE, and two Bocconi law students who followed the case. In addition, the startup worked with other legal experts introduced by Bertoni to address specific needs. On the tax and financial structuring side, Scarioni & Angelucci assisted the startup in navigating the fiscal complexities of its investment round, ensuring compliance and optimizing its legal framework. Beyond contractual and corporate structuring, intellectual property protection was a key area of focus. Thanks to a voucher won during the pre-acceleration program, Rilemo was able to advance its patent strategy in collaboration with Bugnion, a specialized IP consultancy.
"Their support helped us refine agreements with advisors and partners, prepare SAFE notes for our investment round, and develop a solid intellectual property strategy aligned with our business goals," Lidoni continues. "The hands-on approach of the Clinics blended academic insight with real-world legal expertise, allowing us to navigate complex negotiations and build a strong legal foundation for our company's growth in a highly regulated industry."
For startups, legal preparedness is not just a necessity — it’s a growth enabler. A well-structured legal foundation helps founders avoid costly mistakes, secure investment, and navigate market challenges with confidence.
Legal Clinics play a crucial role in making quality legal support accessible, offering a structured, hands-on approach that goes beyond one-off consultations. By embedding legal expertise into the startup journey, they reduce risk, increase investor confidence and foster a culture of legal awareness.
In an ecosystem where legal missteps can stifle innovation, initiatives like Legal Clinics are not only beneficial — they are essential to building stronger, more resilient startups.