The McLane Law Firm is pleased to announce that Peter Dunn will co-chair a seminar on counseling startups being presented at the MCLE Conference Center in Boston on Thursday, February 27, 2014 from 2-5pm. The program will be given live and will also be webcast via MCLE and WestLegalEdCenter.
The session will serve as a primer for attorneys on counseling startup clients on matters from conception, formation, and funding through growth and sale of the business.
Start-up companies represent one of the most dynamic drivers of growth in today’s economy. The period from conception through funding, growth, and sale can be rapid and a misstep at any stage in the company’s life-cycle can mark the difference between success and failure. Lawyers counseling these companies and the entrepreneurs who found them are immersed in an exciting and fun area of practice which, at times, can find the lawyer in the role of business coach, cheerleader, match-maker, and legal counselor. This seminar provides a primer for attorneys interested in this area and introduces them to the most critical aspects of the practice.
Topics will include:
- Choice of entity considerations – Agreements among founders; Identifying and overcoming legal impediments; and Avoiding common pitfalls
- Counseling Start-Ups on IP Protection and Commercialization Strategies – Proper founder contribution of IP assets; Branding/trademark considerations; and Structuring agreements with commercial partners, consultants, and software developers to ensure they contain the appropriate protections and stand up to diligence by VCs and potential acquirers
- Start-Up Financing Primer – Terms of preferred stock and convertible notes and securities law considerations associated with private placements
- Equity Compensation Issues – Options, restricted stock, and phantom stock
- View from the Inside – Tips and insights from a VC on the key attributes of successful start-ups
- “Ask the Experts” Q+A Session
Faculty:
- Peter I. Dunn, Esq., Co-chair, McLane, Graf, Raulerson, & Middleton, PA, Woburn
- Sarah T. Hogan, Esq., Co-chair, Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo, PC, Boston
- Travis L. Blais, Esq., Travis Blais & Co., Boston
- Christopher L. McCain, Esq., General Catalyst Partners, Cambridge
- Kevin Pojasek, Ph.D, Atlas Venture, Cambridge
The recorded webinar will be available via MCLE and on WestLegalEdCenter on and after March 6, 2014.
As a member of McLane’s Corporate Department, Peter practices in the areas of corporate and securities law, commercial finance, and mergers and acquisitions. He works with family businesses, emerging companies and start-ups in a variety of industries ranging from life sciences, medical devices, high-tech and finance to construction and transportation. Peter counsels clients on a wide range of matters such as formation, debt and equity financing, mergers and acquisitions, employment matters, corporate governance, workouts, and restructurings. He often acts as outside general counsel for many of his clients in which he drafts, negotiates, and advises on issues ranging from commercial sales terms, vendor contracts, lending, licensing and compliance.
He can be reached at the firm’s TradeCenter 128 office at (781) 904-2700 or by email at peter.dunn@mclane.com.
About the McLane Law Firm
Founded in 1919, McLane, Graf, Raulerson & Middleton, Professional Association is the largest full-service law firm in the state of New Hampshire, with offices in Manchester, Concord and Portsmouth, as well as Woburn, Massachusetts. Driven by the firm’s depth of sophisticated legal expertise and an unwavering commitment to client service, McLane has built collaborative and lasting relationships with a broad spectrum of domestic and international clients. www.mclane.com