Startups | A View from the Valley

Perspectives on issues affecting founders, startups and investors from a veteran startup lawyer in Silicon Valley

Category Archives: Startups

Clipping the Wings of Angels? New Accredited Investor standards contained in Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act

posted Jul 20 in Angel Investors, Startups

It is expected that within a few days President Obama will sign the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act (link to very long PDF). [**Update: President Obama signed the law on July 21, 2010.**] Among the many goodies in the bill is Section 413 which excludes the value of an investor’s primary residence for purposes of calculating…

What’s in a name? How to Protect Your Company’s Trademarks Before Setting Up Shop (Intent to Use)

posted Jun 15 in Intellectual Property, Startups

As a startup, you should consider the critical issue of whether to protect the trademarks that will be used in your business. A trademark is any distinctive word, name, symbol or other indicator that distinguishes your products or services. Given the variety of similar types of products and services available to the consumer to satisfy…

Treasury Releases New Guidance for Tax Credit in Affordable Care Act to Support Groundbreaking Biomedical Research

posted May 24 in Startups

On May 21, 2010, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that it had released a fact sheet [PDF download] and guidelines [PDF download] for applying for the new Therapeutic Discovery Project Program created by the Affordable Care Act. The stated purpose of the program is to provide tax credits and grants to small firms…