Business Law Day 2

  • Startup Dynamics and Entity Selection

    • Roles in a Company

    • Distinction between investors and employees

    • Contribution of equity capital without working in the company

    • Separate legal and contractual questions

    • Governance by Contracts

    • Importance of early-stage agreements to prevent disputes

    • Examples:

      • Liquidation scenarios

      • Investor claims back funding if business fails

      • Success scenarios

      • Claim of a third of the company if worth 1,000,000,0001,000,000,000

  • Entity Selection and Taxation

    • Business entities examined (LLCs, partnerships)

    • Legal and tax implications

  • Asset Separation

    • Separation of personal and business assets

    • Function of specific business entities

  • Operational Contracts and Resource Management

    • Third-Party Providers

    • Use of outside specialists (HR, payroll) via contracts

    • Acquiring Equipment

    • Decisions between buying or leasing

    • Financial, accounting, and taxation treatments

    • Contractual Rules for Different Transactions

    • Distinct sets of rules based on contract subject:

      • Transactions in goods (Uniform Commercial Code)

      • Services and real estate (different rules)

    • Advertising and Marketing

    • Legal issues (civil misrepresentation, criminal fraud)

    • Types of legal oversight:

      • Torts (civil wrongs)

      • Regulatory Law (FTC oversight)

  • Intellectual Property (IP) Protection

    • Copyright

    • Protection of creative works (books, music)

    • Trademark

    • Trade names, labels, logos

    • Patent

    • Protection of new, useful devices/creations

    • Trade Secrets

    • Information shared on a