Startup & Accelerate

The Basics

Avoiding a Taxing Situation: Considerations for Your Startup

Topics include:

• Tax considerations for your startup
• Tips to guide you through important taxation matters
• Common pitfalls

Biotechnology, Medical Device, and Other Life Sciences Emerging Companies – Legal Strategies and Venture Capital Financing and Market Trends

Topics include:

• Background on the biotech, pharma and medical device industry
• Intellectual property, partnerships and collaborations
• Venture capital investments

Emerging Company Key Considerations for AI

Topics include:

• AI overview
• Regulatory framework
• IP considerations
• Data privacy and security
• Employment matters
• Contracting, M&A and investments

Evolving Market Terms for Venture Capital Investments: Summary of NVCA Model Legal Documents Recent Updates

Topics include:

• Why do the NVCA documents matter to founders and companies
• Why do the NVCA documents matter to investors and stockholders
• Recent updates

Get Up and Go: Navigating Startup Issues

Topics include:

• Timely subjects and tips to guide you through important formation matters
• Business entity selection, agreements among founders, early-stage financing structures, and advice for avoiding common mistakes

Key Beginning Documents: Founders’ Agreements, Seed Financing, Convertible Notes and SAFEs

Topics include:

• Key issues and terms relevant to a founder’s agreements, seed financing, convertible notes, and SAFEs
• Matters including protecting intellectual property assets and merger and acquisition agreements

Making a Clean Start: Avoiding Common Legal Mistakes Made by Life Science Entrepreneurs 

Topics include:

• How to make a clean start
• Avoiding common legal mistakes made by life science entrepreneurs

Economic Development & Investment Group’s Small Business Toolkit: Mobilizing for Equality

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Topics include:

• An easy-to-read checklist and other resources essential for any startup

GOVERNMENT LEGISLATION/REGULATION

Paycheck Protection Program - Round 2: Key Considerations for Businesses Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act 

Topics include:

• The extension and expansion of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
• The PPP Second Draw program
• Key provisions and guidance for businesses seeking to participate in the revived PPP under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021

Part 2: Understanding the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program 

Topics include:

• Key features of the Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act, in addition to recent Small Business Administration guidance

Open for Business: Your Startup and Government Contracts 

Topics include:

• The government contract process and making sure that your company is set up for success
• Federal marketplace, contract types, government opportunities, and important government contract issues and considerations

CFIUS Concerns in Life Science Investment and Venture Capital Transactions

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Topics include:

• The potential for Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) issues in transactions involving a foreign person and a US business
• Unique CFIUS concerns for life sciences transactions

CARES Act: Key Takeaways for the Technology Industry

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Topics include:

• Aims of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) to offer economic relief to companies and their employees
• How the CARES ACT doesn’t expressly provide industry-specific relief, but many provisions impact the technology industry

Spending Bill Revives Paycheck Protection Program for US Small Businesses

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Topics include:

• The stimulus package tied to the Consolidated Appropriations Act
• Key provisions and guidance for businesses seeking to participate in the Paycheck Protection Program
• A Review of recent federal government programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program

Funds for the Operation

Down Rounds, Recaps and Pay to Play Provisions: Embracing Venture Capital Financing Strategies for Emerging Companies in a Challenging Fundraising Climate

Topics include:

• Market overview and causes of down rounds
• Recap key economic considerations
• Fiduciary duties

Evolving Market Terms for Venture Capital Investments: Trade Association Updates Standards, New Jersey Lawyer

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Topics include:

• Updates to the National Venture Capital Association’s primary model legal documents—which include a term sheet, certificate of incorporation, stock purchase agreement, investor’s rights agreement, voting agreement, and right of first refusal and co-sale agreement

Get an Edge: Understanding Seed Financing Terms and Structures

Topics include:

• Various deal structures frequently used in seed financings
• Range of market terms for deal structures 

Know Your Next Steps - Later Stage/Preferred Stock Financing

Topics include:

• Various deal structures frequently used for later stage and preferred stock financings
• Market terms for later stage and preferred stock financings

Making the Most of Your Round – Preferred Stock Financing Topics

Topics include:

• Guidance investment options and advantages and pitfalls
• Key issues and terms relevant to a Series Seed or Series A preferred stock investment 

Preparing a Venture Capital Term Sheet

Topics include:

• How a term sheet is structured
• Key definitions and classifications

Raising Capital During this Unique Time in History 

Topics include:

• What investors are looking for and how entrepreneurs can best navigate raising capital

Seed Financing and Early Stage Financing for Startups: Introduction to Angels, SAFEs, Convertible Notes and Venture Capital 

Topics include:

• Investors and their preferences
• Possible deal structures

Staying in the Fight: Getting Your Company through the Down Round to the Next Round of Financing 

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Topics include:

• Recent down round trends
• Alternatives to a down round
• Down round implementation
• Fiduciary duties and legal requirements
• Recaps and pay to plays 

Understanding Venture Debt: Exploring Options for Growth 

Topics Include:

• Understanding venture debt and how it can drive business growth

What Asian Investors in US Life Sciences Startups Should Know

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Topics include:

• Intellectual Property
• Day to Day Oversight
• CFIUS

Angels in the Startups

Angel Investing as a Funding Source 

Topics include:

• An overview of angel investing
• Ways to make the funding relationship between angel investors and entrepreneurs mutually beneficial

How to Become Touched by an Angel

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Topics include:

• What angel investors are
• Why ventures seek angels investors
• What angels investors look for in investments

Getting Industry Focused

Bank Partnerships with & Investments in Fintech Companies 

Topics include:

• Discussion of the US regulatory framework governing partnerships
• Focus on investments in fintech firms by banks, bank holding companies, and their nonbank affiliates—e.g., bank-affiliated broker-dealers, asset management firms, and private equity and venture funds

Seed Financing Structures for Digital Health Companies 

Topics include:

• Deal structures frequently used in digital health company seed financings
• The range of market terms for each structure

Your Onboarding Operations

Your Team Is Your Foundation: Discussing Your Company's Equity Compensation 

Topics include:

• Using artificial intelligence (AI) to automate the search for candidates, screen candidates, and analyze candidates’ skills and aptitudes
• The use of AI in recruiting and hiring

AI in Hiring and Recruiting

Read the insight >>

Topics include:

• Using artificial intelligence (AI) to automate the search for candidates, screen candidates, and analyze candidates’ skills and aptitudes
• The use of AI in recruiting and hiring

Building a Team – Employee Onboarding 

Topics include:

• Best practices for onboarding
• Benefits options available to best suit your business

Risk and Reward: International Tax, Employment and Immigration Considerations in Engaging Contractors in Tech 

Topics include:

• Considerations when engaging independent contractors in the United Kingdom
• Various risks including the risk of reclassification and potential increased tax and employment right liabilities

Strategies for Success: The Importance of Workplace Culture in Tech 

Topics include:

• Importance of workplace culture and values for business success
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion; leadership from the top; role modelling; and flexibility in the workplace

What’s in it for the Team and Me? Discussing Your Company’s Equity Compensation 

Topics include:

• Determining the right structure for equity compensation
• The connection between the entrepreneur and the team

Your Global Talent Pool: Immigration Considerations for US Based Startups 

Topics include:

• US visa options, including advantages and challenges
• Overview of visa options for Hong Kong and Singapore

Cross-Border Investments

CFIUS and Other Considerations with Foreign Investors 

Topics include:

• How startups can successfully address novel issues when considering noncontrolling investments from foreign investors, which may affect your fundraising options

Cross-Border Issues: Compliance, Employment, and What Could Possibly Go Wrong in M&A Transactions 

Topics include:

• Cross-border matters in M&A transactions with a focus on China
• Developments in employment and compliance, including data protection, the unreliable entities list, antitrust, and the social credit system

Making the Most of Cross-Border Deals in an Era of Heightened Regulatory Risk 

Topics include:

• Key cross-border regulatory issues as they may affect M&A transactions
• Risk-based due diligence, key diligence questions, considerations for buyers and sellers, and issues to consider in Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and national security-related transactions

M&A Considerations within CFIUS & Trade Regulation 

Topics include:

• Risk-based due diligence
• Key diligence questions
• Considerations for buyers and sellers
• Issues to consider in CFIUS and national security-related transactions

M&A Practice in the UK and the US: A Comparison (And Some Observations on the Impact of COVID-19) 

Topics include:

• Pricing mechanisms, execution risk, and seller warranties

M&A Transaction Round-Up

Deal Structuring: Threshold Questions to Ask and Answer from Either Side of the Table 

• Overview of the acquisition process
• Determining the best acquisition structure from both a seller’s and a buyer’s perspective 

Get the Facts on SPACs 

Topics include:

• Important legal issues, including additional fund options
• Private investments in public equity, obtaining shareholder approval for potential mergers, and preparation for target companies

Getting to the Heart of It: The Anatomy of an M&A Transaction 

Topics include:

• An overview of various M&A structures—the ins and outs of an acquisition agreement
• Factors to consider when deciding which M&A structure is best
• Understanding the tax implications, commercial issues, and process of a particular deal

Impact of the Paycheck Protection Program on M&A Transactions 

Topics include:

• Potential risks and other diligence considerations of the Paycheck Protection Program

Issues to Consider in a New Venture Spin-Out

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Topics include:

• Matters to evaluate when considering a spin-out
• Technology, governance, and conflicts of interest

Key Issues in Tech M&A 

Topics include:

• Trends and critical issues found in today’s technology M&A transactions and how to address them

M&A and Investment into AI Companies 

Topics include:

• Key issues that buyers and investors frequently grapple with as they evaluate companies in the artificial intelligence (AI) space

M&A Academy: M&A Considerations Across the Ever-Changing Life Sciences Landscape 

Topics include:

• Market trends in M&A in the life sciences sector 

Technology in M&A Transactions – What Parties Care About When Buying and Selling Technology 

Topics include:

• Transferability and assignability of key intellectual property and technology licenses
• Important deal issues that buyers and sellers in M&A transactions care about when acquiring or selling technology assets

What You Need to Know About M&A and Investing in AI

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Topics include:

• Specialized due diligence required in artificial intelligence (AI) matters
• Complex issues that may arise in artificial intelligence matters

IPO Insights

The Lowdown on IPOs: Key Takeaways for Founders & Investors in High Growth Companies

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Topics include:

• The Pros and Cons of an IPO Process
• Preparing for the IPO
• IPO Structure and Considerations
• Choosing IPO Underwriters
• Corporate Governance Considerations
• Disclosure Requirements and Legal Considerations

Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) – A Path to Liquidity for Founders and Venture Capital Funds Investing in High Growth Companies 

Topics include:

• Pros and Cons of IPOs
• Issues to Consider
• Corporate Structure Issues

Preparing to Go Public: Roadmap for your Early-Stage Startup 

Topics include:

• How to set up your startup for success when going through an IPO
• Practical advice to keep your company on the IPO track through economic turbulence.

AI in Digital Advisory Offerings: Regulatory Considerations 

Topics include:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) in digital advisory offerings

Biden-Harris Administration Takes on Digital Asset Regulation

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Topics include:

• Six policy objectives
• Calls on federal agencies to produce reports on how these objectives interact with the industry

How Do the New CFIUS Regulations Affect My Technology Company? 

Topics include:

• The need for US technology companies to address novel issues when considering noncontrolling investments from foreign investors

National Security-Related Considerations When Investing in US Companies

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Topics include:

• Due diligence
• Export control, sanctions, and FCPA compliance
• US Government restrictions
• Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)
• Outbound investment review

Recent Developments in European FDI Laws and Their Impact on Technology Companies 

Topics include:

• Recent developments in Europe on foreign direct investment (FDI) law
• Applicable FDI provisions that may significantly impact the transactional diligence and timing for the implementation of cross border transactions

Software As a Medical Device: US FDA Regulatory and Legal Framework 

Topics include:

• US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) policies applicable to artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies when intended for healthcare applications

The New CFIUS Regulations: What Happens after February 13th? - Part 1

Topics include:

• Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) regulations for foreign entities

The New CFIUS Regulations: What Happens after February 13th?  - Part 2 

Topics include:

• Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) regulations for foreign entities

Protecting Your Data

AI and Data Privacy

Read the insight >>

Topics include:

• An introductory session on artificial intelligence (AI) and data privacy

Cyberinsurance: Is Your Company Covered 

Topics include:

• The latest developments in cyberinsurance

Privacy and Data Security Issues in M&A Transactions 

Topics include:

• Key privacy and security issues in the marketplace
• Regulated industries, impacts in cross-border deals, and other strategic considerations in both a corporate and commercial context

Understand Your Cyberthreats: Key Considerations in Your Company’s Cybersecurity 

Topics include:

• How you can better understand and protect against cyber-based threats to your growing business

Your IT Infrastructure and Systems – Cybersecurity and Data Privacy 

Topics include:

• Cybersecurity threat management and crisis response to incidents
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Security Rule standards applicable to vaccination records
• Data collection and cross-border data transfer issues

Early Stage Commercial Agreements 

Topics include:

• A comprehensive overview of commercial agreements and issues for life sciences companies
• How these agreements can set up an entrepreneur for success

Technology Transactions Impact All Startups: A Review and Considerations 

Topics include:

• Top issues impacting commercial and technology transaction agreements and their impact on startups
• Negotiations and strategies and how to avoid pitfalls

Tomorrow’s Technology Today

Becoming Well Metaversed, Pittsburgh Technology Council

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Topics include:

• The practical use of the metaverse and the implications tied to issues such as intellectual property rights

Bias Issues and AI 

Topics include:

• Why bias occurs, how it manifests, the challenges it creates, and actions that can be taken to minimize its impact on artificial intelligence (AI)

Biotechnology, Medical Device, and Other Life Sciences Emerging Companies – Legal Strategies and Venture Capital Financing and Market Trends 

Topics include:

• Background on the biotech, pharma and medical device industry
• Intellectual property, partnerships and collaborations
• Venture capital investments

Getting Versed in the Metaverse, Pittsburgh Technology Council’s One Mic Stand

Listen to the podcast >>

Topics include:

• Legal considerations of the metaverse including the emerging platform’s potential and the intellectual property, trademark, and contractual issues associated with the metaverse

HealthTech Emerging Companies: Legal Strategies, Venture Capital Financings and Market Trends 

Topics include:

• Healthcare innovation in today’s market
• Legal strategies around commercialization strategy
• Venture capital financing in the current funding climate

Investment Opportunities and Historical Risks in the EV Charging Market

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Topics include:

• More demand in the overall EV market will allow for increased opportunities for investment
• Easy charging infrastructure development and heavy charging platforms will accelerate demand

The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence for the Legal Profession 

Topics include:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) development and adoption in the legal profession—from its early adoption to its current state to where we think it is headed
• Moral and ethical considerations AI use raises for lawyers and their clients

What’s Driving the Future of Asia’s Tech Scene: Key Trends and Regulatory Updates

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Topics include:

• The Metaverse: Opportunities and Challenges in China and Singapore
• ESG Strategies
• IP Enforcement Trends in China
• China’s Data Privacy Regime
• CFIUS and Other National Security Factors
• Disputes Involving Founders and Startup Companies
• Mergers and Acquisitions Due Diligence

Other Considerations

Corporate Venture Capital Trends 

Topics include:

• Corporate venture capital trends
• Recent deal trends and terms for the largest corporate venture capital deals

Making an Impact – Legal Considerations for ESG and Equality Investing 

Topics include:

• When and how should smaller, private companies think about an ESG strategy
• Importance on consulting with stakeholders on ESG priorities

Market Trends Impacting Fintech 

Topics include:

• Significant market trends in the fintech sector and their impacts on startups

Maximizing the Value of Medical Device Innovations

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Topics include:

• Strategies to help maximize the value of medical device innovations