In this podcast, Sebastian Lucier speaks with Carl Dumesle, one of the winners of the USD School of Business Fowler Business Concept Challenge, about the experiences of launching a company as a student and engaging with academic institution resources available to student entrepreneurs.

In the second installment of Mintz’s multi-part series addressing common questions relating to establishing a new enterprise, Sam Effron and Sebastian Lucier discuss the issuance of shares to the founders, the mechanics and reasoning behind vesting and some important tax consequences relating to share issuances.

By Jeremy Glaser, Sebastian Lucier, and Sebastian A. Bacon

Although no one can predict the long-term economic impact of COVID-19, early indications show similarities to the last significant economic downturn that started in 2008. During that period, venture capital investment decreased significantly both domestically and abroad — in the first quarter of 2009, alone, there were double-digit declines in venture financings. The decrease in available capital during that time period led to a significant uptick in financing rounds at lower valuations than in previous rounds, or so-called “down-round financings.” Companies should be prepared for a similar occurrence, and be ready to take precautionary steps in order to minimize risks relating to a down-round financing.

In the first installment of Mintz’s multi-part series addressing common questions relating to establishing a new enterprise, Jeremy Glaser and Sebastian Lucier discuss the timing of forming an entity, the differences between the two most common choices (corporation and LLC) and the best jurisdiction to position a company for outside investment.

By Sebastian Lucier

Equity Incentive Plans (aka, Stock Option Plans) are a standard feature in nearly every start-up.  Although the basic concept (granting an equity interest to an employee or other service provider) is simple enough, there are a few administrative and legal technicalities that need to be respected.  Below is a list of five common mistakes that start-ups make when administering their Equity Incentive Plans.

Jennifer Rubin, a Member in the Employment, Labor & Benefits Practice, and Sebastian Lucier, a Member in the Venture Capital & Emerging Companies Practice, discuss employment law related matters for companies operating in the state of California, including the challenges relating to characterizing an individual as an employee rather than an independent contractor.