Start Smart Legal Series
Spring 2023
The Start Smart Legal Series hosts various seminars and workshops throughout the semester that cover a wide range of legal topics for startup businesses. During each event, you will be able to learn from K&L Gates’ startup lawyers and gain valuable insight on how to legally start/run your startup.
All Start Smart sessions will be held from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. EST via Zoom. Dates, times, and presenters are subject to change.
How to Start a Business on an F-1 Student Visa
January 31, 2023
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. EST, Zoom
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.
Presenters:
- David Kalson, Dentons Cohen & Grigsby, Director of the Emerging Business Group
- Larry Lebowitz, Dentons Cohen & Grigsby, Director of the Immigration Group
- Linda Gentile, CMU, Director, Office of International Education
Hiring & Firing
February 28, 2023
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. EST, Zoom
You have a cofounder. Now what? Learn the ins and outs of staffing a company, including hiring employees and/or retaining independent contractors, interns and volunteers, important terms of employment or retention, restrictive covenants, and the use of employee equity to attract and retain personnel.
Presenters:
- David Lehman, K&L Gates
- Mike Pavlick, K&L Gates
How to Structure Your Capital Raise — Part 1 — The Fundamentals
March 14, 2023
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. EST, Zoom
Learn about the legal and economic/business issues associated with raising capital through Friends and Family, Seed Funding and Series A rounds. This session is a prerequisite to understanding and participating in Part 2 – Negotiating the Term Sheet.
Topics to be Covered:
– Structuring investments to maximize growth
– Funding from incubators/accelerators, angels, VCs, government, and foundations
Presenters:
- David Lehman, K&L Gates
How to Structure Your Capital Raise — Part 2 — Startups v. Investors: Negotiating the Term Sheet Workshop
March 28, 2023
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. EST, Zoom
Join us for a fun negotiation exercise in which you’ll play the role of either startup or investor! We’ll begin the evening with a quick overview of the legal issues associated with investing in startups. We’ll then divide into investor and startup groups, who will meet separately with lawyers to decide on the terms that they want. We’ll end the evening with a negotiation led by workshop volunteers playing the part of founders and investors and two of Pittsburgh’s top startup lawyers.
Presenters:
- David Lehman, K&L Gates
- Adam Kelson, K&L Gates
Worst Mistakes Made by Startups
April 11, 2023
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. EST, Zoom
A panel of lawyers will share the ‘horror stories’ of mistakes that they have seen startups make and the consequences of their decisions. Learn from the mistakes of others so you can avoid the same pitfalls!
Panelists:
- TBA
Moderator: David Lehman, K&L Gates