Safford & Baker - Legal Advisors to Technology Businesses

Workshop and Panel Discussion: Operational Growth and Capital Investment Planning for Entrepreneurs

mbower — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:06:57 +0000

MIT Enterprise Forum and GLEQ are presenting a workshop and panel discussion on "Operational Growth and Capital Investment Planning for Entrepreneurs" on Tuesday, May 8, 2012. Leading the workshop and discussion is our very own Don Baker. About the program:

For most startups and early stage technology companies, raising investment capital is the first and most daunting task. Lack of adequate capitalization puts a great deal of strain on what is already the difficult task of launching a new product or service into the marketplace and building an operational business. Particularly in bootstrapped start-ups, diversion of management resources to fundraising tasks usually lengthen time to market, which feeds back into a need for even more capital to support the launch. In ...read more

Paying Your Team Members with Equity: All About Stock Grants and Options

mbower — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:35:23 +0000

Our very own Don Baker will be presenting "Paying Your Team Members with Equity: All About Stock Grants and Options" as a MIT Enterprise Forum Savvy Entrepreneur Series Lunch & Learn Webinar on April 24th from 12-1 p.m.

Informative Webinars to help emerging technology companies and entrepreneurs understand how to leverage equity forms of compensation. Many entrepreneurs need to on-board early team members and leaders with limited cash flow, so they consider how to best leverage equity forms of compensation. There are important business, governance, legal, and tax perspectives to consider the best approaches for your specific situation. Bring your situation and questions to this informative and interactive program to help educate yourself. This Savvy Entrepreneur Series Webinar program ...read more

eCommerce and State Sales Taxes: Understanding “Amazon” Tax Laws

mbower — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:52:16 +0000

I'll be presenting two programs to the newly-formed eCommerce Ann Arbor group on Monday, April 16, 2012 starting at 6:30 p.m., at Connor O'Neills in Ann Arbor. "eCommerce and State Sales Taxes: Understanding 'Amazon' Tax Laws"

Cash-strapped states are looking at Internet sales as a potential new source of tax revenue. Online retailers should take notice. In the past three years, seven states have enacted so-called “Amazon” laws (named after online mega-retailer Amazon.com) in an attempt to force online retailers to collect and remit sales taxes for Internet sales in their states. Fifteen other states have had similar legislation introduced or currently pending. This presentation will focus on understanding what “Amazon” taxes laws are and the future of Internet sales taxes.

AND "Email ...read more

Google Ventures Backs Duo Security

mbower — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:47:24 +0000

We are very proud to have represented Duo Security in their $5 million Series A round of financing led by Google Ventures and True Ventures on the West Coast, together with Ann Arbor's own Resonant Venture Partners. You can read about it here, here, and here. The official press release is here. --Matt

Business Law & Order: Funding 101

mbower — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:10:37 +0000

I'm going to be presenting Don Baker's "Developing a Capital Fundraising Plan" at Ann Arbor Spark tonight, Monday, February 20th at 5:00 p.m. Here are the event details: What: Business Law & Order: Funding 101 Where: Ann Arbor SPARK Central, 330 East Liberty, Lower Level, Ann Arbor MI 48104 Date: 2/20/2012 Time: 5:00 PM-7:00 PM Cost: FREE Also presenting are Bradley J. Wyatt from Dickinson Wright PLLC, Gary Kendra of Kendra Law Firm, and Jeffrey L. LaBine from Miller Canfield, presenting on Grant Funding, Securities Law Basics, and “How to Choose Your Investors Wisely”. Hope you can stop by. --Matt

Savvy Entrepreneur-Inside the Mind of an Angel Investor

mbower — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:57:02 +0000

MIT Enterprise Forum of the Great Lakes continues its Savvy Entrepreneur Series on Tuesday, February 21st from 5:30-8:00 p.m. with "Inside the Mind of an Angel Investor". Our very own Don Baker will be joining the panel and is sure to provide some interesting insights -- since he has both represented companies taking angel investments and been an angel investor himself. About the event:

For most entrepreneurs, raising seed and early stage capital is arguably one of the most challenging steps of starting a company. This financing stage is usually too early for most professional Venture Capital firms. And after you've put in most of your own money and that of some close friends and family, it is probably ...read more

Annual Collaboration for Entrepreneurship – ACE ’12

mbower — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:15:51 +0000

The Annual Collaboration for Entrepreneurship, better known as ACE, is Ann Arbor's premier event for entrepreneur networking. ACE '12 is taking place this Tuesday, January 31, 2012, from 2-9 p.m., at Skyline High School in Ann Arbor. From the website:

Each year at ACE, you'll join an exciting, forward-thinking community of innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders – people like you — who have the vision and drive to build new ventures for a new future. Each year's ACE event, along with the year-long activities of its supporting organizations, is helping to make the Great Lakes region a better place to start and grow a business. Join hundreds of attendees as they take advantage of learning and networking opportunities with fellow ...read more

Ann Arbor New Tech Meetup: Roger Ehrenberg on Big Data

mbower — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:48:20 +0000

This month, Ann Arbor New Tech Meetup, brought to you by a2geeks, is hosting Roger Ehrenberg, celebrated New York angel investor, UM alum, and founder and Managing Partner of IA Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on big data investments. Here's an abstract of Roger's presentation:

Data has touched every industry for decades, so why is Big Data such a hot topic now? In this talk, Roger frames what Big Data means, how it's generated, and how scale companies and startups alike use data as an active asset. He compares sources of data and end-products for example companies, and discusses how to use data as a source of natural competitive advantage.

You can RSVP here. --Matt

Detroit Startup Drinks – Cliff Bell’s December 21st

mbower — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:05:13 +0000

The next Detroit Startup Drinks event is Wednesday, December 21, 2011 from 5:30-8 p.m. at Cliff Bell's, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. Come on down and meet like-minded individuals looking to support startup culture, help each other out, and share ideas…over a pint. Join the Facebook Group. Don’t forget to RSVP. –Matt

Ann Arbor New Tech Meetup: Michigan Business Model Competition finals

mbower — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:04:44 +0000

The Ann Arbor New Tech Meetup is breaking from its regular schedule and format to support the Michigan Business Model Competition Final Event, brought to you by SI Create. From the press release:

Come watch the competition's final four teams pitch their entrepreneurial business models at Blau Auditorium on Monday December 12, 2011. The final four teams will win $5000 in prizes! Judges include Menlo Innovations President Rich Sheridan, SPARK VP Skip Simms, and serial entrepreneur Kurt Skifstad. Come network with innovators from across campus and Ann Arbor! The competition is sponsored by the School of Information, Center for Entrepreneurship, Zell Lurie Institute, Intel Corporation, YouNoodle, and A2NewTech!

Note the new date and time. RSVP Here. Hope you can make it. --Matt