Serious legal support, zero founder fees.

Fully subsidized legal services for tech entrepreneurs – designed to support your startup’s early growth and reduce risk

Startup law, in-house and on the house.

DMZ Counsel is for founders in our Incubator program, giving them peace of mind with expert legal support—so startups can focus on growing, not guessing.

Fractional general counsel

Tailored support for fast-growing founders and early-stage startups.

Hands-on guidance

Strategy sessions, custom contracts and risk-mitigation planning.

Built-in legal team

Support from business advisors, lawyers and dedicated students.

Pro bono services

Saving founders time and thousands of dollars in legal fees.

I’ve been in the founder’s seat—moving fast, taking bold bets, and hitting walls that shouldn’t be there. At DMZ, we’re rethinking legal support by embedding responsive counsel directly into the startup journey—removing roadblocks before they appear so founders can build with confidence.

Nicholas Hill

Head, DMZ Legal Services & Legal Advisor

Legal support,
‍built for founders.

Incubator founders have access to a full suite of resources including DMZ Counsel, which offers legal strategy sessions, custom contract drafting and practical legal training.

Questions? Let’s talk.

Legal strategy sessions

Pinpoint your startup’s legal needs early to reduce risk and avoid costly issues later.

Custom contract drafting

Request tailored legal documents—handled by our in-house team and partner law firms.

Legal education & training

Learn the basics with 1:1 guidance and workshops so you can learn and confidently manage your companies legal needs.

Questions? Let’s Talk

Areas of support.

DMZ Counsel gives startups peace of mind with expert legal support—from strategy to paperwork—so founders can focus on growing, not guessing.

CORPORATE & COMMERCIAL WORK

Incorporation

Drafting or amending Articles of Incorporation (establishing two class share structure)

Customary by-laws

Shareholder and Founder Agreements

Advisor Agreements

Non-Disclosure Agreements (Mutual and 
One-Way)

Terms of Service and Privacy Policy for website

Drafting and reviewing of SaaS agreements

EMPLOYMENT LAW

Stock Option Plans

Employment Agreements (fixed and indefinite terms)

Independent Contractor Agreements

Co-Op Student Employment Agreements

Legal Strategy Sessions

Termination agreements

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Confidentiality and Ownership of Proprietary Property (CIOPP) Agreement

Basic Trademark Searches

Legal Strategy Sessions

Preliminary assessments on possible trademark ownership and conflicts

Guidance on copyright ownership

Transfer of IP ownerships between developer and organization

Meet the team.

Meet the professionals and legal experts offering insights, support, and real-world legal solutions that scale.

Sydney Kert

Partner, DLA Piper

Sydney Kert's practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance transactions in a broad range of industries, including technology, cannabis, cleantech, financial services, healthcare and telecommunications.

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Sydney represents a wide variety of public and private companies as well as investment dealers in connection with various securities, corporate and commercial matters. Sydney has extensive experience advising on complex domestic and cross-border transactions, including business combination transactions, go-public transactions, M&A transactions, take-over bids and corporate reorganizations. As part of her corporate finance practice, Sydney assists start-up clients as well as established companies in connection with private placements, public offerings and secondary offerings.

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Sydney is also a trusted advisor to many clients on matters related their day-to-day securities compliance, continuous disclosure and corporate governance matters.

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Jamie Mandell

Partner, DLA Piper

Jamie Mandell practises in the areas of securities and corporate finance and corporate commercial law.

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She has represented both issuers and investment dealers with a variety of matters, including public offerings and private placements of equity and debt securities, going public transactions, as well as mergers and acquisitions.

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She assists a range of companies that includes startups, mid-size companies and large publicly traded companies.

Nicholas Hill

Head, Startup Legal Support & Legal Advisor

As the DMZ Startup Legal Support (“SLS”) Lead Nicholas works with Strategic Initiatives to develop processes and procedures, manage partnering law firm relationships, manage a team of law students, and provide the DMZ startups with accessible and comprehensive legal support.

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While pursuing his undergraduate degree at the University of Calgary, Nicholas not only cultivated a passion for understanding how policy and industry function, but also formed a special connection with innovation specifically. In addition to his studies, Nicholas founded a small software firm, designed to modernize the way students interacted with their campus. While navigating all the necessary ups and downs of founding a startup as a full-time student, Nicholas found himself looking at the technology industry through a burgeoning lens of innovative legal solutions. Provided with the unique insight into the complicated landscape of starting and running a technology firm, coupled with a policy and legal based education, Nicholas was resolved to begin his mission to do all that he could to ease the legal processes and complexities faced by technological innovators in their attempt to drive the Canadian economy forward. After his first year of law school at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law, Nicholas realized that this is a mission he shared with DMZ.

Favourite quote?

"[Some] see things as they are, and ask “Why?” But I dream things that never were; and ask “Why not?” - George Bernard Shaw

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Have you ever gotten starstruck?

Danny Trejo (the uncle from Spy Kids) has asked me for directions on two separate occasions. I was no help to him either time, and the first time I met him all I could muster was "Wait, are you famous?"

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Piece of technology you can’t live without?

Does Google count? Because Google is my answer.

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First record you bought?

Smash Mouth's album unimaginatively called Smash Mouth.

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Pick one song to be your non-stop background music?

9 to 5 by Dolly Parton.

Juliesa Adolphus

Legal Execution Lead

As DMZ’s Partner Stewardship Lead, Juliesa is responsible for ensuring that the incubator program runs smoothly by handling both the administrative and logistical aspects of the program. She assists with DMZ’s investor relations efforts and provides administrative support to the Director of Programs & Corporate Collaborations.

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Juliesa graduated from the Medical Administration program at Sheridan College, which allows her to excel in supporting the Programs Team. In her spare time, Juliesa likes to get her creative juices flowing by writing songs and creating music through her guitar and piano.

What’s your favourite travel destination?

Jamaica

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How do you relax?

Going to the spa.

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What is your favourite movie of all time?

The Lion King

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If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

The ability to read minds.

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What's one thing people know you best for?

My laugh

See All Experts-in-Residence >

Our partners.

DLA Piper is a global law firm helping our clients achieve their goals wherever they do business. Our pursuit of innovation has transformed our delivery of legal services. With offices in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, we deliver exceptional outcomes on cross-border projects, critical transactions and high-stakes disputes. Every day we help trailblazing organizations seize business opportunities and successfully manage growth and change at speed. Through our pro bono work and community investment around the world, we help create a more just and sustainable future. Visit dlapiper.com to discover more.

The Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Toronto Metropolitan University is reimagining legal education in pursuit of a more just society. Its mission is to equip the lawyers of tomorrow with the contemporary skills and experience required to expand the reach of justice and respond to the evolving challenges that face Canadian society. Law students interested in working for the Startup Legal Support program can email the DMZ to inquire about opportunities here.