An Austin software attorney is a lawyer who drafts and negotiates the commercial contracts that software and SaaS vendors sell and sign, from SaaS subscription terms and EULAs to reseller, OEM, and channel deals. I am an Austin based software attorney, and I represent software and SaaS vendors only. Not the buy side, not every industry that walks in the door.
The whole practice is software and SaaS, which means I can talk with you about how your product actually works (data, hosting, usage limits, IP) and turn that into contracts that help you sell. Austin runs on software, from first-check startups to scaled enterprise vendors, and the contract you need at each stage is different. Here is how I help depending on where you are.
Just Getting Started
Your first real contract template matters more than founders expect. Get it right and every deal after it moves faster. I usually start a new vendor with three documents: a master subscription agreement, an order form, and a short EULA or acceptable use policy. That set is enough to send to a customer without a lawyer on every call, and it is built to scale with you. Plain English, and protective.
Growing and Selling Faster
Once deals pick up, the questions change. You start seeing customer redlines, security questionnaires, and the occasional 40 page master agreement from a big buyer. I help you negotiate that paper, hold your margins, and avoid the terms that quietly create risk. A clear limitation of liability cap and a tightly drawn indemnity matter most here, because those two terms decide what a bad day actually costs you (uncapped liability is the big one, and I treat it as a red flag every time).
Protecting Your Software and Customer Data
Two issues come up on almost every Austin deal: who owns the IP, and how you handle customer data. Your code is protected by copyright the moment it is written, and registering it with the U.S. Copyright Office adds real enforcement leverage if someone copies it. Just as important, your developer and contractor agreements need to assign that IP to you, because a missing assignment is the most common gap I find. If you process personal data for customers, you likely need a Data Processing Addendum that holds up under the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, the California Consumer Privacy Act, GDPR, or whatever applies to your buyers.
Adding Partners and Channels
Reseller, OEM, referral, and channel deals are how a lot of Austin vendors grow without growing headcount. These contracts are their own animal. I structure them so the partner is motivated and your risk stays contained, and so you are not accidentally giving away your IP or your direct customers.
Why Plain English Contracts Win Deals
A big part of what sets the practice apart is how the contracts read: in plain English. A lot of clients honestly do not believe a lawyer can write this way until they see it. Clear agreements shorten the sales cycle and make it easier for your customer to sign without getting stuck in legalese. Writing something both simple and protective is harder than it looks, and that is the part you are paying for. When you work with the firm, you work directly with me, Jeremy Aber.
Austin Software Attorney FAQ
Do you have to be in Austin to represent my company?
No. I am Austin based and represent software and SaaS vendors across the country. Software agreements turn on the terms you negotiate and the governing law you choose, so the work is the same wherever you sit. Being local is a convenience, not a requirement.
I am pre-revenue. Is it too early for contract templates?
No, and getting it right early is cheaper than fixing it later. A clean first template means your first ten deals do not each become a custom negotiation. We can keep it lean and grow it as you do.
A big customer sent me their agreement. Can you negotiate it?
Yes, that is a lot of what I do. I represent you, the vendor, so I push back on the buy-side terms that hurt you (liability, IP, data, termination) and get the deal to a place you can sign.
Beyond Austin, I represent software and SaaS vendors statewide as a Dallas software attorney, a Houston software attorney, and a San Antonio software attorney, and nationwide as a software attorney. The core work is drafting and negotiating SaaS contracts and agreements from the vendor side.
Ready to talk through your agreements? Contact us to discuss your current contracts or upcoming deals.