First Steps Legal & Consulting

What First Steps Legal & Consulting does

First Steps Legal & Consulting is a London-based commercial consultancy — explicitly not a law firm — founded in 2019 by Alex Marinova, providing specialist non-contentious legal and business support to early-stage ventures, investors, and established SMEs in the United Kingdom. The firm operates from a registered office at Hatch, Peckham Levels in South East London, with a small team of approximately five people that includes a founder, a fundraising consultant (Kiril Mintchev), and an IP consultant (Asger Friis). Its service portfolio spans company formations, commercial and corporate law (including M&A and governance), funding and investment rounds with particular emphasis on SEIS/EIS advance assurance, intellectual property (trademarks, patents, copyright, IP licensing), employment law, and charity/non-profit structures. Pricing is delivered through a mix of fixed fees, hourly rates (with additional work billed at £120/hour), monthly or annual retainers, and project-based pricing, with a 50% deposit required on quotes exceeding £1,000 and a 50% surcharge for expedited turnaround under five working days.

The go-to-market motion is relationship-driven and content-led. A free 30-minute initial consultation serves as the primary conversion mechanism, supplemented by a topical blog/journal, active thought leadership through presentations at specialist forums (International Astronautical Congress, IISL Colloquium on the Law of Outer Space, GLEX, APECS), podcast appearances (Astromavericks), and Bloomberg TV Bulgaria interviews. Distribution is entirely remote and online — clients engage via email, phone, WhatsApp, and video — with in-person meetings arranged on request, supported by referral partnerships including the Adviserly boutique-firm network (joined January 2023), Othership (freelancer community), and APECS (space industry association).

The business is privately held, bootstrapped, and operates without institutional investment, a parent entity, or any disclosed M&A activity. Its competitive position rests on domain specialisation at the intersection of SEIS/EIS compliance, early-stage venture legal work, and space law rather than on proprietary technology or scale. Recognition includes the National Paralegal Awards' Paralegal Business of the Year (2021) and Highly Commended (2022), GDPR compliance with ICO registration ZA750428, and professional indemnity insurance. Services are strictly limited to non-contentious commercial matters, and the firm is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Name

First Steps Legal & Consulting

Legal name

First Steps Legal Consulting Ltd.

Website

https://firststepslegal.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

First Steps Legal & Consulting is a London-based, bootstrapped commercial consultancy (not a law firm) founded in 2019, providing non-contentious legal and strategic support in company formations, SEIS/EIS funding, IP, and corporate law to UK startups, investors, and SMEs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Consulting Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Risk, Compliance & Internal Controls Consulting (BPAHACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Buy-Side Search & Acquisition Advisory (FSAEAIAD), Cross-Border M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAH)

Keywords

• Legal consulting services
• Startup legal support
• Commercial law advisory
• Intellectual property services
• SEIS EIS funding

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Consultancy and Advisory Services: Professional consulting services for commercial law, investment, M&A, company formations, intellectual property, employment law, and charity structures. Revenue is generated through fixed fees, hourly rates, retainer arrangements, and project-based pricing depending on client needs and complexity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

First Steps Legal & Consulting is a UK-based consultancy firm (not a law firm) delivering non-contentious commercial legal and business support services. Core offerings span company formations, commercial contracts, corporate law including mergers and acquisitions, funding and investment rounds with SEIS/EIS expertise, intellectual property protection, employment law, and specialised support for charity and non-profit structures. The firm serves founders, investors, and small to medium enterprises primarily in the UK, with international reach via the Adviserly network, and operates on flexible fixed-fee, hourly, retainer, and project-based pricing models.

Product overview

First Steps Legal & Consulting is a consultancy firm (not a law firm) offering a portfolio of legal and business support services for startups, founders, investors, and established businesses. The core offerings include Company Formations, Commercial Law, Corporate Law, Funding and Investment Rounds, S/EIS Advance Assurance, S/EIS Investment Rounds, Intellectual Property, Employment Law, and Charity and Non-Profits services. These are complemented by flexible pricing models including Fixed Fees, Hourly Rates, Retainer Services, and Project-Based Pricing. The company also offers a free 30-minute consultation as an entry point for client engagement. Services are specifically limited to non-contentious commercial matters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Company Formations

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AdviserlycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 January 2023Joined Adviserly network of boutique firms to expand reach beyond UK borders. A unique network of boutique firms providing mutual referral and marketing support.
• SuperNova Art FoundationminorOthers · 5 July 2022Client relationship; attended as guests at charity fundraising dinner. Foundation founded by Dessy Tenekedjieva to help young artists develop talents.
• OthershipminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 January 2022Renewed membership with Othership, supporting freelancers and self-employed professionals locally in London.
• APECS (Association for Promoting Space Exploration and Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRomanian NGO working on space law and policy projects. Conducted interview with founder Alex Marinova on space startups and NewSpace economy development.
• IAC (International Astronautical Congress)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipation at IAC 2022 in Paris and presented papers at IISL Colloquium on space law topics. Major global space industry event.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Lawpath: Online legal services platform serving UK and Australian startups and SMEs with automated document and fixed-fee advisory offerings. Comparable platform-led model, but primarily operating in Australia.
• Penbode Solicitors: UK regional law firm offering commercial and corporate services to SMEs and owner-managed businesses. Comparable SME client profile and commercial/company-law emphasis, though broader in scope and regionally located.
• DNA Legal: UK small law firm providing commercial, corporate, and IP services to SMEs and startups. Comparable fixed-fee, accessibility-focused service style targeting similar client segments.

Direct peers

• SeedLegals: UK platform that automates company formations, SEIS/EIS, funding rounds and shareholder agreements for startups. Most direct competitor in the same niche, serving the same founder and investor segments with overlapping core services.
• Obelisk Support: UK provider of legal and professional support services operating on a flexible, remote-first model. Comparable small-team, distributed-service model serving law firms and SMEs.
• Harper James Solicitors: UK law firm purpose-built for startups and SMEs, offering fixed-fee commercial, employment, and corporate services. Comparable target market and pricing approach, with a wider regulated service envelope.
• LawBite: UK online legal services platform delivering fixed-fee commercial legal support to SMEs and startups. Closely comparable business model — fixed fees, online delivery, founder/SME target market.
• Linkilaw: UK legal services provider focused on startups, entrepreneurs, and SMEs across company law, contracts, and IP. Direct peer given overlapping service catalog and parallel target customer.

Emerging players

• Sparqa Legal: UK legal-tech startup offering automated and on-demand legal support for startups and SMEs. Comparable end customer but with a more technology-led delivery model.
• Valla: UK legal services marketplace targeting startups, freelancers, and small businesses with affordable on-demand legal advice. Overlaps with First Steps' founder/SME customer base and pricing ethos.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/firststepslegalconsulting

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about First Steps Legal & Consulting