A View from the Valley, Perspectives from Matt Bartus, a veteran startup lawyer in Silicon Valley, California

California companies can have specific salary arrangements with salaried employees

Many startups try to control payroll costs by, among other things, classifying all employees as salaried employees “exempt” from state and federal overtime laws. In doing so, they seek to make payroll predictable and avoid the additional, and often unplanned, expense of paying overtime for hours worked in excess of 8 in a day and…

Patent Office Extends Pilot Program Fast-tracking Green Technology Innovations

posted Nov 16 in Intellectual Property

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently announced an extension of the Green Technology Pilot Program until December 31, 2011. The pilot program provides for expedited processing of patent applications pertaining to environmental quality, energy conservation, development of renewable energy resources, or greenhouse gas emission reduction.

Temporary Exclusion of 100% of Gain on Investments made in Qualified Small Business Stock

posted Oct 22 in Angel Investors, Venture Capital

UPDATE TO BELOW: On December 17, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 which included, among other things, an extension of the tax benefit discussed below for all of 2011. For a summary of the tax law changes, please review the following Dorsey & Whitney…

Let’s Make a Deal – 5 tips for Startups when Negotiating Contracts with Big Customers

posted Sep 14 in Negotiating

So your startup has finally landed a deal with a huge customer that could potentially put your company on the map. Now how do you negotiate this deal so that your company (not just theirs) gets the most out of this relationship (and avoids a situation like this one: In a Partnership of Unequals, a…

Job Description for a Startup CEO

posted Aug 23 in Employment, This and that

On various occasions we’ve looked at some serious employment law issues that startups face. On the lighter side, startup CEOs should be prepared for some fairly unorthodox job duties, such as Chief Barista. The video below shows how this would work with a demonstration from Corey Reese, CEO of our client Trumpet Technologies. This originally appeared in…

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

California companies can have specific salary arrangements with salaried employees

Patent Office Extends Pilot Program Fast-tracking Green Technology Innovations

Temporary Exclusion of 100% of Gain on Investments made in Qualified Small Business Stock

Let’s Make a Deal – 5 tips for Startups when Negotiating Contracts with Big Customers

Job Description for a Startup CEO