One thing to note is that the CA statute of frauds renders certain kinds of oral contracts invalid, unless there is some memorandum of the oral contract is in w

One thing to note is that the CA statute of frauds renders certain kinds of oral contracts invalid, unless there is some memorandum of the oral contract is in writing. One such contract, as outlined in CA Civil Code Section 1624(a)(7) is: > A contract, promise, undertaking, or commitment to loan money or to grant or extend credit, in an amount greater than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), not primarily for personal, family, or household purposes, made by a person engaged in the business of lending or arranging for the lending of money or extending credit. This wouldn't seem to apply to equity financings, but I suspect it applies to debt financings. If that's right, an actual "handshake deal" is not legally enforceable absent the kind of e-mail memorialization that PG is talking about. Of course, a "handshake deal" starts to look a lot like a simple written contract if a handshake alone cannot a deal make.