Podcasts about wsgr

(0:00) Intro.(2:14) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel(3:01) Start of interview. *Reference to prior episode with David (E24 from Nov 2020)(4:22) David's description of the ACGC(7:56) Post-Election Governance Changes (SEC, FTC, etc). ESG and DEI considerations. Federal vs state regulatory matters.(13:06) On crypto and digital assets in the new Trump administration.(14:51) On DOGE led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy(18:46) Delaware's challenge as the Favored Corporate Home(26:54) Elon Musk's Rescinded Compensation in Tornetta v Musk, the plaintiff attorneys' fees.(31:04) On the Rome Conference on AI, Ethics, and the Future of Corporate Governance (April 2024).(35:18) Public Benefit Corporations (PBCs) in the AI industry. On Anthropic's LTBT. On corporate purpose.(46:56) ServiceTitan's compounding IPO ratchet (reference to my article about it). IPO market.(52:06) Biggest winner and loser in business in 2024(53:54) Biggest business surprise in 2024 (55:10) Best and worst corporate governance trend from 2024(57:41) Charter competition among states, and Federal vs. State Corporate Governance(1:00:04) What's the biggest corporate governance trend to watch out for in 2025David Berger is a partner at Wilson Sonsini and serves as the President of the American College of Governance Counsel. You can follow Evan on social media at:X: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

(0:00) Intro.(2:09) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel.(2:56) Start of interview. *Reference to prior episode with Richard (E126 from Feb 2024).(3:46) About his firm's 2024 SV150 Corporate Governance Report.(9:04) On Virtual (Stockholder) Meetings (89% of SV150).(11:23) Board Committee Structures. Audit, Comp, NomGov, and Others.(14:02) On SV150's approach to ESG, impact of new SEC.(18:53) On the evolution of boardroom diversity, impact of CA laws and Nasdaq Diversity Rule.(21:40) Why private ordering will become more important in corporate governance.(22:28) On dual or multi class share structures (-30% of SV150, and of those, 91% have sunset provisions).(25:25) On ServiceTitan's compounding IPO ratchet (reference to my article about it). "Governance is a spectrum"(31:29) On evolution of shareholder proposals in SV150. *Reference to E15 with Jim McRitchie.(36:30) On shareholder activism (7.4%) in SV150.(41:41) On the clawback policies of SV150 companies(48:27) On the backlash to Delaware incorporations and SV moving out of CA. Reference to WSGR's DE's Status as the Favored Corporate Home.(51:49) Biggest winner in business in 2024(53:27) Biggest loser in business in 2024(54:27)  Biggest business surprise in 2024 (56:53) Best and worst corporate governance trend from 2024(58:28)  What's the biggest corporate governance trend to watch out for in 2025Richard Blake is a partner at Wilson Sonsini and the leader of the firm's public companies' practice. You can follow Evan on social media at:X: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

(0:00) Intro(1:02) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel.(1:49) Start of interview. (2:37) Katherine Henderson's "origin story."(5:05) Amy Simmerman's "origin story."(8:02) The origin and focus of their Delaware Corporate Law and Litigation Year in Review.(9:14) Caseload of Delaware Court of Chancery judges.(12:51) Cases involving director oversight duties ("Caremark duties"). Reference to the Blue Bell case (2019). "Mission critical risk areas." Reference to Section 220 Books and Records Demands.(19:56) Duty of Oversight Applies to Officers (McDonald's case). Dismissal of case against directors (McDonald's II).(23:13) Controlling Stockholders and conflicts of interest. (DE reconsiders scope of the MFW Doctrine in Match.com case)(24:57) Distinctions between public and private company litigation. Reference to the NEA vs Rich case.(30:36) On Delaware vs other states. Reference to the TripAdvisor case (Delaware company seeking to reincorporate in NV).(36:55)  Innovations in AI Governance. The example of Anthropic AI (use of PBCs and LTBT).(43:24) On shareholder activism and validity of stockholder agreement-based restrictions over corporate governance matters (Moelis case).(45:13) Securities claims on misleading risk disclosures.(46:55) What are the 1-3 books that have greatly influenced your life: Amy:Obedience to Authority by Stanley Milgram (1974)Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse (1927)Katherine:The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan (1963)(48:02) Who were their mentors, and what they learned from them.(49:00) Quotes they think of often or live their life by.(49:52) An unusual habit or an absurd thing that they love.(50:35)  The living person they most admire.__Katherine Henderson and Amy Simmerman are partners at the law firm Wilson Sonsini Goorich & Rosati.  You can follow Evan on social media at:Twitter: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__You can join as a Patron of the Boardroom Governance Podcast at:Patreon: patreon.com/BoardroomGovernancePod__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

(0:00) Intro.(0:55) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel.(1:41) Start of interview.(2:21) Richard's "origin story." His position as Chair of WSGR's public company practice and Chair of the Nasdaq Listing and Hearing Review Council.(7:30) On the origins and focus of WSGR's 2023 Silicon Valley 150 Corporate Governance Report.(12:00) What findings were most surprising or unexpected in this year's report? Discussion on ESG disclosures.(14:40)  On ESG backlash and regional differences. Importance of (institutional) investors.(15:36) On some SV150 companies leaving their CA HQs (both to other states and decentralizing with no HQ). Impact of diversity disclosure laws (SB-826 and AB-979) and taxation.(18:48) Incorporating in Delaware vs other states (prompted by Elon Musk's desire to re-incorporate from DE to TX). FYI 143/150 (95%) of the SV150 are incorporated in Delaware.(23:25)  On evolution of virtual meetings (board and stockholder meetings).(26:15)  On evolution of board committees structure and focus (ie. ESG/sustainability, Cybersecurity/privacy, Human Capital, Technology, AI).(32:13)  Impact of Nasdaq Board Diversity Rule. *5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the rule (October 2023). Gender diversity in SV150: 33% boards, 22% C-level execs, 5% CEOs.(36:09) On Dual and Multi-Class Share Structures in SV150 (~30% of SV150 have them. ~91% have sunset provisions).(39:40)  Shareholder Activism in SV150 (~8%) and impact of new SEC Universal Proxy Rules.(44:24) Looking ahead, what key governance issues should SV150 companies be preparing for in the next few years? Climate disclosure rules (EU, CA, SEC, investor requirements, etc) and AI.(47:00)  Increase in antitrust and other regulatory enforcement. "We are in a high enforcement regulatory environment."(49:24) Book that has greatly influenced his life: The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (1923)(49:50) His professional mentors (WSGR): Steve BochnerKatie MartinJose Macias(50:35)  Quotes that he thinks of often or lives her life by: "If you start right, it's easy to end right. But if you start wrong, it's very, very difficult to get on the right path and end right" by Joseph Smith. (51:10) An unusual habit or absurd thing that he loves.(51:58) The living person he most admires: his parents.Richard Blake is a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and the leader of the firm's public companies practice. He practices corporate and securities law with a focus on public company representation, corporate governance, and public offerings. You can follow Evan on social media at:Twitter: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__You can join as a Patron of the Boardroom Governance Podcast at:Patreon: patreon.com/BoardroomGovernancePod__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

Welcome to an episode with a veteran Silicon Valley dealmaker, Touraj Parang. Get Touraj's book here: https://amzn.to/3bmsDGj In this episode, Touraj takes us through his unique, decades-long experiences as an entrepreneur and investor. He shares the lessons he learned when he sold his first startup – with no exit plan – for pennies on the dollar. It was then followed by great success with his next startup as he applied his learnings and prioritized executing an exit strategy. Touraj discussed the key things to consider and the red flags to avoid when selecting investors and co-founders.  Touraj Parang is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, advisor, and M&A expert who has sat in every seat around the table, structuring and negotiating strategic transactions since the late 1990s, including as a corporate attorney at legal powerhouses WSGR and O'Melveny & Myers. Touraj has been a founder, executive, and trusted advisor to several fast-growing technology startups with exits to LinkedIn, Instacart, Vistaprint, Postmates, and Amplify, among others. He has also spent nearly a decade on the acquirer side of M&A deals as a corporate development executive at Webs and GoDaddy. Exit Path draws on Touraj's unique, decades-long experience involving hundreds of M&A transactions, strategic partnerships, and venture capital investments totaling billions of dollars in aggregate value. He is currently the President and Chief Operating Officer at Serve Robotics, a startup shaping the future of sustainable, self-driving delivery that he helped spin out of Uber, and an Operating Advisor at Pear VC, an early-stage venture capital firm, where he enjoys collaborating with and providing strategic guidance to mission-driven entrepreneurs. He earned his JD from Yale Law School and his BA in Philosophy and Economics from Stanford University. Get Touraj's book here:  Exit Path: How to Win the Startup End Game. Touraj Parang. https://amzn.to/3bmsDGj Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to Strategy Skills episode 265, an episode with a veteran Silicon Valley dealmaker, Touraj Parang. Get Touraj's book here: https://amzn.to/3bmsDGj In this episode, Touraj takes us through his unique, decades-long experiences as an entrepreneur and investor. He shares the lessons he learned when he sold his first startup – with no exit plan – for pennies on the dollar. It was then followed by great success with his next startup as he applied his learnings and prioritized executing an exit strategy. Touraj discussed the key things to consider and the red flags to avoid when selecting investors and co-founders.  Touraj Parang is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, advisor, and M&A expert who has sat in every seat around the table, structuring and negotiating strategic transactions since the late 1990s, including as a corporate attorney at legal powerhouses WSGR and O'Melveny & Myers. Touraj has been a founder, executive, and trusted advisor to several fast-growing technology startups with exits to LinkedIn, Instacart, Vistaprint, Postmates, and Amplify, among others. He has also spent nearly a decade on the acquirer side of M&A deals as a corporate development executive at Webs and GoDaddy. Exit Path draws on Touraj's unique, decades-long experience involving hundreds of M&A transactions, strategic partnerships, and venture capital investments totaling billions of dollars in aggregate value. He is currently the President and Chief Operating Officer at Serve Robotics, a startup shaping the future of sustainable, self-driving delivery that he helped spin out of Uber, and an Operating Advisor at Pear VC, an early-stage venture capital firm, where he enjoys collaborating with and providing strategic guidance to mission-driven entrepreneurs. He earned his JD from Yale Law School and his BA in Philosophy and Economics from Stanford University. Get Touraj's book here:  Exit Path: How to Win the Startup End Game. Touraj Parang. https://amzn.to/3bmsDGj Enjoying our podcast? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Touraj Parang is the President & COO of Serve Robotics. He is a veteran Silicon Valley dealmaker, a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, advisor, and M&A expert who has sat in almost every seat around the table structuring and negotiating strategic transactions since the late 1990's, including as a corporate attorney at legal powerhouses WSGR and O'Melveny & Myers. He earned his JD from Yale Law School and his AB in Philosophy and Economics from Stanford University.   This Episode is Sponsored By: Gary in South Africa says that his group call with Austin was a great experience and left him with so many things to reflect on. You can also have this one-on-one call or group call with Austin by being a Patreon member, just sign up at: millionaire-interviews.com/patreon Krystle in Oklahoma City, OK got several new business connections just because she was in our Group Call with Austin and Raine. If you want to be a part of our growing community of entrepreneurs that could help grow your business, become a Patreon member by signing up at: millionaire-interviews.com/patreon James in Cherry Hill, New Jersey becomes one of our Patreon members because his awesome business partner signed him up. If you and your business partners want to be a part of our growing Patreon community, sign up with us today at: millionaire-interviews.com/patreon Torry from Dayton, Ohio likes our Patreon Group Call because anyone can ask our guest speaker and there is no hierarchy involved. You can join our Group Calls by signing up at: millionaire-interviews.com/patreon Justin in Fishkill, NY decided to finally become a Patreon and chose the Gold Membership, which includes Exclusive Podcast Episodes w/ Guests & Stories, Recurring 30-Min Call w/ Austin to Help your Business, Company Listing on Website, Mini-Interview Opportunity, and so much more. Support our show by joining our Patreon Membership today, just sign up at: millionaire-interviews.com/patreon     Want to Support the Show? Well we'd love for you to join our Patreon Group!  What's in it for you?  Well you'll instantly get a scheduled call from Austin, where he'll help you with your current or future business... Sign-Up Now at millionaire-interviews.com/patreon.

Intro.(1:40) - Start of interview.(2:34) - Dan's "origin story". He grew up in southern California, did his undergrad at Stanford where he studied international relations. This prompted his quest to do something "cross-border." He did an exchange program in his junior year to Santiago, Chile, where he met his now wife and that planted a seed to do something related to Latin America. After law school he went to London where he practiced with Allen & Overy for 4.5 years. In 2004 he came back to Silicon Valley to practice as a corporate associate at WSGR, where he spent 6 years. At that time, there was not much cross-border work with Latin America, although there were partners focused on China, Israel and India, so the international blueprint was there to start building bridges between Silicon Valley and Latin America. Since then, he has developed his practice (passing through Goodwin Procter and Greenberg Traurig) and now at Gunderson Dettmer where about 80% of his practice is focused on Latin America.(5:53) - Dan's description of Gunderson's Latin America practice: "Fundamentally, we're transactional lawyers that do international cross-border work." Their focus is on venture-backed technology-driven, high growth companies.(10:21) - Why he advises his clients to incorporate in the Cayman Islands. "When we advise clients on a choice of a holding company, it comes down to a mix of investor preferences, tax considerations and administrative aspects." For Latin American companies, there are now three preferred choices: Delaware C-corp, a Cayman Islands company or a UK company. Kaszek Ventures was an early advocate for using a Cayman holding company. "I think we're going to see those 3 structures prevail in the market." Three prominent examples with Cayman holding structures: Nubank (the Brazilian neobank that recently IPOed in the US), Cornershop (a Chilean grocery delivery company that was acquired by Uber) and Kavak (a Mexican used-car online marketplace).(17:26) - On the geopolitical tensions between the US and China, and its implications for the startup ecosystem in Latin America. On the rising investments from China in Latin America and the increasing role and scope of the Committee of Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) impacting transactions in the US.(20:39) - On the increasing antitrust pressure from local regulators in Latin America. The example of Cornershop in Mexico and Chile.(23:19) - Dan's overview of entrepreneurship in Latin America. "Brazil is by far the most important market, followed by quite a distant second place from Mexico. Those two markets by themselves dominate the region in terms of capital deployed, number of deals, exits activity, etc." 2021 was a record year for venture activity in the region [$15bn in venture investments]. What's driving this growth? A combination of factors, per Dan: "The pandemic accelerated many changes, all of it boosted by widespread broadband adoption, digitally native people, younger generations, generational shifts in family businesses with decision-makers in their 40s or 30s and a vast under-banked and under-served population." There is also a virtuous cycle with big investors such as Softbank investing in the region ($8bn in two funds focused in Latin America) and other late-stage investors that have increased the cadence and velocity of investments such as Tiger Global. On the corporate governance implications of these investments.(30:22) - On the changing landscape of venture funding  in Latin America: "There is a much richer ecosystem of investors in Latin America, with stronger local investors." The rounds are getting bigger and investments are done at a faster pace. "But the markets will always be cyclical." His take on dual-class shares and other governance structures. "There will be down-rounds or re-caps if we go on down cycles, and these questions may play out in the next decade. We are still in an incipient stage of corporate governance in the region."(39:13) - On SPACs, and how they can impact exit strategies for Latin American companies. "I'm somewhat cautionary and skeptical of this structure, generally." "It doesn't really save that much time, nor much cost." [See Prof. Klausner's latest research on SPACs.](44:20) - On the role of directors, and diversity on boards. What's the status in Latin America? "It's slowly percolating down in Latin America." "Some of the investors are pushing some ESG standards in their investments, but not so much on gender diversity."(48:28) - On the positive impact in the increase of equity compensation and stock options in Latin American startups ("from top to bottom"). This is a sort of "democracy within the cap table." This is a trend that is starting to become more prevalent in the region.(52:15) - Dan favorite books:Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell (2008)Historical novels and intrigue, such as Red Notice by Bill Browder (2015)(53:27) - Who were your mentors, and what did you learn from them?Steve Bochner (WSGR)(54:36) - Quotes that he thinks of often, or lives his life by:"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." Dr. Seuss.(55:41) - An unusual habit that he loves: He likes to collect scorecards from golf courses, he's been doing it since childhood.(57:56) - The living person he most admires: Barack Obama.Dan Green is a Partner and Co-Chair of the Latin America Practice for Gunderson Dettmer, a prominent international law firm headquartered in Silicon Valley. If you like this show, please consider subscribing, leaving a review or sharing this podcast on social media. __ You can follow Evan on social media at:Twitter @evanepsteinLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack https://evanepstein.substack.com/Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License 

Intro.(1:24) - Start of interview.(1:54) - Priya's "origin story". She was born in India and grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. She went to Harvard college and studied law at Chicago Law School. After graduation she clerked for Judge Frank Magill (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, in North Dakota). She later joined WSGR as a corporate securities attorney during the dot com boom in Silicon Valley. In 2003, she joined Woodruff Sawyer to specialize in D&O insurance.(5:42) - On why she joined Woodruff Sawyer in 2003.(8:44) - On her experience joining the board of directors of public companies such as Realty Income Corporation, NMI Holdings, and Anzu Special Acquisition Corp I (a SPAC).(11:26) - Priya's take on the evolution of the D&O insurance market since she started working in this industry in 2003. Current costs for IPOs, and SPACs ("the cost has gone up 4-5x in the last year or two").(16:58) - Her response to the increasing cost of D&O insurance (particularly for public offerings).(19:51) - On D&O insurance for private companies: "There is a cohort of carriers that will underwrite D&O insurance for smaller private companies almost on a fully automated basis, but firms come to see us when they reach ~$100 million in revenues (or typically at or after series C and D VC financings)." "Private companies do need D&O insurance, particularly if they want to attract good directors. It's important to highlight that private companies are also subject to the fraud provisions of the federal securities laws." [Note: last week, the Department of Justice announced the arrest of Manish Lachwani, co-founder and former CEO of HeadSpin Inc., a Silicon Valley-based private technology company, on charges of securities fraud and wire fraud perpetrated to raise money from investors. The SEC separately charged Lachwani with defrauding investors.] Litigation risks arise both from public enforcement (such as from the DOJ and SEC) and private enforcement (such as from shareholder litigation).(24:11) - Her take when a wealthy individual, not D&O insurance, indemnifies directors (a la Elon Musk). "It happens more in private companies than in public companies."(27:44) - Her take on the evolving litigation risks with SPACs (from regulators and plaintiff attorneys). "The SEC has been abundantly clear that they expect directors and officers of SPACs to do a lot of diligence." She highlights the SEC enforcement action in Ability Inc (2019). The number of securities class actions in SPACs is also on the rise. "There have been around ~110 De-SPAC transactions, and about 17% of them have been sued ["that seems high until you note that about 27% of the IPO cohort of 2018 has been sued."] There is also new litigation such as the complaint against Bill Ackman's SPAC alleging violations against the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Adviser Act of 1940, to which a group of over 60 law firms have responded ("[these complaints] are highly opportunistic, there is no question in my mind that they are hoping for a quick settlement to setup a cottage industry, and I sincerely hope that doesn't happen.")(35:40) - Her story on the Sciabacucchi case, Federal Forum Charter provisions and what's the latest on this front ("very few IPO claims were filed in state courts in 2021: only foreign filers or some that didn't get the memo to include federal forum charter provisions"). "This is the most important thing that [I've ever done] for corporate America."(44:07) - The books that have greatly influenced her life:Born to Run (2009), by Christopher McDougall.The Obstacle is the Way (2014), by Ryan Holiday.(47:34) - Her mentors: she would like to particularly mention her partner at Woodruff Sawyer: Denise Amantea.(49:13) - Quote that she thinks of often, or lives her life by:"If you're not humble, life will visit humbleness upon you" (Mike Tyson)."Pride goes before the fall" (favorite of her mom)(50:15) - An unusual or absurd habit that she loves: watching Alaskan sled dog racing!(51:11) - The living person she most admires: her parents.Priya Cherian Huskins is a partner and board member at Woodruff Sawyer, a commercial insurance brokerage. She is a leading expert on D&O insurance. In addition to serving as a board member at Woodruff Sawyer, Priya serves on the board of directors of Realty Income Corporation,  NMI Holdings,  and Anzu Special Acquisition Corp I.  She can be reached via email at Priya@woodruffsawyer.com. If you like this show, please consider subscribing, leaving a review or sharing this podcast on social media. __ You can follow Evan on social media at:Twitter @evanepsteinLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack https://evanepstein.substack.com/Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

In this episode, Hall welcomes Brian Burkinshaw, Founder/Owner of Clearpat Services, LLC. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Clearpat Services is a technology commercialization firm specializing in concept research evaluation, patent novelty, clearance, and accelerated searches, drafting and prosecution of patent applications involving mechanical, medical, and biotech devices, technologies, and processes. Among their specialties is the ability to help you protect your valuable ideas (Intellectual Property) and help guide you to market commercialization. Their niche is in helping small to mid-size businesses and individual inventors in the Austin and Central Texas area obtain patent protection for your ideas while keeping your costs to a minimum. They can perform the research necessary for patent planning to determine how best to protect your ideas; whether it’s through trade secrets or the generation of patent applications that stand the best chance for patent allowance and issue. Implementing the right strategies can place your company in the best possible position to be favorably considered for growth, venture funding, or acquisition. Brian Burkinshaw is an inventor and registered US Patent Agent with over 10 years of experience practicing patent law. To his credit, Brian spent nearly six years practicing patent law with Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich, and Rosati PC, a National Tier 1 firm in Patent law, with global reach in the US, Europe, and Asia. WSGR is consistently recognized as the top biotech IP firm in the country with over 180 experienced patent attorneys, patent agents, and scientific advisors, most of whom possess Ph.D. or other advanced degrees in such areas as biology, chemistry, immunology, biomedical sciences, engineering, or other scientific fields. As a member of the Patents and Innovations team with WSGR, Brian routinely performed patentability searches and landscape analyses, but more importantly, developed a keen focus on drafting and prosecution of patent applications, primarily involving mechanical, medical, and biotech devices, technologies, and processes, personally drafting nearly 300 applications and helping his clients acquire over 150 high-quality patents. Some of the patented technologies acquired for his clients include next-generation automotive variator transmissions, Lidar (light detection and ranging) sensor technologies, high-tech sports gear and training equipment, advanced, high volume, indoor and hydroponic farming technologies, downhole drilling and fluid recovery technologies, fermentation technologies, programmable technologies, and a virtual plethora of medical implants, instruments and medical device technologies. For a complete bio, click . Brian discusses when, what and how to file a patent. You can visit Clearpat Services, LLC. at . Brian can be contacted via email at , via LinkedIn at , and via phone at (512) 657-6843.  Music courtesy of . 

This week we have Becki DeGraw. Becki practices corporate and securities law at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, or WSGR. Primarily based in Silicon Valley, WSGR has worked with many startups and organizations, such as the tech industry giant Google. In this episode, Becki shares her experience and knowledge of raising capital, what investors are looking for, which metrics to focus on, and more. Listen in!

Published on 25 Jun 2020. We close out Season 6 with the story of perhaps the single most successful media entrepreneur of all-time: Oprah Winfrey, and her juggernaut conglomerate Harpo Studios. Born to a poor single mother in the segregated 1950's deep south, Oprah's rise from terrible adversity to wealthiest Black woman in the world ranks among the very greatest American success stories. And oh yeah — along the way she single-handedly created the entire influencer economy, rewrote the blueprint of a modern power broker, and set the world record for most cars given away at one time (276). Sit back, listen and get ready to live your best life. Want more Acquired, including access to the LP Show, LP Calls and the full Acquired Book Club? Join the Acquired Limited Partner program at: https://glow.fm/acquired/ Survey link!: http://acquired.fm/survey Carveouts: David: The Dark Tower series by Stephen King https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07959YG1R? Ben: Reply All "Long Distance" https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/6nh3wk Sponsor: Thanks to Silicon Valley Bank for being our banner sponsor for Acquired Season 6. You can learn more about SVB here: https://www.svb.com/next Thank you as well to Wilson Sonsini - You can learn more about WSGR at: https://www.wsgr.com/ Sources: http://blackeconomics.co.uk/wp/oprahs-empire/ http://www.oprah.com/entertainment/the-oprah-winfrey-show-by-the-numbers-oprah-show-statistics/all http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/The-Oprah-Shows-Most-Shocking-Moments_1 https://diverseeducation.com/article/1205/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey_Network https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WW_International https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-oprah-regrets-famous-wagon-233648610.html https://freakonomics.com/2008/08/06/so-much-for-one-person-one-vote/ https://hbr.org/podcast/2018/01/black-business-leaders-series-oprahs-path-to-authentic-leadership https://stmuhistorymedia.org/from-rags-to-riches-the-story-of-oprah-winfrey/ https://www.amazon.com/Oprah-Biography-Kitty-Kelley/dp/0307394875 https://www.amazon.com/Ride-Lifetime-Lessons-Learned-Company/dp/0399592091 https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1998-09-25-9809260006-story.html https://www.cnn.com/ampstories/entertainment/how-oprah-winfrey-built-her-business-empire https://www.forbes.com/profile/oprah-winfrey/#c52ce3e5745f https://www.forbes.com/sites/jennifereum/2014/09/29/how-oprah-went-from-talk-show-host-to-first-african-american-woman-billionaire/#7f21cfb76163 https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/oprah-gives-away-nearly-300-new-cars https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/you-get-a-car-oprah-winfrey-giveaway-studio-audience-gift-tax-members-guests-pay-show-a8208051.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/an-anxious-america-gets-set-for-life-after-oprah-2285528.html https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-feb-21-ca-27886-story.html https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500692140/making-beyonc https://www.nytimes.com/1993/02/12/news/jackson-interview-high-in-ratings.html https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/business/media/23carr.html https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/11/business/media/end-of-oprahs-show-tightens-races-for-tv-ratings.html https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/the-oprah-phenomenon-by-the-numbers https://www.robertfeder.com/2016/06/15/legendary-tv-exec-dennis-swanson-retires/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2017/05/13/oprah-winfrey-untold-story/ https://www.thebalancesmb.com/oprah-winfrey-entrepreneur-1200951 https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/jan/12/oprah-winfrey-unlikely-to-run-for-us-president-but-could-win-if-she-did https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/oprahs-last-show-averaged-8957-million-fewer-viewers-than-mash-finale/2011/06/08/AGD5AUMH_story.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cooRceBiE8E

(1:40) - Start of interview(2:10) - David's "origin story"(3:44) - His start with Wilson Sonsini in 1989.(6:11) -  His experience serving as a board member, and why he thinks corporate America has lost out on having lawyers as directors. His for corporate boards have included California Culinary Academy, and currently LTSE.(7:41) -  His take on the Long Term Stock Exchange.(9:47) - His thoughts on why companies should list on the LTSE ("the market is wide open").(11:03) - His take and role as an Advisor to the American Law Institute's Restatement of Corporate Governance.(13:22) - His take on the Business Roundtable Restatement of the Purpose of the Corporation (2019) (14:05) - Some historical context for purpose of corporation debate (stakeholders vs stockholder primacy).(16:49) - His advocacy in favor of dual-class stock.(20:27) - His dislike of time-based sunset provisions, as proposed by CII ("one-size-fits-all sunset provision").(24:42) - His take on distinguishing dual-class stock and a listing on the LTSE.(25:55) - His view on tenure-voting.(28:52) - His take on duties of directors in VC-backed companies in conflicted situations, since the Trados case.(32:14) - The governance risks that he sees with the emergence of SPACs in 2020.(34:53) - His take on the soaring stock market and the current tech boom.(36:34) - His thoughts on WFH after pandemic and how it has impacted law firms and other sectors.(37:47) - His take on shareholder activism this year, and what's next (activity will pick up in spring 2021). His advice for companies and boards is to think about long term plans:Economic message: growth plan for the long term must be communicated early and often to stockholders.Governance message: focus on diversity at all levels, especially at the board level.Public message: stakeholder and ESG concerns.(44:06) - His take on California's SB-876 and AB-979 laws and the future of boardroom diversity.(46:49) - Next big issues for boards and directors:GlobalizationMeasuring externalities (such as carbon emissions).(48:18) - His favorite books:The Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison (1952)In Search of Lost Time, by Marcel Proust (1913-1927)The Diary of Anne Frank, by Anne Frank (1947)Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert Pirsig (1974)(49:34) - Some of his mentors:Wallace Fowlie (at Duke).Bruce Payne (Ethics)Larry Sonsini (WSGR)(50:59) - His favorite quote:"Some men see things as they are, and ask why. I dream of things that never were, and ask why not" by Bobby Kennedy.(51:27) - His "unusual habit" that he loves the most:Elephants. His true passion is wildlife conservation.(53:51) - The living people he most admires:Jane GoodallIain Douglas HamiltonDavid Berger specializes in corporate governance and M&A litigation as well as rapid response shareholder activism and corporate governance risk oversight. David’s practice is an unusual blend of corporate governance advisory work and litigation, and he is nationally recognized for his expertise in both the boardroom and the courtroom. David also represents directors and companies in internal investigations and public companies on disclosure and SEC proceedings.Follow Evan on Twitter @evanepsteinMusic/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

We close out Season 6 with the story of perhaps the single most successful media entrepreneur of all-time: Oprah Winfrey, and her juggernaut conglomerate Harpo Studios. Born to a poor single mother in the segregated 1950's deep south, Oprah's rise from terrible adversity to wealthiest Black woman in the world ranks among the very greatest American success stories. And oh yeah — along the way she single-handedly created the entire influencer economy, rewrote the blueprint of a modern power broker, and set the world record for most cars given away at one time (276). Sit back, listen and get ready to live your best life.   Want more Acquired, including access to the LP Show, LP Calls and the full Acquired Book Club? Join the Acquired Limited Partner program at: https://glow.fm/acquired/ Survey link!: http://acquired.fm/survey   Carveouts: David: The Dark Tower series by Stephen King https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07959YG1R? Ben: Reply All "Long Distance" https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/6nh3wk Sponsor: Thanks to Silicon Valley Bank for being our banner sponsor for Acquired Season 6. You can learn more about SVB here: https://www.svb.com/next Thank you as well to Wilson Sonsini - You can learn more about WSGR at: https://www.wsgr.com/ Sources: http://blackeconomics.co.uk/wp/oprahs-empire/ http://www.oprah.com/entertainment/the-oprah-winfrey-show-by-the-numbers-oprah-show-statistics/all http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/The-Oprah-Shows-Most-Shocking-Moments_1 https://diverseeducation.com/article/1205/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey_Network https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WW_International https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-oprah-regrets-famous-wagon-233648610.html https://freakonomics.com/2008/08/06/so-much-for-one-person-one-vote/ https://hbr.org/podcast/2018/01/black-business-leaders-series-oprahs-path-to-authentic-leadership https://stmuhistorymedia.org/from-rags-to-riches-the-story-of-oprah-winfrey/ https://www.amazon.com/Oprah-Biography-Kitty-Kelley/dp/0307394875 https://www.amazon.com/Ride-Lifetime-Lessons-Learned-Company/dp/0399592091 https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1998-09-25-9809260006-story.html https://www.cnn.com/ampstories/entertainment/how-oprah-winfrey-built-her-business-empire https://www.forbes.com/profile/oprah-winfrey/#c52ce3e5745f https://www.forbes.com/sites/jennifereum/2014/09/29/how-oprah-went-from-talk-show-host-to-first-african-american-woman-billionaire/#7f21cfb76163 https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/oprah-gives-away-nearly-300-new-cars https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/you-get-a-car-oprah-winfrey-giveaway-studio-audience-gift-tax-members-guests-pay-show-a8208051.html https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/an-anxious-america-gets-set-for-life-after-oprah-2285528.html https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-feb-21-ca-27886-story.html https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500692140/making-beyonc https://www.nytimes.com/1993/02/12/news/jackson-interview-high-in-ratings.html https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/business/media/23carr.html https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/11/business/media/end-of-oprahs-show-tightens-races-for-tv-ratings.html https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/the-oprah-phenomenon-by-the-numbers https://www.robertfeder.com/2016/06/15/legendary-tv-exec-dennis-swanson-retires/ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2017/05/13/oprah-winfrey-untold-story/ https://www.thebalancesmb.com/oprah-winfrey-entrepreneur-1200951 https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/jan/12/oprah-winfrey-unlikely-to-run-for-us-president-but-could-win-if-she-did https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/oprahs-last-show-averaged-8957-million-fewer-viewers-than-mash-finale/2011/06/08/AGD5AUMH_story.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cooRceBiE8E

On the eve of SpaceX's historic scheduled launch of its first human spaceflight mission — both the first ever by a private company, and the first to take place on American soil in nearly a decade — we tell the incredible story of its rise from ragtag rocket jocks to the most disruptive and advanced force in aerospace today. While much of the Musk spotlight has shone on Tesla in recent years, is SpaceX actually the company that will have the greatest impact on our world's future, and perhaps even other worlds beyond? All of a sudden that idea seems a little less crazy... Want more Acquired? Join thousands of other founders, CEOs, VCs, product people and engineers learning in the Limited Partner Program: https://glow.fm/acquired/ Links: The Tesla episode: https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/season-3-episode-1tesla The Ascend Conference: https://www.ascend.events Carveouts: David: The Last Dance: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28973557/the-last-dance-updates-untold-story-michael-jordan-chicago-bulls Ben: Michael Mauboussin on the Success Equation: https://youtu.be/1JLfqBsX5Lc Sponsor: Thanks to Silicon Valley Bank for being our banner sponsor for Acquired Season 6. You can learn more about SVB here: https://www.svb.com/next Thank you as well to Wilson Sonsini — you can learn more about WSGR at: https://www.wsgr.com/ Sources: Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance: https://www.amazon.com/Elon-Musk-SpaceX-Fantastic-Future/dp/006230125X https://timelines.issarice.com/wiki/Timeline_of_SpaceX https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/03/spacex-historic-falcon-9-re-flight-ses-10/ https://www.reddit.com/r/spacex/wiki/economics https://www.space.com/40547-spacex-rocket-evolution.html https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/08/how-and-why-spacex-will-colonize-mars.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elon_Musk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_D._Griffin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Cantrell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Mueller https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwynne_Shotwell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_Orbital_Transportation_Services https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Act_Agreement https://www.spacex.com/mission/ https://venturebeat.com/2008/08/06/private-rocket-company-spacex-gets-20m-from-the-founders-fund/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Falcon_9_and_Falcon_Heavy_launches https://www.space.com/40547-spacex-rocket-evolution.html https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starlink-spacecraft-pictures-elon-musk-2018-2 https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/09/inside-the-eight-desperate-weeks-that-saved-spacex-from-ruin/ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/science/spacex-nasa-launch.html https://graphics.reuters.com/SPACE-EXPLORATION-SPACEX/010091Q82NF/index.html https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/31/elon-musk-spacex-is-now-worth-more-than-tesla.html https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-wins-launch-contract-egyptian-telecom-company/ https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-falcon-heavy-booster-overboard/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYocHwhfFDc https://oig.nasa.gov/docs/IG-18-016.pdf https://everydayastronaut.com/will-the-falcon-9-actually-be-reusable-or-just-refurbish-able-like-the-space-shuttle/

Want more Acquired? Join thousands of other founders, CEOs, VCs, product people and engineers learning in the Acquired Limited Partner Program: https://glow.fm/acquired/ When you think of Intel today, you probably think of the microprocessor company. Maybe you also think about about 'Intel Inside' and their famous jingle. You might even think "big, stable, boring public company". But for the first two decades of Intel's life, absolutely none of those things were true. Today we tell the incredible story of how the company that started it all in Silicon Valley clawed back from a crisis that brought them to the brink of death, and of one man who rose as the ultimate survivor to become their leader and a legend even in his own time: the late, great Andy Grove. Note: This episode originally aired as part of Podapalooza, a podcast festival organized by our friends at Glow to benefit COVID relief. Find out more and support the cause at https://www.plza.org Sponsor: Thanks to Silicon Valley Bank for being our banner sponsor for Adapting and Acquired Season 6. You can learn more about SVB here: https://www.svb.com/impact Thank you as well to Wilson Sonsini - You can learn more about WSGR at: https://www.wsgr.com/ Sources: Only the Paranoid Survive:  https://www.amazon.com/Only-Paranoid-Survive-Exploit-Challenge-ebook/dp/B0036S4B2G Swimming Across: https://www.amazon.com/Swimming-Across-Andrew-S-Grove-ebook/dp/B07CJRM4DX/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Grove https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Moore https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Noyce https://www.businessinsider.com/alan-patricof-greycroft-ipo-market-2011-1 https://anthonysmoak.com/2016/03/27/andy-grove-and-intels-move-from-memory-to-microprocessors/ http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/text/Oral_History/Intel_386_Business_Strategy/102701962.05.01.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_80386 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shockley https://www.inc.com/ilan-mochari/remembering-andy-grove-intel.html

Want an edge in your business like Jason? Join thousands of other founders, CEOs, VCs, product people and engineers learning in the Acquired Limited Partner program at: http://glow.fm/acquired We're joined by the one and only Jason Calacanis for this very special episode, wherein we chronicle Jason's journey from a kid porter in the barrooms of Brooklyn to building the largest independent media business in tech, becoming the "3rd or 4th greatest seed investor of all-time" (and the original Sequoia Scout), launching one of the top accelerators in the world, and constructing a one-man empire that may just disrupt the entire capital stack in our industry. We dive into how it all ties together, and where the money and power is shifting in the ever changing sands of Silicon Valley... For the second half of this extended conversation, join the Acquired LP program at https://glow.fm/acquired/ Sponsor: Thanks to Silicon Valley Bank for being our banner sponsor for Adapting and Acquired Season 6. You can learn more about SVB here: https://www.svb.com/impact Thank you as well to Wilson Sonsini - You can learn more about WSGR at: https://www.wsgr.com/

On March 5th 2020, Sequoia Capital published a Medium post entitled ‘Coronavirus: The Black Swan of 2020’. The memo minces no words, admonishing founders & CEOs to “question every assumption about your business”, and portends that “as Darwin surmised, those who [will] survive ‘are not the strongest or the most intelligent, but the most adaptable to change.’” We’re joined by longtime Sequoia partner and head of the firm’s US business Roelof Botha to discuss on what Sequoia saw leading up to the memo and why they decided to publish it, how they and their portfolio companies are adapting to the new world it warned of, and what lasting changes might come to Sequoia itself from this moment. For anyone facing hard decisions and/or looking for ways to think about opportunity, this is not one to miss. Want more Adapting/Acquired? You can join the Acquired Limited Partner program at: https://glow.fm/acquired/ Links: The Black Swan Memo: https://medium.com/sequoia-capital/coronavirus-the-black-swan-of-2020-7c72bdeb9753  The COVID-19 Decision Matrix: https://medium.com/sequoia-capital/the-matrix-for-covid-19-c25bd5195f46    Sponsor: Thanks to Silicon Valley Bank for being our banner sponsor for Adapting and Acquired Season 6. You can learn more about SVB here: https://www.svb.com/next Thank you as well to Wilson Sonsini - You can learn more about WSGR at: https://www.wsgr.com/

The world has changed. Acquired is changing too: we’re taking a pause from our normal episodes. The world doesn’t need stories of M&A and IPOs right now. But it does still need stories of great companies and great leaders. So we’re taking everything that we’ve put into Acquired - our format, our infrastructure, and the way we can reach all of you - and launching Adapting. Adapting is a series all about doing just that -- changing to fit what the world needs right now, not what it needed last week. Our first episode starts on the front lines of change: the local restaurant industry. Mark Canlis joins us to discuss how the world-renowned Canlis restaurant in Seattle is adapting by simultaneously closing their 70 year old dining room service, and launching three brand new, no-contact concept restaurants in just one week to keep their staff employed and the city fed: "Pretty quickly we realized that it would be just as risky to do nothing as it would to do something really radical. And if we were gonna live into our values, every once and awhile that’s really going to cost you something." This conversation is an incredible inspiration to us all, and a reminder of the vast power of the human spirit during challenging times.  Want more Adapting/Acquired? You can join the Acquired Limited Partner program at: https://glow.fm/acquired/ Sponsor: •Thanks to Silicon Valley Bank for being our banner sponsor for Adapting and Acquired Season 6. You can learn more about SVB here: https://www.svb.com/next •Thank you as well to Wilson Sonsini - You can learn more about WSGR at: https://www.wsgr.com/

Join the Acquired Limited Partner program! https://glow.fm/acquired/ (works best on mobile) 5 years and 100+ episodes into Acquired, there’s been one question we get asked more than any other: what are the best acquisitions of all-time, and what can we learn from them? We thought it was time to formalize our answers. So here it is, the Acquired Greatest Hits album. :) We also put together an accompanying blog post, which goes into greater detail on the numbers and methodology behind out rankings. You can find it here: https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/acquired-top-ten-the-best-acquisitions-of-all-time Feel free to share with your friends or on social media! Sponsor: Thanks to Silicon Valley Bank for being our banner sponsor for Acquired Season 6. You can learn more about SVB here: https://www.svb.com/next Thank you as well to Wilson Sonsini - You can learn more about WSGR at: https://www.wsgr.com/

Join the Acquired Limited Partner program! https://glow.fm/acquired/ (works best on mobile) The wait is over. Acquired returns with a very special Part II of the Sequoia Capital story, joined by the very best person in the world to help us tell it - Doug Leone. Since 1996, Doug has served as Sequoia’s Global Managing Partner, in charge of overseeing the firm’s incredible expansion from a single, $150m early-stage fund focused on Northern California to the multi-billion dollar global powerhouse it is today. Doug is incredibly candid and insightful about all that has gone into building the modern Sequoia: from winning Google and missing Facebook, to the enormous (and enormously successful) bet on decentralized expansion in China and India, to the firm’s “proudest moment” at the depth of the dot com bust. This episode is an absolute must-listen for anyone in the tech, startup and venture ecosystems today. Thank you to Doug and all of the Sequoia team for joining us to make it happen!   Note: You can listen to Part I of our Sequoia story, which dives deep into the history and background of the firm, here: https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/sequoia-capital-part-1   Sponsor: Thanks to Silicon Valley Bank for being our banner sponsor for Acquired Season 6. You can learn more about SVB here: https://www.svb.com/next Thank you as well to Wilson Sonsini - You can learn more about WSGR at: https://www.wsgr.com/   Sources: https://www.brunswickgroup.com/sequoia-capital-doug-leone-silicon-valley-i11786/ https://www.sequoiacap.com/people/doug-leone/ https://www.sequoiacap.com/newsletter/2018-06-20-doug-leone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Er4QcNdjVU https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-leone-a2714/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cl8X02Xd1I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrJgwKiEpaI

Join the Acquired Limited Partner program! https://glow.fm/acquired/ (works best on mobile) We kick off Season 6 with a long-awaited Acquired Classic: Facebook’s $22B purchase of WhatsApp in 2014, which still ranks as the largest acquisition of a private VC-backed startup in history. Yet despite that enormous pricetag and all its associated fanfare, as we sit here 5+ years later WhatsApp actually generates LESS revenue than the meager ~$20m it was bringing in at the time of acquisition. Was this this worst acquisition of all-time, or a brilliant strategic chess move by Mark Zuckerberg & co? Tune in as we render Acquired’s judgement!  Note: Unfortunately David’s audio quality in this episode was impacted by a technical glitch which we didn’t discover until after recording. Our editors worked super hard to fix in post-production, but it’s still not totally perfect. We hope you’ll give it a listen regardless, and we’re working on getting a transcript made ASAP, which we’ll post to the website when it’s ready. Thanks for bearing with us, -Ben & David   Carve Outs: Ben: Computer glasses: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=computer+glasses David: Reebok Floatrides: https://www.amazon.com/Reebok-Forever-Floatride-Energy-Black/dp/B07NYBRQ96/   Sponsor: Thanks to Silicon Valley Bank for being our banner sponsor for Acquired Season 6. You can learn more about SVB here: https://www.svb.com/next Thank you as well to Wilson Sonsini - You can learn more about WSGR at: https://www.wsgr.com/    Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WhatsApp https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2014/02/19/exclusive-inside-story-how-jan-koum-built-whatsapp-into-facebooks-new-19-billion-baby/#64c1c94b2fa1 https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2014/03/04/inside-the-facebook-whatsapp-megadeal-the-courtship-the-secret-meetings-the-19-billion-poker-game/#63d8b5c4350f https://www.wired.com/2015/09/whatsapp-serves-900-million-users-50-engineers/ https://youtu.be/v6PbymjXsto https://youtu.be/X4YsJt4rIOI https://overcast.fm/+WorS9-a74 https://youtu.be/-2CAWS7M_0w https://youtu.be/X4YsJt4rIOI https://www.wired.co.uk/article/whats-app-owner-founder-jan-koum-facebook  https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ryanmac/whatsapp-brian-acton-delete-facebook-stanford-lecture  https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2018/09/26/exclusive-whatsapp-cofounder-brian-acton-gives-the-inside-story-on-deletefacebook-and-why-he-left-850-million-behind/#7475a0213f20  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-06-28/tencent-rules-china-the-problem-is-the-rest-of-the-world   https://techcrunch.com/2013/07/16/whatsapp-free/ http://allthingsd.com/tag/jan-koum/ http://allthingsd.com/20130510/whatsapp-ceo-jan-koum-hates-advertising-and-the-tech-rumor-mill-full-dive-video/  https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/31/whatsapp-hits-1-5-billion-monthly-users-19b-not-so-bad/ https://blog.whatsapp.com/10000633/Building-for-People-and-Now-Businesses https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/05/whatsapp-business-app/  https://techcrunch.com/2014/02/21/whatsapp/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/whatsapp-founder-plans-to-leave-after-broad-clashes-with-parent-facebook/2018/04/30/49448dd2-4ca9-11e8-84a0-458a1aa9ac0a_story.html https://www.wsj.com/articles/whatsapp-backs-off-controversial-plan-to-sell-ads-11579207682 https://www.wsj.com/articles/behind-the-messy-expensive-split-between-facebook-and-whatsapps-founders-1528208641?mod=article_inline  https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/06/05/whatsapp-co-founder-stresses-independence-from-facebook/?mod=article_inline https://bgr.com/2020/01/17/whatsapp-ads-2020-facebook-canceled-plans-to-bring-ads-to-status-bar/ https://www.vox.com/2018/5/8/17329524/whatsapp-new-ceo-facebook-cofounder-jan-koum-departs https://www.linkedin.com/in/chdaniels/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkoum/

The post E1017: Open Office Hours LIVE! Jason helps founders with their biggest challenges: scaling as a solo founder, reducing churn, raising capital in a heavily regulated field, pivoting from one-time payments to SaaS & more @ WSGR appeared first on This Week In Startups.

The post E1017: Open Office Hours LIVE! Jason helps founders with their biggest challenges: scaling as a solo founder, reducing churn, raising capital in a heavily regulated field, pivoting from one-time payments to SaaS & more @ WSGR appeared first on This Week In Startups.

The post E1015: Open Office Hours LIVE! Jason helps founders with their biggest challenges: gaining interest from investors, scaling while bootstrapping in a niche market, automating operations tasks, acquiring national customers & focusing on customers in the cannabis compliance space @ WSGR appeared first on This Week In Startups.

The post E1015: Open Office Hours LIVE! Jason helps founders with their biggest challenges: gaining interest from investors, scaling while bootstrapping in a niche market, automating operations tasks, acquiring national customers & focusing on customers in the cannabis compliance space @ WSGR appeared first on This Week In Startups.

Eva Ho of Fika Ventures, Ben Narasin of NEA Ventures, and Erik Rannala of Mucker Capital discuss their strategy for identifying and investing in companies in the SoCal SaaS space – and pinpoint the critical nature of Investor-Founder communication in a panel moderated by Katherine Ku of WSGR.

Heute ist Michael Kunz zu Gast, und wir sprechen über seine Erfahrung als er mit dem Startup Everbill zum Accelerator 500Startups ins Silicon Valley gegangen ist. Die Software von Everbill erleichtert Kleinunternehmen ihre Rechnungslegung, Buchhaltung und kommuniziert direkt mit der Software von Steuerberatern. Geboren wurde Everbill als interne Problemlösung in Michaels Agentur, wurde aber schnell auf einen größeren Kundenstamm ausgerollt. Über das Go Silicon Valley Programm der Wirtschaftskammer Österreich sollte es dann für 3 Monate in die USA gehen – daraus wurde allerdings länger, als 500Startups, der legendäre Accelerator, auf das Unternehmen aufmerksam wurde. Die haben sie entdeckt und ein Investment-Angebot gemacht. Nicht wegen des Cash, sondern wegen der Expertise nahm Michael dann mit seinem Cofounder Harald Trautsch an 500Startups. Was danach kam, bezeichnet Michael heute als eine Art Mini MBA - denn durch all das Mentoring und die Unterstützung von Experten haben die beiden sehr schnell extrem viel dazu gelernt. Einige dieser Dinge teilt Michael heute mit uns. Schlussendlich hat Michael und Harald dann aber doch das Heimweh gepackt, und heute führen sie Everbill als solides KMU in Wien. Also nichts mehr mit Venture Capital, Investoren und Weltherrschaft. Wie, warum, und was die Investoren dazu sagen, erfährst du gleich. Kapitel: 03:00 Vorstellung Everbill & Werdegang 11:25 Abenteuer Silicon Valley – Networking, Adaption, Accelerator  25:22 Boost durch den Accelerator 32:20 Leben im Valley 37:45 Was im Accelerator passiert 44:55 Pitching 49:30 Wie es nach den USA weiter ging Gründer & Zünder Android App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mountainparkmedia.android.truth&hl=de_AT Gründer & Zünder iOS App: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gr%C3%BCnder-z%C3%BCnder/id1442308375 Links - erwähnt in dieser Episode: Everbill Magazin - https://www.everbill.com/ WKO Go Silicon Valley - https://www.wko.at/service/Veranstaltung.html?id=0EED4992-1EBE-4741-9319-3B15A2035795 Telefit (heute Digital.now) Roadshow der WKO - https://www.wko.at/service/innovation-technologie-digitalisierung/digital-now.html?shorturl=telefitat Buisness Maniacs Event - https://businessmaniacs.at/ BlueMonkeys - https://www.bluemonkeys.at Plug & Play Tech Center - https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/ 500Startups - https://500.co/ Eversports - https://www.eversports.at/ TechStars - http://www.techstars.com/ Startups aus dem Batch: Chewse - https://www.chewse.com/ WSGR - wsgr.com Compstak - https://compstak.com/

Charles J. Andres, Associate, Intellectual Property with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (WSGR), joins Rich Bendis for BioTalk. This episode they discuss his career, the opportunities/challenges in this industry, and WSGR's role in the BioHealth Capital Region

Who is Gabrielle Katsnelson?     Gabrielle Katsnelson is co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of SMBX. She has a decade of financial accounting, strategy, and operations experience; including: managing the loan portfolio of the Artists Community Federal Credit Union; the restricted royalty funds of TuneCore, a digital distributor of music; and architecting financial infrastructure for countless startups and SMBs.       Dedicated to creating a surplus ecosystem, Gabrielle believes that giving SMBs access to capital while creating an engaging and empowering investing experience for people is the means.        Show Highlights  Terri and Gaby talk about how they met at a Draper University blockchain pitch day and gravitated towards each other over common interests  Gaby shared her journey from accounting into biotech in New York and ultimately into FinTech in San Francisco in early 2017  Gaby met her co-founder of SMBX at one of the crypto, blockchain and ICO meetups she went to; he was always asking the interesting questions.   Their company, SMBX is built on a private Etherium network and takes advantage of Title III of the JOBS Act to help small businesses issue bonds so that investors can invest in businesses they are interested in providing a secondary market for investors.    Gaby and Terri talk about where blockchain is from a maturity perspective and the future of blockchain.   Gaby explains equity crowdfunding and the differences between Title II, Title III and Title IV. Terri and Gaby talk about using crowdfunding to democratize funding and how we are still in early days.    If Gaby could wave a magic wand to change something in this world, she would change mindset and personal responsibility for your own mindset.      Terri’s Key Takeaway  It is important to maintain a sense of fun.  It doesn’t have to be so serious all of the time.      References in the Podcast  SMBX: https://www.thesmbx.com/  Jane VC:  https://www.janevc.com/  OwnYourCash:  http://site-1317096-1533-8422.strikingly.com/  Skydeck: https://skydeck.berkeley.edu/  Wilson Sonsini (WSGR):  https://www.wsgr.com/WSGR/Default.aspx  Draper University: https://www.draperuniversity.com/  Fred Wilson’s blog post on blockchain infrastructure:  https://avc.com/2018/10/the-appsinfrastructureappsinfrastructure-cycle/  JOBS Act:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jumpstart_Our_Business_Startups_Act  JOBS Act Title III:  http://www.finra.org/investors/alerts/crowdfunding-and-jobs-act-what-investors-should-know  Terri’s Medium post on blockchain, crypto and ICO resources:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead/cryptocurrency-and-ico-resources-55766cae29e  Crowdfund Main Street: https://crowdfundmainstreet.com/  Republic: https://republic.co/  WeFundr: https://wefunder.com/discuss  SeedInvest: https://www.seedinvest.com/  Investibule:  https://investibule.co/  FinTech Collective:  http://www.fintech.io/      Contact  Gabrielle can be reached via email gabrielle@thesmbx.com; Twitter: @gabykatsnelson and through LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-katsnelson-6a73958/.  You can follow Terri on Twitter at @terrihansonmead or go to her website at www.terrihansonmead.com or on Medium:  https://medium.com/@terrihansonmead.   Feel free to email Terri at PilotingYourLife@gmail.com.  To continue the conversation, go to Twitter at @PilotingLife and use hashtag #PilotingYourLife. 

What are the critical steps a European startup founder must make when plotting expansion to the United States? On that topic Seedcamp partner Carlos Espinal is joined by Dan Glazer, Partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (WSGR) - the US law firm which has represented the likes of tech titans Apple and Netscape over the course of its illustrious history. Dan recently co-led the WSGR team supporting UK-based technology company Improbable in its $502 million Series B round of venture financing led by SoftBank Group Corp - the largest-ever Series B investment in Europe and also the biggest venture financing round by a private British company in history. He leads the New York office's technology transactions practice, and is also a member of the firm’s US expansion practice, with a focus on advising UK and other non-US technology and growth companies on US expansion, fundraising, and strategic partnership transactions. Discussing the 'different risk environment' for startups and established businesses in the US, Dan cautions that founders afford themselves '3 to 6 months preparation in advance' of setting up shop in America, 'because you don't want to find you've pushed the button go on your entire US business but you can't staff it appropriately'. He walks through the 10 key areas founders should focus on - from legal incorporation and immigration to HR, admin and government support. Learn more about how American cultural differences can affect hiring, why Delaware is the 'Esperanto' of legal jurisdictions and the the difference in US and European legal environments for startups. Show notes: Carlos Medium: sdca.mp/2entVR3 Seedcamp: www.seedcamp.com WSGR: www.wsgr.com US Expansion in 10 Steps: www.wsgr.com/PDFs/10-steps-us-expansion.pdf Related bio links: Carlos: linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal / twitter.com/cee Dan: linkedin.com/in/danielcglazer / twitter.com/danielcglazer

Recorded in March 2017 - Vijaya Gadde ’00 is Twitter’s General Counsel, leading the company’s legal, trust and safety, and public policy teams. She previously served as a Legal Director at Twitter, where she managed the international and corporate legal teams. Prior to joining Twitter in 2011, Gadde was Senior Director, Legal at Juniper Networks; previously, for nearly a decade, she was an associate at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. While at WSGR, Gadde acted as counsel to the New York Stock Exchange’s Proxy Working Group and Committee on Corporate Governance. She earned a JD from New York University School of Law and a BS in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. She is @vijaya on Twitter.

This is a new format where I bring experts from different fields to have a roundtable discussion on a particular topic. Today we speak about the state of transatlantic tech and what you should be thinking about if you’re looking to expand internationally. Note that this was recorded late Dec 2016 just before President Trump came into office. MY 3 GUESTS: (1) Daniel Glazer – partner at Silicon Valley-headquartered law firm, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he leads the New York office’s Technology Transactions practice. He also helps lead WSGR’s US Expansion practice, advising UK and other non-US technology companies on US expansion (2) Pru Ashby – head of North America at London & Partners who are the official promotional company for London. She works on attracting and advising US companies to set up and grow in London (3) Alliott Cole – director at Octopus Ventures, one of Europe’s largest venture capital teams. Some of their investments include: Secret Escapes, yPlan, Zoopla, Swiftkey (sold for $250M to Microsoft) & Lovefilm (sold to Amazon for $200M)   FIVE THINGS TO LISTEN OUT FOR:  (1) Similarities and differences between US and UK/European markets (2) Startup ecosystem post-brexit (3) Future outlook under a Trump presidency (4) How do you structure an expansion into US or Europe (5) What companies have done this well? TIME STAMPS [3m21s] Intros [6m16s] State of UK post brexit [18m49s] Investment growth in London since 2010 [19m28s] It takes 10.2yrs for companies to IPO on average [20m23s] Has the market overreacted to Brexit? [23m9s] Mood post US election [24m16s] How will entrepreneurs think about globalisation [30m9s] Similarities and differences in business culture in US vs UK [42m11s] Recommendations on hiring people in US when you’re a startup [43m35s] How do you structure an expansion [48m27s] Where do you start your first US office [51m41s] When do you know it’s the right time to move [58m36] Examples of companies that have done a good job of expanding [1hr6m] What do companies struggle with when they move [1hr14m] What should US companies think about when expanding to UK [1hr18m] Looking forward  Sign up for exclusive content, giveaways and my email updates: https://www.creatorlab.fm/subscribe Connect on social:   https://www.instagram.com/creatorlabfm https://www.facebook.com/creatorlabfm https://www.twitter.com/creatorlabfm https://www.snapchat.com/add/creatorlabfm   Connect with Bilal: https://www.twitter.com/bzaidi https://www.instagram.com/bzaidi212

Description: ILTA's Knowledge Management Peer Group is pleased to present this podcast featuring the perspectives of KM leaders Gina Lynch of Paul Weiss and Ali Shahidi of Cooley, both of whom recently joined these firms to lead their KM programs. Gina and Ali discuss their KM roles at their prior and current firms, how and why Paul Weiss and Cooley have defined the scope of KM, and their short- and long-term project priorities. They also provide useful thoughts on the benefits of longer-tenured KM leaders taking a fresh look at their firms, practices and resources. Speakers: Chris Boyd is the Senior Director of Professional Services for Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (WSGR), a 700-attorney firm, leading the teams that recruit, develop and retain the firm's attorneys. In the areas of knowledge management and professional development, Chris and his team design, develop and market learning tools that give each WSGR professional the skills and knowledge required to deliver maximum value to clients. These tools include substantive legal training programs, professional skills group classes and one-on-one coaching, model and sample forms, profiles of past deals and cases, and expertise locators. Gina Lynch is the Director of Knowledge Management and Business Intelligence at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, where she is responsible for all knowledge initiatives and is currently working on information governance standards, workflow solutions and client site strategy. She has been leading knowledge initiatives in global law firms for over 20 years, and prior to joining Paul Weiss worked at Bingham McCutchen as the director of knowledge services, overseeing the library and CI teams. While there, Gina co-chaired the team that implemented an award winning Intranet that drove key metrics around business intelligence, financials, clients and matters to firm partners and business group managers. Ali Shahidi is the Director of Knowledge Management & Research Services at Cooley LLP. With over 20 years of experience in the legal industry, Ali oversees the firm's knowledge management, business analysis, practice innovation, application development, library and research services functions.

SF MusicTech Summit XV on May 20, 2014 Hotel Kabuki, San Francisco, CA www.sfmusictech.com TOPIC: Hot Topics in Music Licensing MODERATOR: Gary Greenstein, WSGR www.wsgr.com Chris Harrison, Pandora www.pandora.com Leo Lipsztein, Google www.google.com Brad Prendergast, SoundExchange www.soundexchange.com ************************* Recorded by Media One AV www.mediaoneaudio.com

SF MusicTech Summit XIII on May 28, 2013 San Francisco, CA www.sfmusictech.com TOPIC: Strategic Deals MODERATOR: Eric Ferraro, LeClairRyan, Shareholder http://www.leclairryan.com SPEAKERS: Gary Greenstein, WSGR, Partner http://www.wsgr.com Ted Cohen, TAG Strategic, Managing Director http://www.tagstrategic.com Andrew Stess, LyricFind, Chief Revenue Officer http://www.lyricfind.com Jan D'Alessandro, Backplane EVP Business Development and Strategy http://thebackplane.com