Spring 2015 Start Smart Law Seminars

Start Smart: Starting a Business with an F-1 Visa

Thursday, January 29, 2015
5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Gates 6115
Presenter: Panel Discussion

Students with an F-1 Visa can legally start businesses as well as work on a startup team. Come learn the details of how to do this without violating your student status.  

Panel discussion includes: David Kalson, Cohen & Grigsby, Director of the Emerging Business Group; Larry Lebowitz, Cohen & Grigsby, Director of the Immigration Group; and Linda Gentile, CMU, Director, Office of International Education.

Start Smart: Business Formation Seminar and Workshop

Thursday, February 5, 2015
5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
University of Pittsburgh, Barco Law Building, Room 111
Presenter: David Lehman, K&L Gates

This seminar will cover the basic legal issues involved in Entity Formation, including founder arrangements, founder employment arrangements, splitting the founder's equity pie, founder agreements and employee equity.   

The seminar will be followed by a workshop where startups that are pre-company formation will have the chance to meet with law students who will develop a 'roadmap' covering recommended structure, operating agreement and other formation issues.*

*Startups interested in participating in the workshop should contact, kit@cs.cmu.edu.  
*Law students interested in participating in the workshop should contact, SAD111@pitt.edu.

Start Smart: Raising Capital (Part 1)

Tuesday, February 17, 2015
5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Newell Simon Hall 3305
Presenter: David Lehman, K&L Gates

Learn about the legal issues associated with raising capital through friends and family, seed and series A, B, C, etc. The presenter, David Lehman, Partner at K&L Gates, will discuss the following:

• Structuring the investments to maximize growth
• Opportunities available because of the new JOBS Act
• Crowd sourcing and proposed SEC regulation
• Funding from incubators/accelerators, government and foundations

*NSF I-Corps Site Program Required to Attend*

Start Smart: Raising Capital (Part 2)
Negotiating a Term Sheet

Thursday, March 5, 2015
5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Newell Simon Hall 3305
Presenter: David Lehman, K&L Gates & Henry Snyder, K&L Gates

David Lehman and Henry Snyder, partners at K&L Gates, will address the business and legal issues associated with investments in start-up companies, including strategies in negotiating these arrangements, valuation, founder and investor rights, vesting, management and exits. 

In this interactive workshop participants will be divided into two groups - one to represent the investor, the other to represent the company. Both will decide independently on the terms they want and then brought back together for the negotiation led by the lawyers.

*NSF I-Corps Site Program Optional to Attend*

Start Smart: Protecting Your Company's IP

Thursday, March 19, 2015
5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
University of Pittsburgh, Barco Law Building, Room 111
Presenter: Mike Lazzara, K&L Gates & Lauren Shuttleworth, K&L Gates

This seminar led by Mike Lazzara and Lauren Shuttleworth of K&L Gates, will cover how not to infringe on another's IP, how to handle IP created by your employees, including non-compete clauses and which to use: copyright, patents, trademarks or trade secrets.

After this seminar immediately follows the workshop, which answers the question do you have an invention or product that you think can be patented? Bring your laptop to this session to get an introductory overview of how to do different types of patent searches and tips on how you can describe your invention to avoid infringing on other patents.

*NSF I-Corps Site Program Required to Attend*

Start Smart: Startup Personnel: Employees,  Interns, Volunteers and Contractors

Tuesday, April 14, 2015
5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
University of Pittsburgh, Barco Law Building, Room 111
Presenter: David Lehman, K&L Gates & Mike Pavlick, K&L Gates

Learn about the different types of startup personnel, including students working on projects, unpaid internships, independent contractors and employees. David Lehman and Mike Pavlick of K&L Gates will cover important information about contracts with employees and independent contractors, as well as employee equity issues.

Start Smart: Social Enterprise

Thursday, April 23, 2015
5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Newell Simon Hall 3305
Register

Learn about for-profit versus non-profit companies, social enterprise, hybrid and alternative legal models, including the Benefit Corporation, L3C's and Flexible Purpose Corporations. This is a MUST-ATTEND event for anyone interested in starting and running a company that blends profit with purpose.

Start Smart: Building Your Professional Relationships (Law, Accounting, Insurance and Banking)

Date: Thursday, September 18
Time: 5:30 to 7:00 pm
Location: Newell Simon Hall 1507

In addition to great founders and team members, startups need a knowledgeable team of professionals from a variety of fields who are experienced working with startups. Learn from this panel of key professionals what each bring to make your startup successful.

Panel:

• Law: David Lehman, K&L Gates
• Accounting: Bill Richardson, Sisterson, Inc
• Insurance: Kevin Hughes, TJ&S
• Banking: Joe King, Citizens Bank

Start Smart: How to Shop for a Lawyer

Date: Thursday, October 9
Time: 5:30 to 7:00 pm
Location: University of Pittsburgh

Finding the right lawyer is a key strategic business decision for a startup.  Your lawyer can be one of your best business advisers or a poor choice that costs you time and money.

Learn the right questions to ask, how to avoid common mistakes, and how to manage your relationship.

Start Smart: Raising Capital

Date: Thursday, October 16
Time: 5:30 to 7:00 pm
Location: Gates 4405

Learn about the legal issues associated with raising capital from friends and family, such as:

• Structuring the investments to maximize growth
• Opportunities available because of the new JOBS Act
• Crowd sourcing and proposed SEC regulation
• Funding from incubators/accelerators, government and foundations

Start Smart: Protecting Your Company's IP

Date: Thursday, October 30
Time: 5:30 to 7:00 pm
Location: University of Pittsburgh

Learn the answers to these issues:

• How to protect your company's IP
• How not to infringe on another's IP
• How to handle IP created by your employees, including non-compete clauses
• Which to use: copyright, patents, trademarks, trade secrets
• First to file vs first to invent: changes in US patent law

Presented by Mike Lazzara,  K&L Gates

Start Smart: How to Conduct Patent Research Workshop

Tuesday, November 18
5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
Newell Simon Hall 3305

Do you have an invention or product that you think can be patented? Bring your laptop to this session to learn how to research whether there are other patents similar to your invention and get tips on how you can describe your invention to avoid infringing on other patents.

Presented by Mike Lazzara from K&L Gates.

Start Smart: Raising Capital Part 1*

Thursday, February 18, 2016
5:30-7 pm
University of Pittsburgh, Barco Law Building, Room 107
Presenter: David Lehman, K&L Gates
Register

Learn about the legal issues associated with raising capital through friends and family, seed, series A, B, C and more:

• Structuring investments to maximize growth
• Opportunities available because of the new JOBS Act
• Crowdsourcing and proposed SEC regulation
• Funding from incubators/accelerators, government and foundations

*NSF I-Corps Site Teams required to attend*

Start Smart: Raising Capital Part 2 –Negotiating a Term Sheet Case Study*

Monday, February 29, 2016
5:30-7 pm
Newell Simon Hall 3305
Presenter: David Lehman & Henry Snyder, K&L Gates
Register

Attend this interactive workshop to learn how to address the business and legal issues associated with making investments in startups, including negotiation strategies, valuation, founder and investor rights, vesting, management and exits. Participants will divide into two groups—one to represent the investor and the other to represent the company. Both will decide independently on the terms they want and then brought back together for the negotiation led by the lawyers.

*Optional for NSF I-Corps Site Teams to attend*

Start Smart: Company Formation

Thursday, March 3, 2016
5:30-7 pm
University of Pittsburgh, Barco Law Building, Room 107
Presenter: David Lehman, K&L Gates
Register

Learn the basic legal issues that can occur with entity formation, including founder arrangements, founder employment arrangements, splitting the founder's equity pie, founder agreements and employee equity. The seminar will be followed by a workshop that will assist startups in the pre-company formation stage with developing a roadmap that covers recommended structure, operating agreements and other formation issues.

If you have a startup and would like to participate in the workshop, contact kit@cs.cmu.edu. If you are a law student interested in participating, contact SAD111@pitt.edu.

Start Smart: Protecting Your Company’s IP + Unraveling Student IP*

Thursday, March 17, 2016
5:30-7 pm
University of Pittsburgh, Barco Law Building, Room 107
Presenters: George Dickos, Lauren Shuttleworth Murray, David Lehman, K&L Gates
Register

Learn about legal issues related to intellectual property, including:

• Protecting your company's IP
• Not infringing on another's IP
• Handling IP created by your employees, including non-compete clauses
• Determining which IP protection to use: copyright, patents, trademarks and/or trade secrets
• First to file vs. First to invent: changes in US patent law
• Handling IP created by CMU and Pitt students

*NSF I-Corps Site Teams required to attend*

Start Smart: Social Enterprise – Profit with a Purpose

Thursday, April 7, 2016
5:30-7 pm
Newell Simon Hall 3305
Presenter: Stephanie Dangel, IPI, University of Pittsburgh Law School
Register

This is a must-attend event for anyone interested in starting and running a company that blends profit with purpose. Learn about for-profit, non-profit and hybrid social enterprise entities and the legal issues related to each entity choice, including financing and employment issues.

Start Smart: Preparing for an Exit

Thursday, April 21, 2016
5:30-7 pm
Gates 4405
Presenter: David Lehman, K&L Gates
Register

Acquisitions are the most common form of exit. Learn how to prepare the company for sale, including the due diligence process, sale process and potential auctions, the role of investment bankers, tax implications, typical structures, including earn-outs, employment and non-competition obligations.

Start Smart: Starting a Business with an F-1 Visa

Thursday, January 19, 2017
5:30-7 pm
Newell Simon Hall 3305
Presenter: Panel Discussion
Register

Join us for a panel discussion that will address how students with an F-1 visa can start a business or work on a startup team without violating their student status.

The panel includes: David Kalson, Director of the Emerging Business Group, Cohen & Grigsby, Larry Lebowitz, Director of the Immigration Group, Cohen & Grigsby, Linda Gentile, Director of the Office of International Education, CMU.

Start Smart: Company Formation

Thursday, February 9, 2017
5:30-7 pm
University of Pittsburth, Barco Law building, Room 109, 3900
Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Presenter: David Lehman, K&L Gates
Register

Learn the basic legal issues that can occur with entity formation, including founder arrangements, founder employment arrangements, splitting the founder's equity pie, founder agreements and employee equity. The seminar will be followed by a workshop that will assist startups in the pre-company formation stage with developing a roadmap that covers recommended structure, operating agreements and other formation issues.

If yu have a startup and would like to participate in the workshop, contact Kit@cs.cmu.edu. If you are a student interested in participating, contact SAD111@pitt.edu.

Start Smart: Raising Capital*

Thursday, February 16, 2017
5:30-7 pm
Newell Simon Hall 3305
Presenter: David Lehman, K&L Gates
Register
*NSF I-Corps Site Teams required to attend*

Learn about the legal issues associated with raising capital through friends and family, seed and series A, B, C, etc. Discuss the following:
• Structuring the investments to maximize growth
•Opportunities available due to the new JOBS Act
•Crowdsourcing and proposed SEC regulation
•Funding from incubators/accelerators, government and foundations

Start Smart: Raising Capital Part 2-Negotiating Term Sheets*

Thursday, February 23, 2017
5:30-7 pm
University of Pittsburgh, Barco Law Building, Room 109, 3900 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Presenter: David Lehman & Henry Snyder, K&L Gates
Register
*Optional for NSF I-Corps Site Teams to attend*

Attend this interactive workshop to learn how to address the business and legal issues associated with making investments in startups, including negotiation strategies, valuation, founder and investor rights, vesting, management and exits. Participants will divide into two groups—one to represent the investor and the other to represent the company. Both will decide independently on the terms they want and then brought back together for the negotiation led by the lawyers.

Start Smart: Protecting Your Company’s IP Assets*

Thursday, March 2, 2017
5:30-7 pm
University of Pittsburgh, Barco Law Building, Room 109, 3900 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Presenter: George Dickos & Lauren Shuttleworth Murray, K&L Gates
Register
*NSF I-Corps Site Teams required to attend*

This seminar will cover legal issues related to intellectual property, including:
•How to protect your company's IP
•How not to infringe on another's IP
•How to handle IP created by your employees, including non-compete clauses
•Which IP protection to use: copyright, patents, trademarks and/or trade secrets
•First to file vs. First to invent: changes in US patent law

Start Smart: Preparing for an Exit

Tuesday, March 28, 2017
5:30-7 pm
Newell Simon Hall 3305
Presenter: David Lehman, K&L Gates
Register

Acquisitions are the most common form of exit. Learn how to prepare the company for sale, including the due diligence process, sale process and potential auctions, the role of investment bankers, tax implications, typical structures, including earn-outs, employment and non-competition obligations.

Start Smart: Social Enterprise-Profit with a Purpose

Tuesday, April 4, 2017
5:30-7 pm
Newell Simon Hall 3305
Presenter: Stephanie Dangel, IPI, University of Pittsburgh Law
Register

This is a must-attend event for anyone interested in starting and running a company that blends profit with purpose. Learn about for-profit, non-profit and hybrid social enterprise entities and the legal issues related to each entity choice, including financing and employment issues.