# DAO Governance

Operate With Confidence

A vote is only one part of a decision. Set clear rules for who can propose, approve, execute, pause and spend on behalf of your DAO.

At a glance

## Is this the right service?

Operating DAOs and protocols reviewing voting, authority or treasury decisions.

What it can cover

- Decision rules
- Treasury authority
- Roles and emergency procedures

[Get Expert Advice](https://ape.law/#contact)

[Check if this fits](https://ape.law/services/dao-governance#service-fit)

01 · Check the fit

## When this service fits

### Votes and execution are disconnected

The people who approve a proposal are not always the people who can carry it out.

### Treasury approvals are unclear

Spending, grants and multisig powers need agreed limits and records.

### You need a plan for difficult decisions

Emergency actions, disputed votes and contributor authority need defined procedures.

02 · What we can help with

## What the work covers

### Decision rules

Set out proposals, quorum, delegation, approvals, execution and reserved decisions.

### Treasury authority

Review spending limits, payment approvals, multisig roles and reporting responsibilities.

### Roles and emergency procedures

Document council, guardian, delegate and contributor powers, including how exceptions are handled.

03 · How to get started

## What to bring

Start with what you have. These details help frame the first discussion.

Send the basics

- Current governance rules and sample proposals
- Council, delegate, guardian and contributor roles
- Treasury permissions, payment rules and recent decisions

Then define the scope

### Focus the first conversation on the decision you need to make.

Governance documents need to reflect the entity arrangements and technical controls in use. A voting process alone does not resolve every legal issue.

[Get Expert Advice](https://ape.law/#contact)

04 · See related matters

## How Ape Law approached similar questions

These published matters show the decision process. Another project's facts, rules and outcome may differ.

![Video thumbnail for A Token Cannot Create Rights That Do Not Exist](https://ape.law/assets/legacy-pages/0f59928b7bbc73c77ae0bbb4196888dfcb0bd386e1581389e3c7b2435864597b.png)

LEGAL INFRASTRUCTURE

### [The token story needed legal foundations.](https://ape.law/case-studies/web3-dao-token-legal-infrastructure)

IP, data and licence rights were unclear

Watch or read the case study

05 · Common questions

## Common questions

Can you review governance that already exists?

Yes. Existing votes, proposals and treasury decisions show where the written rules and actual practice differ.

Does token voting cover execution authority?

The review treats approval and execution as separate steps and checks who has the legal and technical authority to carry out a decision.

What if the DAO does not have a legal structure yet?

The DAO structure service may need to come first or run alongside governance work so entity roles and decision rules fit together.

## Where does your DAO's decision process break down?

Share the rules you have and a recent decision that was difficult to carry out.

[Get Expert Advice](https://ape.law/#contact)

Canonical page: https://ape.law/services/dao-governance