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Thompson Hine LLP, a full-service business law firm with approximately 400 lawyers in 11 offices, was ranked number 1 in the category “Most innovative North American law firms: New working models” by The Financial Times and was 1 of 7 firms shortlisted for The American Lawyer’s inaugural Legal Services Innovation Award. The firm has been recognized by the National Law Journal as a Legal Technology Trailblazer and featured by Bloomberg for its innovative service delivery models, which drive accuracy and predictability. The firm’s commitment to innovation is embodied in Thompson Hine SmartPaTHTM – a smarter way to work – predictable, efficient and aligned with client goals. For more information, please visit ThompsonHine.com and ThompsonHine.com/SmartPaTH.

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Confused about NDAs and IP assignments? You're not alone. In this episode of Day to Day Startup Basics, Jake Denham, Managing Associate for Thompson Hine's New Ventures practice, breaks down these two essential startup agreements — what they do, and when you actually need each one.

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NDAs protect <em>information</em> — use them when sharing sensitive details like your product roadmap, financials, or data room

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IP assignments protect <em>ownership</em> — they ensure code, designs, branding, and inventions created for your company actually belong to the company, not the individual

Every founder, employee, and contractor should sign an IP assignment — without one, your startup doesn't truly own its own product (a major red flag for investors)

NDAs are situational; IP assignments are non-negotiable

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If you're a startup founder navigating NDAs or IP assignments, reach out, we help startups get these agreements in place every day.&nbsp; Subscribe for more Day to Day Startup Basics videos.

New Ventures Video Series – Protecting Your Genius

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