e145 | october 9, 2015 session 6: legal considerations for...
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Copyright © 2015 by the Board of Trustees of Stanford and Stanford Technology Ventures Program (STVP).
This document may be reproduced for educational purposes only.
Session 6: Legal Considerations for Technology Entrepreneurs
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Dan Dorosin
e145.stanford.edu
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• Legal aspects of entrepreneurship and launching a new technology venture
• IP and why IP matters
Please ask your questions!
Overview
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Who Are These Guys?
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Why Are They Famous?
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Who Are These Guys?
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What Happened?
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• Does “legal” matter in the very earliest stages of a start up’s life?
• How can a lawyer help entrepreneurs grow their venture?
Threshold Questions
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• Help entrepreneurs grow business, from an idea to successful enterprise
• Navigate legal issues that arise during start up’s life cycle
• Familiarity with the business and legal practices of “Silicon Valley" and entrepreneurial eco-system
• Earn role of trusted advisor
Role of Start Up Lawyer
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Start Up’s “Corporate Life Cycle”
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• High growth venture, likely technology-based
• Initially funded by angels and/or VC investors
• Will hire employees, who expect equity incentives
• Any free cash flow reinvested in business rather than distributed to owners
Context for Today’s Discussion
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When Does Lawyer Get Involved? • When is the “right” time to incorporate?
• Why incorporate? § Benefits (shield from personal liability)
– Follow formalities
• Consequences – Memorialize the relationship among the founders (more to come …) – IP ownership crystallized (corporation now owns)
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• Entity Type
§ Typically a Delaware “C” corporation
§ Familiarity to investors
§ Relatively inexpensive to set up
§ Flexible capital structure, including for equity comp
• Avoiding speed bumps
Company Formation
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• Incorporation process often raises important team considerations
• Functional roles, commitments and contributions
• Stock allocation and terms (see below)
Founding Team Considerations
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• How allocate founder equity?
§ Equal likely may not be the answer § Honestly assess relative contributions, commitments
and roles • Does everyone value founder equity the
same way?
• Process bring into focus team dynamics
Equity Splits (What should Will do??)
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• Vesting § What and why have it? (Important to founders,
too) § Acceleration? § Red face test
• Other Stock Terms
• Tax Considerations
Founder Equity Arrangements
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• Guidance navigating the process • Introductions • Market trends and terms • Long-term financing strategy
§ Milestones need to raise new rounds
• Structuring alternatives and trade-offs (see below)
• Negotiation and closing
Financing Process
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• Notes = debt; no valuation set or specific ownership % (but conversion caps)
§ Typically no governance rights § Simplicity
• Preferred stock = equity; valuation of company, ownership % specified
§ Governance rights to investors § (Somewhat) more complex
• What structure will your seed investors do?
Structuring the Seed Financing
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• Key economic terms – conversion, caps, M&A premiums
• Limited governance terms
Seed Note Term Sheet
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• Valuation, pool, dilution
• Economic rights of Preferred Stock
• Governance rights of Preferred Stock
• Board of Directors
• Changes to founders’ arrangements?
Preferred Stock Term Sheet
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Series A Dilution Example
Shares
Valuation
% Company Pre A
% Company Post A
Founders(issuedatincorp.)
5,000,000 Nominal 100% 48.6%
Op>onPool(IncreasedaspartofPre)
1,542,200 TBD* _ 15%
PreMoneyFullyDiluted
6,542,200 $7M(or$1.07pershareA)**
100% _
$4MSeriesA 3,738,400*** _ _ 36.4%
PostAFullyDiluted
10,280,600 $11M _ 100%
Example:Raise$4MSeriesAat$7MPrewith15%PostPool
*409AValua>ontypicallyobtainedaXerfinancingclosing.**$7Mpremoneydividedby6,542,200pre-moneyfullydiluted.***$4Mdividedby$1.07SeriesApricepershare.
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Additional Key Areas • Governance
§ Board composition and dynamics § Stockholder rights
• Protection of IP (discussed below) • Vetting business model(s) • Equity compensation arrangements • Partnerships • Disputes • Exit/Liquidity
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• Valuable intangible property that is protectable under the law
• Different types of IP (see following discussion)
• Creates competitive advantage
• Licensable – multiple authorized users at the same time, creating source of (very high margin) revenue
Intellectual Property
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• Trademark gives you the right to prevent others from using “confusingly similar” marks and logos
§ Identify source of goods – e.g. Nike Swoosh
• Trademark protection lasts as long as you are using the mark
• Trademark registration is optional, but has significant advantages if approved
• Country by country
Trademark protects branding and marks
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• Copyright gives right to prevent others from copying, distributing or making derivatives of your work § Protects “expressions” of ideas but does not protect the
underlying ideas
• (Way) more than just technology: songs, books, movies, photos, etc.
• Copyright protection lasts (practically) “forever”
• Copyright does not prevent independent development
• Registration is optional, but is required to sue for infringement
Copyright protects creative works of authorship
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• A government granted “monopoly” to prevent others from making, using or selling your invention
§ Even if infringement innocent or accidental
• Invention must be non-obvious
• Protection lasts typically for 15-20 years
• Application and examination is required
• Must file in U.S. within one year of sale, offer for sale, public disclosure or public use
• U.S. law first to file.
Patents
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• Information that is kept secret and has economic value to the business
§ Coke recipe, customer lists
• No registration required
• Can last for as long as you take reasonable steps to keep confidential
Trade Secrets
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• What type of IP matters to a venture, and what it should do to protect IP, is highly company/industry dependent
• Every company has unique business and IP needs and considerations § Medical device company – patents
§ Social network/commerce start up – trademark, copyright § Enterprise software company – copyright, trade secret
• Industry dynamics (need portfolio to trade?)
• Stage of the company’s development/ resources
IP Needs Company Dependent
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• Important for start ups to develop an IP strategy to map out: • Key players and technologies in its market(s)
• Expectations of where the market is going
• Opportunities for strategic advantage
• Strategy will evolve over time, including b/c of changes in available company resources, changes in marketplace, technological advances, etc.
Proactively Develop IP Strategy
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Common IP Blunders by Start-Ups
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• Under CA law, employers may own inventions that are “related to employer’s reasonably anticipated R&D” even if done on “own time”
• Process important when leaving current employer — “take only memories”
• University patent policies apply, too
1. Founders Don’t Make Clean Break with Prior Employer or Research Institution
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• Take the time to create a well documented, clear chain of title to IP
• Written assignments of IP by founding team
• Any other “founders” with claims?
• Independent Contractors need written assignment agreements
• Employee Invention Assignment Agreements
2. Company Cannot Clearly Show That it Owns its IP
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• Early licensing/partnering terms can impact value of IP § Grant of exclusive rights to IP in key verticals,
territories, etc.
§ Grant of “most favored nations” license terms or other licensee-favorable economic terms
§ Key value creating agreement not assignable in acquisition (or, alternatively, not terminable upon acquisition)
3. Company Grants “Challenging” Licenses to IP Limiting Value Created by IP
Thank you!
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