Previous Sessions
Introduction to Startup Law
September 22, 2022
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. EST, Zoom
Join us for a lightning round of Q&A with top startup and intellectual property lawyers. We will kick off the evening with a quick overview of the most common startup legal issues: contract law, IP protection, raising capital, entity formation and employment law and exit planning. Then you’ll get to ask YOUR most pressing legal questions.
Presenters:
- David Lehman, K&L Gates
- Chip Dougherty, CMU
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How to Handle Your (and Others’) Intellectual Property
October 6, 2022
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. EST, Zoom
Intellectual Property is an asset to be protected. This session will cover how to deal with IP issues including:
- Different ways to protect your company’s IP (copyrights, trade secrets, patents, trademarks, etc)
- Do you really need a patent?
- Difference between a provisional patent and a formal patent filing
- Developing a patent strategy
- How to handle IP created by class projects when one or more of the student team members want to pursue commercialization
- Tips on searching the US Patent Office Database (for prior ‘art’ e.g. existing patents)
- What to expect after filing a patent (time and expenses)
Presenters:
- David Lehman, K&L Gates
- Lauren Murray, K&L Gates
- Reed McManigle, CMU
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How to Form Your Startup Company, Part 1: The Basics
October 27, 2022
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. EST, Zoom
Learn the basic legal issues involved with new company formation, including choice of entity (LLC, C-Corp, social enterprise options such as non-profit (501c), Benefit Corporation, and B Corps certification, and other company structure alternatives, basics of founders agreements, splitting equity and employee vesting. We’ll start the evening by hearing from lawyers and a startup who will share their experiences forming startup companies. This is a prerequisite for participating in How to Form Your Startup Company – Part 2
Presenters/Participants:
- David Lehman, K&L Gates
- Stephanie Dangel, University of Pittsburgh Law School
- University of Pittsburgh Law School Students
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Download slideshow
How to Form Your Startup Company, Part 2: Legal Roadmap Workshop
November 10, 2022
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. EST, Zoom
Your team will be matched with one or more law students to design a “legal roadmap” that will recommend the best entity option for your startup and the basics of a founders agreement – all under the supervision of experienced startup lawyers! **This workshop fills up quickly, so if you want to work with a law student, please email sad111@pitt.edu by Friday, October 21.**
Presenters/Participants:
- David Lehman, K&L Gates
- Stephanie Dangel, University of Pittsburgh Law School
- University of Pittsburgh Law School students
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Download Legal Roadmap Workshop Resources
Building and Leveraging Your Professional Team
November 15, 2022
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. EST, Zoom
In addition to your cofounders and team members, startups need a knowledgeable team of professionals from a variety of fields who are experienced working with startups. This includes your lawyer, accountant, insurer, and banker as well as advisors. This session will start with how to find the lawyer that is the best fit for your startup and then give some advice on rounding out your professional team, recruiting advisors and maximizing the value of the relationship.
Presenters:
- Kit Needham, CMU
- Stephanie Dangel, University of Pittsburgh School of Law
- Rhonda Schuldt, University of Pittsburgh’s Big Idea Center
- David Lehman, K&L Gates
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Watch Recording
