LEXR

LEXR goes Munich 🥨 We usually kick off the year with a ski trip in the mountains – but this time, we traded snow for city vibes and took our team offsite to Munich. From Brauhaus dinner and strategy sessions to rooftop views with pizza ✨ Big thank you to the whole team for bringing the energy, ideas, and laughs – and to Munich for the sunshine, good beer, and plenty of memorable moments. Already counting down to the next time we’re all in one place 🧡

GenAI Zürich 2025 was a blast! Audrey Canova, Nicoletta Iurilli & I represented LEXR's tech law, contracts & IP team and talked with a lot of people from a wide range of backgrounds, but a common interest in GenAI. Thanks to everyone who attended the "GenAI Investment & Legal Landscape" slot, where I spoke on contracting tips when selling AI tools to corporates & public authorities. And a big THANK YOU to Ruggiero Dargenio and team for the great organization, I will definitely be back next year!

We're back from START Summit 2025 – and still inspired by the energy, ideas, latest trends, and all the great conversations we had over the two days. 🚀 Our team members Armin Kaiser, Thomas Kuster, Michele Vitali, Maja Rajić, Nicoletta Iurilli, Luca Grand, Charlotte Zosso, and Samuel Noser connected with founders and fellow ecosystem players – exchanging thoughts on all things startups, from building and scaling to the everyday challenges along the way. Big thank you to the START Global team for putting together this event! ✨ #START25 

Welcome, Audrey Canova! 👋 We're thrilled to officially welcome Audrey as a Senior Associate to our Tech, Contracts & IP team! 🚀After supporting us as a freelancer for the past year, we're excited to have her join us full-time. Audrey advises Swiss and international founders, startups, and companies on a wide range of topics, from contracts to HR. With her extensive experience at major Swiss law firms and the Federal Office of Justice, she brings deep expertise in private international law, litigation, and real estate. Beyond that, Audrey has a strong background in tech, having worked at a legal tech startup — making her a great addition to our team. Looking forward to working together, Audrey! ✨

ESOP vs. PSOP: What’s best for your startup? Stock options plans are a great way to attract and retain top talent - but should you offer real shares (ESOP) or phantom shares (PSOP)? 🤔 Here’s the key difference: 👉 ESOP (Employee Stock Option Plan) Employees become actual shareholders with voting rights and financial benefits. They get shares (often at a discount), but the setup is complex, and taxation can be tricky. 👉 PSOP (Phantom Stock Option Plan) Employees don’t receive real shares but gain a contractual right to participate in the company’s exit or dividends - without shareholder rights. It’s easier to implement but offers a weaker retention effect. 💡 Best practice from my experience: Set up an ESOP or PSOP with your first financing round to align incentives early. In future episodes, we will look at each of these plans individually in more details. Got questions or need advice? Check out our FREE guide here (https://shorturl.at/Oyd3n) or drop me a DM. 📩 Next week in Episode 32, we will take a first look at AI compliance and what you should be aware when implementing AI-powered solutions in your services. #FridayForFounders

🚀 Welcome to the team, Charlotte Zosso! We’re excited to welcome Charlotte as a Junior Associate in our M&A team, where she will also support our notary services. Charlotte holds a master's degree in law and economics from the University of St. Gallen and has already gained valuable experience in corporate and tax law during her studies. Now, she’s bringing her expertise and fresh perspective to LEXR! Excited to have you on board, Charlotte! ✨

Bonuses can boost motivation - until they cause legal trouble. Here’s how to avoid that. 👉 Best Practice: Tie Bonuses to Measurable Goals Want a simple and clear bonus structure? Link bonuses to specific, measurable targets - like a sales commission based on revenue. This way, there’s no confusion about when a bonus is due (and when it’s not). 👉 Discretionary Bonuses: A Double-Edged Sword For maximum flexibility, bonuses can be made discretionary, meaning the employer decides if and how much to pay. However, there’s a risk: ⚠️ If bonuses are paid regularly (e.g., three years in a row) without conditions, they may legally become part of the salary. That means employees could still claim them—even in a bad year. 👉 How to Mitigate Risks   ✔️ Clearly state in the employment contract that bonuses are discretionary.  ✔️ Repeat this in every bonus payment letter to reinforce the terms. Want to avoid bonus-related legal risk? Grab our FREE guide (https://shorturl.at/Oyd3n) or DM me for quick advice. Next week in Episode 31, I’ll cover the key differences between ESOP and PSOP. #FridayForFounders  

⚡Powering the Future of Renewable Energy ☀️ From an idea to a leading force in industrial solar energy—Ampere Dynamic has come a long way in just four years. With over 65 large-scale photovoltaic projects totaling 32,081 kWp, they’re driving the shift toward a more sustainable and independent energy future in Switzerland. In our latest customer story, Co-Founder Niklas Fruth shares: 🔸 What sparked the idea for Ampere Dynamic 🔸 How they tackle challenges in large-scale solar projects 🔸 Their vision for shaping Switzerland’s energy transition 🔸 Their experience working with the LEXR team Thanks Ampere Dynamic for trusting us as your legal partner! Read the full story here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dHB6hcR7 Alexander B. Vinzenth Wieser-Linhart Christina Gierlinger Miriam Looser Jessica Häuselmann Thomas Kuster

Who Owns AI-Generated Content? Using AI to create images, marketing materials, or even code snippets with ChatGPT or another generative AI system? I often hear the question: Who owns the output, and can I use it freely? The legal situation in Germany and the EU is (still) not as clear as one might hope. However, some key points stand out. German copyright law requires a human creator, so AI itself isn't considered an author (currently). This means: 👉 Content created by AI belongs to no one - anyone can use it. 👉 Protection only applies if the AI is used as a tool and a very selective copyright protection exist.⃣ Only if your input qualifies as a “personal intellectual creation” – i.e., substantial human creativity, you can claim copyright. 👉  Simple prompts aren’t enough. 👉 The more you shape the content, the better your claim. The more you actively shape the content, the higher the chance of claiming authorship. Even if an AI has no rights to the output, AI providers may impose restrictions on commercial use. What does all this mean for you as a creator?   ✔️ Modify AI output to add originality. ✔️ Review you AI provider'sTerms of Use before publishing. ✔️ Use AI as inspiration, not a final product.   How do you handle AI-generated content in your business? Let’s discuss! 👇 #AI #Startups #Copyright #ChatGPT #Legal

After a winter break, one of our favourite traditions is back: Thirsty Thursday! 🍸 We kicked off the first one of the year last week—it was great to catch up and clink a few glasses with the team. Thirsty Thursday is one of the ways we take a break from the daily grind to connect—whether with team members, clients, partners, or anyone curious about what we do at LEXR. We’ll be back for another round soon—stay tuned! ✨