SPEED LEGAL:
Starting, Growing and Funding Your Business
Founders face pivotal decisions in the early stage, from initial incorporation to HR, stock options, and IP strategies. Then, there’s funding, growth, and exit. The pitfalls are perilous if sound legal decisions aren’t made at the beginning. No matter where you are in the startup journey, this program has something for you.
In an interactive 90 minutes, attendees will select specific tracks for legal needs. Need IP help? Join the rapid-fire roundtables on patent strategy and IP protection. Looking to make the first hires? Evaluating funders? Dedicated roundtables will be set up to address all of the key startup legal issues founders face. In small groups, you’ll learn from legal professionals and peers in a dynamic sharing environment.
Detailed Description:
Founders face a dizzying array of legal decisions that impact their company – and its ultimate success – from the outset. Decisions made in the earliest days of an idea can have repercussions that extend all the way to a founder’s ultimate exit strategy. But every startup is different, based on their funding choices, products or services, and human capital needs.
Our 90-minute program is organized into tracks focused on starting, funding, and growing your business. Specific areas of focus include key legal needs for:
Establishing your business and incorporation, including building a board, developing confidentiality agreements, establishing stock option plans, crafting business contracts, working with funders, funder due diligence, and more;
Human capital, including deciding when to hire, how to classify employees and contractors, developing employment contracts, and using confidentiality and non-compete agreements;
IP and patents, including developing IP and patent strategies, protecting your most valuable business assets, and maximizing them for valuation;
Funding and exit, including how to prepare for investment, conducting due diligence, crafting investment terms, allocating ownership, and mapping your exit strategy.
The session opens with a micro-panel where our speakers – leaders in startup legal needs – will provide an overview of the primary legal pitfalls and opportunities that impact founders and entrepreneurs.
Then, session participants will divide into roundtable discussions based on their place in the startup journey. In three 20-minute intervals, founders can choose from rapid-fire roundtables on the topics above – and more – circulating in small groups through tracks depending on legal needs. They’ll have the opportunity to not only hear and learn from legal professionals who will facilitate, but also exchange information and ideas with their peers in interactive discussions on corporate, HR, IP, and other startup legal needs.
At the conclusion of the rapid-fast roundtables, our panelists and facilitators will provide a readout on common challenges and questions they encountered in the roundtable sessions in a 15 minute recap. All facilitators and panelists will be available at the close of the session to answer individual questions.