*We are in the process of determining Start Smart sessions for the fall semester. Check back in late Summer 2023 for our Fall 2023 Start Smart session schedule!*
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.
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:
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:
Presenters:
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:
How to Form Your Startup, Part 2: Legal Roadmap
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 send a description to sad111@pitt.edu by Friday, October 21.**
Presenters/Participants:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
Download the Term Sheet Exercise
Watch the Introduction Portion of the Session
Watch the Negotiation Portion of the Session
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:
Moderator: David Lehman, K&L Gates
