A few observations on this helpful piece:<p>Fit is what counts above all in choosing a law firm for your startup.<p>Fit with the key lawyer - good working relationships are <i>very</i> important in this area (make sure your primary lawyer is responsive, clear in communication, sharp, and strategic).<p>Fit with the firm - prominent firms excel in representing startups with capital intensive needs, and they will hook you up with solid VC introductions and open their doors to some superb lawyering skills and great legal advisors within their firms; if you don't need the VC money out the gate, then weigh all the above against the expensive fee structures ($500/hr and up for even green attorneys) and the 3 to 1 associate to partner ratios with the attendant risk that your little startup may be serviced by relatively inexperienced young lawyers. (Disclosure: I compete against these firms).<p>Fit with your plans - yes, you can mess up by not understanding your legal options early on but there are countless startups that do just fine even though they do not retain a lawyer right at inception (cost/benefit does matter and the horror stories of how you can mess up are in fact the comparatively rare cases, though you should be avid to educate yourself in the meantime to what the typical risks are and to use the knowledge so gained to make a good choice on when to bring in a lawyer).