Tag Archives: Startups

SAM Preccelerator Program Now Accepting Applications!

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP is one of the leading start-up law firms in Southern California. We pioneered a fixed fee start-up package making the formation and organization of your start-up as seamless as possible. Our Preccelerator Program is a platform offered to select start-up companies out of our Santa Monica office that provides interim office space and sophisticated legal services, with the objective of helping you grow your idea from business concept to funded startup. The Preccelerator Program provides free co-working space and other perks for 5-6 promising young startups.

The perks include:

Free co-working space on a rolling basis, including free wireless access to the Internet and access to conference rooms for meetings and presentations
Access to real-time legal advice and transactional legal services on site (under our standard engagement and/or fee arrangements)
Access to in-house educational workshops and activities
Potential introductions to our network of investors and other service providers

For more information about the Preccelerator Program, visit https://preccelerator.com/preccelerator or contact Heidi Hubbeling at (310) 746-9803 or hhubbeling@100.26.91.60

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles’ Joint Venture FlashFunders Launches Industry Standard for Online Equity Funding

No-Fee Platform Connects Accredited Investors to
Innovative Startups Pursuant to the JOBS Act

SANTA MONICA, Calif.: Oct. 16, 2014 – FlashFunders today announced the launch of its no-fee, online equity funding platform at www.flashfunders.com. FlashFunders (member FINRA/SIPC) was started by Europlay Capital Advisors, law firm Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, and co-founders Vincent Bradley and Brian Park, and was formed to help startups raise capital efficiently while also opening up access to startup investing for accredited investors.

FlashFunders’ platform helps entrepreneurs navigate complex SEC regulations and offsets costly legal fees, while giving accredited investors unprecedented access to startup investment opportunities. FlashFunders provides a turnkey solution for raising capital and a marketplace where entrepreneurs can connect directly with accredited investors across the globe.

FlashFunders ensures all investors are accredited and that all offerings are SEC-compliant and executed using FDIC-insured escrows — which are created and paid for by FlashFunders.

“We worked with FINRA over the past year to expand the scope of our broker-dealer license, allowing FlashFunders to operate an online equity funding platform in a regulated environment,” said Vincent Bradley, the co-founder of FlashFunders. “We felt it was critical to ensure our platform was compliant for both startups and investors. Online equity funding is in its infancy and seeing tremendous growth; by engaging with FINRA, we’re leading the way for how it should be done — creating an industry standard.”

“97% of the 8.5 million accredited investors in the United States currently don’t partake in startup investing,” said Mark Dyne, the chairman and founder of Europlay, a seed and early-stage investor in technology companies, as well as former Skype seed investor and board member and founder and CEO of Sega Ozisoft, Virgin Interactive Entertainment, and many others. “This is largely because they don’t have access to early stage companies. Leveraging technology and decades of combined experience in finance, venture investing, securities law and startup operations, FlashFunders provides entrepreneurs and investors a secure, SEC-compliant user experience, with e-Signature technology and document management capabilities backed by a team of FINRA-registered representatives to help ensure successful offerings on the platform.”

“FlashFunders is designed to fundamentally alter the capital-raising process,” said Brian Park, co-founder of FlashFunders. “We provide startups with a compliant, efficient and no-fee online equity funding platform to develop their business plans, publicly market their offerings and collect funding from accredited investors —saving startups thousands of dollars in legal fees. At the same time, investors on FlashFunders can purchase shares directly in startups with no transaction fees or carried interest charges.”

FlashFunders creates a safe and intuitive process that allows investors to view startup offerings and execute investments legally and properly in minutes using Flash Seed Preferred documents and e-Signature technology.

FlashFunders has created “Flash Seed Preferred,” a set of safe, balanced and transparent investment documents that have been customized to facilitate fundraising on the platform, further streamlining a process that would otherwise take months of road shows, multiple middlemen and tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees to execute.

“Unlike other equity funding portals, FlashFunders does not curate or try to pick winners, and investments are not made through LLCs or Special Purpose Vehicles,” said Scott Alderton, Managing Partner at Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP. “FlashFunders provides a seamless end-to-end solution for startups raising capital with virtually no external cost, fees or investor carry. FlashFunders receives an ongoing right to invest a limited amount under the same terms as all other investors if a startup is successful in getting funded on the platform.” Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP is southern California’s leading business law firm, with deep experience in providing legal services to companies including LinkedIn, Beats by Dre and Skype, among many others.

The announcement today is the first phase of FlashFunders’ rollout. Additional enhancements to the user experience will be added over time along with new tools and technologies to increase functionality and scale. Offerings from startups will be incrementally uploaded by the site’s concierge service, which assigns a live team to guide entrepreneurs through the process.

“We are educating a new generation of investors and building a more efficient roadshow for startups,” said Vincent Bradley.

About FlashFunders

A registered broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC, FlashFunders provides a no-fee online equity funding platform for entrepreneurs to publicly market their offerings, collect funding from accredited investors and gain access to SEC-compliant legal documents and escrow accounts to create their offerings.

For more information, visit: http://www.flashfunders.com

Media Contact:
Amy Morris Susan Guerra
FlashFunders Thatcher+Co.
amyshapiromorris@gmail.com sguerra@thatcherandco.com
917.887.2725 973.650.6555

Preccelerator Program Event: Accelerators, Incubators & Co-Working Spaces: Which One is Right For You?

This panel, hosted by the SAM Preccelerator Program, discusses the differences and benefits of accelerator, incubator and co-working spaces from the accelerator, legal and entrepreneur viewpoints.

For more information about the Preccelerator Program, contact Heidi Hubbeling at (310) 746-9803 or hhubbeling@100.26.91.60

SAM Preccelerator Program Presents: Sales Clinic with Rob Edenzon

Join Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP

for this exclusive event!

Thursday, October 9, 2014

5:30pm-8:00pm

**Food, Drinks & Networking Included!**

Generating Revenue – Your Product is Ready, Now What?

Congratulations. You’re on the verge of releasing your product.

We will be discussing how to go from product completion to revenue. With or without funding to attack your market, Rob will provide the infrastructure you’ll need to begin generating sales or to build out a nationwide sales organization. From understanding the buying process to deciding the profile of your first sales person, Rob will walk you through the components required to avoid mistakes and make sure you’re ready for success.

Featuring

Rob Edenzon

Rob Edenzon is CEO of SalesClinic, a consulting firm that is exclusively focused on helping B2B companies generate profitable top line revenue. All of SalesClinic’s consultants are former Vice Presidents of Sales. Rob has built a successful career building and managing sales teams of all sizes.

His experience has ranged from building and managing worldwide networks of independent sales representatives to having over 300 employees in his sales organization. His expertise encompasses all the major areas involved in putting together successful sales organizations including: hiring, managing, coaching, sales skill development, sales goals/metrics, territory design, compensation/incentives, field sales, inside sales, account management and sales automation.

Rob has worked with large companies such as Overture, Ticketmaster Online CitySearch, Baker & Taylor as well as growth companies such as Qualte, Infotrieve, Inference, Sage Metrics, and Software Affiliates. Rob has helped numerous companies increase top line revenue production as a sales consultant.

His experience ranges from both digital and print media to enterprise software companies. Rob’s most interesting client was a start-up that manufactured and sold building escape parachutes for residents to use when trapped in the upper floor of a high rise. Rob has been selling, managing sales or delivering sales consulting services since he got his first sales job selling satellite TV to farmers in Iowa in 1984.

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP
1453 3rd Street Promenade, Suite 300
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Parking
4th Street/Broadway ramp or in the Santa Monica Place Mall

We hope to see you there!

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles to Host Silicon Beach Fest Legal Panel: “Dispute Resolution 1.0”

For the third year in a row, Stubbs Alderton & Markiles will be a sponsor of Silicon Beach Fest LA. This year, SAM is the featured Legal Panel on June 19th, hosted at our Santa Monica office, with a reception to follow. Here’s the low down:

“Dispute Resolution 1.0 – What Every Startup Needs to Know About Disputes and How to Minimize the Risk of Litigation”

June 19th, 2014

4:00-6:00 pm – Panel Presentation
6:00-8:00 pm – Reception in 2nd Floor Courtyard

**You MUST register on the SIlicon Beach Fest site in order to be admitted to the event**

What You’ll Learn:

Experience shows that the average cost to a business for participating in a breach of contract dispute, IP/trade secrets dispute, employment dispute or other business-related dispute runs hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees alone. Basic does and don’ts on licensing, non-competes, founder disputes, cybersecurity – all of these can sink a young business. There are ways for a company or entrepreneur to minimize the risk of becoming embroiled in a dispute. Equally important, how a company or entrepreneur handles disputes oftentimes is the difference between business success and failure.

Hear our panel of national experts drawn from the world of start-ups/entrepreneurs, trial and IP lawyers, and professional mediators provide some basic advice on how to best position your company to avoid those types of disputes in the first place, and to also provide some strategies about what steps to take if and when a dispute that cannot be easily resolved, is brewing.

The Panel

Moderator: Daniel Garrie, one of the most sought-after computer forensic experts and special masters to advise federal and state judges around the country. In addition to his law degree, he holds a masters in computer science and appears as comfortable talking with entrepreneurs as he is with developers, as he is with lawyers and judges. His national reputation in the intersection of computer forensics and the law makes him a sought-after speaker and expert in the field, and just last week he was featured in a New York Time article on cyber-security and law firms; you can view the link at: http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/03/26/law-firms-scrutinized-as-hacking-increases/

Panelists:

Bruce Friedman – During his 20+ years practicing law, Bruce received just about every professional accolade out there, served as large law firm general counsel, represented name brand companies, and carved out a niche as an expert in professional liability and insurance coverage. Since becoming a full time mediator in 2013, he has seen his career flourish, as more and more lawyers and clients in LA realize what an outstanding addition Bruce makes to the mediation marketplace. He is presently with ADR Services in Century City.

Tony Keats – Partner, Brand Development and Content Protection Chair, Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP. Tony’s almost three decade legal career has focused on both the legal and business protection of brands and creative content from consumer products to entertainment, from designer goods to the Internet. Since he commenced practice, he has provided counsel and has litigated cases on behalf of many of the world’s largest consumer product, top designer fashion brands and entertainment companies, as well as individual entrepreneurs, actors, and musicians. Tony’s litigation background also includes related commercial matters involving unfair competition, contract disputes, rights of publicity violations, business torts, domain name infringement, and idea submission claims. Tony is also the author of the best-known treatise on brand protection and counterfeiting on the market today, widely used by practitioners. Not coincidentally, as part of his trademark/brand protection practice, Tony has served as a mediator in many IP-related disputes.

Michael A. Sherman – Partner, Business Litigation Chair, Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP – Michael is an accomplished trial lawyer in high-stakes, “bet-the-company” litigation, and has represented both large and early-stage companies as well as entrepreneurs in all facets of business and complex commercial litigation. He has evenly split his litigation practice on both the plaintiff and defense side of cases, has first-chaired numerous trials in complex matters in industries as varied as securities, healthcare, environmental, consumer products, technology, project development/finance, advertising, real estate and apparel, and is highly skilled in class actions and unfair competition law. Michael’s trial skills and courtroom success resulted in his being named several years ago to the “Top 100 Lawyers” in California list, published by the Daily Journal newspaper chain. He has consistently been named to “Best Lawyers in America”.

Chris Colvin – Chris is a former engineer with a technical degree from Princeton, who went on to law school and a stint as a partner in a major NY firm (Kramer Levin) before he started his own NYC-based IP firm a few years back. In addition to his “day job” as an attorney specializing in IP litigation, Chris founded two social networking sites, Ivy Life, focused on alums of the Ivy League, at http://www.ivylife.net and In The House, focused at In House Counsel, at http://i-t-h.org.

The Courtyard Party!

6pm-8pm
2nd Floor Courtyard
1453 3rd Street Promenade

FREE to attend when you flash your Silicon Beach Fest pass!

Enjoy free food and drinks with like-minded entrepreneurs and startup leaders fueling innovation in Los Angeles! Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP invites you to join us at ourSilicon Beach Fest Courtyard Party in our newly expanded Santa Monica office on 3^rd Street Promenade.

SAM Preccelerator Program Presents: “Fundamentals of an Investor Pitch” with Eli Eisenberg

Join Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP

for this exclusive event!

“Fundamentals of an Investor Pitch”

Thursday, May 15, 2014

5:30pm-8:00pm

Learn what really interests investors
Learn how to get their attention and KEEP their attention
Proper use of PowerPoint as a tool to enhance your message
Techniques to make you a more credible presenter

Featuring

Eli Eisenberg, CEO

Straight Line Management

Eli Eisenberg has more than 35 years of hands on experience in the financial and business management of entrepreneurial companies. As founder and CEO of Straight Line Management™, he specializes in providing financial expertise and mentoring to high-potential early stage companies. Mr. Eisenberg helps them to increase profitability, secure funding, evaluate and capitalize on opportunities, streamline financial operations, and get the financial side of the business under control.

Since launching his Straight Line Management consulting company in 1991, he has served as a trusted advisor to more than 70 early-stage companies, both traditional and web based, across a variety of industries including software and game companies, high and low tech manufacturing companies, wholesale distribution companies, product and services companies and non-profit organizations.

Prior to starting Straight Line Management, Mr. Eisenberg served as Chief Financial Officer for three high technology companies, served in senior financial and operational management positions (including VP of Finance and VP of Operations) in several other high growth companies, and established, ran and sold his own successful consumer products company.

Mr. Eisenberg has extensive experience in strategic planning, capital raising strategies, financial management and forecasting, business plan preparation, and development and streamlining of management reporting systems and controls. He received his MBA from the University of California, Berkeley in 1976 and became a Certified Public Accountant in the State of California is 1978. He is also a Fellow of the Larta Institute, where he conducts workshops and mentoring sessions for entrepreneurs in conjunction with their NIH, NSF, TATRC and USCA Commercialization Assistance Programs

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP
1453 3rd Street Promenade, Suite 300
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Parking
4th Street/Broadway ramp or in the Santa Monica Place Mall

We hope to see you there!

SAM Preccelerator Program Presents: “Working with Developers” with Tony Karrer – April 22, 2014

Join Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP

for this exclusive event!

“Working with Developers”

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

5:30pm-8:00pm

Are you a non-technical startup founder who’s challenged by working with technical people? Having trouble recruiting them? Aren’t sure if your team is executing very well? Not sure if they are building things the right way? Can’t understand how you can be relatively clear about what you want only to find they’ve built something different from what you said, and it took longer and even that doesn’t work quite right? Find that talking with them often seems like more work than it should?

Many non-technical founders find this to be their experience. Dr. Tony Karrer has been bridging the gap between non-technical founders and technical resources for the past 20+ years.

His presentation looks at:

Basics of recruiting and working with technical people. Communications, motivators/demotivators.

Founder Developer Gap. Recognizing it and how to close it.
Symptoms of a Poor Development Team and what to do about it.
Product and Project Management. Documenting for developers.

You will walk away with a better understanding of how to effectively work with your CTO and developers.

Featuring

Dr. Tony Karrer,
CEO/CTO TechEmpower
Founder & CTO Aggregage

Tony has worked with more than 30 early-stage companies as a part-time CTO including as the part-time CTO of eHarmony for its first four years. Tony is the CEO/CTO of TechEmpower, a web/mobile/software development firm based in El Segundo that is known for its high performance practice and framework benchmarks. Tony is also the Founder and CTO of Aggregage, an online B2B Media Company. In addition to working with startups, Tony has consulted on technology implementations for large companies including Credit Suisse, Citibank, Lexus, Universal Music, IBM and HP.

Dr. Karrer was valedictorian at Loyola Marymount University, attended the University of Southern California as a Tau Beta Pi fellow, one of the top 30 engineers in the nation, and received a M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science. Tony taught Computer Science for 11 years. He is a frequent speaker at industry and academic events. He is well-known for his SoCal CTO blog and his StartupRoar topic hub. Tony is the lead organizer of the LA CTO Forum, a group of 300+ CTOs in Los Angeles, and Mentor Night, a founder mentoring group.

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP
1453 3rd Street Promenade, Suite 300
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Parking
4th Street/Broadway ramp or in the Santa Monica Place Mall

We hope to see you there!

Grand Opening – Stubbs Alderton & Markiles Santa Monica Office Expansion!!

Join Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP

for the

Grand Opening

of their expanded Santa Monica Office and Preccelerator Program Space!

Join Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP for an evening of good food, conversation and networking as we celebrate the Grand Opening of our newly expanded office and Preccelerator Program space in Santa Monica.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

5:30pm-8:00pm

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP

1453 3rd Street Promenade, Suite 300

Santa Monica, CA 90401

Parking

4th Street/Broadway ramp or in the Santa Monica Place Mall

We hope to see you there!

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP Announces Third Class of Preccelerator Program

Preccelerator Program begins its third class of companies in Santa Monica

Los Angeles (March 6, 2014) Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP is pleased to announce the admission of a new group of companies to join the third class of its Preccelerator Program in Santa Monica. The Preccelerator is a novel platform offered to select start-up companies out of the Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP Santa Monica office that provides interim office space and access to sophisticated legal services, with the objective of helping start-ups grow their idea from business concept to funded startup.

The new participants include:

CardBlanc – a virtual debit card that unlocks an effortless and secure mobile shopping experience for kids 13 and up.

District2.Co – an online community established to service garment industry professionals who are dissatisfied with the sourcing and supply chain deficiencies in the fashion industry.

GoGet! – an App and Marketplace that helps Store Owners and Consumer Users make money by obtaining a marketing commitment from the Store Owner and giving money in small increments to loyal and new customers in exchange for sharing information.

Rally – creators of an automated kiosk network to rent battery packs to smart phone and tablet users. Rally is a convenient, low-cost and mobile way to charge your device that provides power when you need it, where you need it most.

Team(You), Inc. – a software tool that incentivizes students in classrooms and increases their engagement.

The Program has one additional company that is in stealth mode, and one company from the last class that is continuing with the Preccelerator.

The Preccelerator Program was launched early in 2013 and has had great success with its first and second classes, which resulted in Fleck (fka Splash.io) being accepted into the Portland Incubator Experiment (P.I.E.) for their 12-week incubator program and 3Ten8 joining The Alchemist accelerator program in the Bay area.

About Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP

Stubbs Alderton is a business law firm with robust corporate, public securities, mergers and acquisitions and intellectual property practice groups focusing on the representation of venture backed emerging growth companies, middle market public companies, large technology companies, entertainment and digital media companies, investors, venture capital funds, investment bankers and underwriters. The firm’s clients represent the full spectrum of Southern California business with a concentration in the technology, entertainment, videogame, apparel and medical device sectors. Their mission is to provide technically excellent legal services in a consistent, highly-responsive and service-oriented manner with an entrepreneurial and practical business perspective. These principles are the hallmarks of their Firm.

For more information about the Preccelerator Program and to fill out an application, click here or contact Heidi Hubbeling at (310) 746-9803.

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP Announces Expansion of Santa Monica Office

Los Angeles, CA (February 25, 2013) – Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP, Southern California’s leading business law firm, has announced the expansion of its Santa Monica office at 1453 3^rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, CA. This office is located on the corner of Third Street Promenade and Broadway Boulevard. The growth of the Firm and its Preccelerator Program has provided the opportunity for this expansion. The new office opening makes an inspiring statement about the support and involvement that Stubbs Alderton will continue to contribute to the Silicon Beach marketplace. An open house celebration will be scheduled for some time in March.

Scott Alderton, a founder and managing partner of Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP, comments: “Since opening our office in Santa Monica, we have assisted in the growth of a handful of super early-stage businesses, two of which (Fleck and 3Ten8) have moved on to prominent Accelerator Programs. Fleck moved to the Portland Incubator Experiment (PIE) in Portland, Oregon (http://www.piepdx.com) and 3Ten8 moved to The Alchemist in the Bay area (http://www.alchemistaccelerator.com). We have also produced and hosted dozens of “Preccelerator Events” ranging from simple mixers to substantive educational seminars. That level of involvement is vital to Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, given our historical commitment to the start-up ecosystem. Our expansion and growth in Santa Monica is a demonstration of our commitment to be leaders and innovators in this community.”

Company Information
Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP is a business law firm with robust corporate, public securities, mergers and acquisitions and intellectual property practice groups focusing on the representation of venture backed emerging growth companies, middle market public companies, large technology companies, entertainment and digital media companies, investors, venture capital funds, investment bankers and underwriters. The firm’s clients represent the full spectrum of Southern California business with a concentration in the technology, entertainment, videogame, apparel and medical device sectors. Their mission is to provide technically excellent legal services in a consistent, highly-responsive and service-oriented manner with an entrepreneurial and practical business perspective. These principles are the hallmarks of their Firm.

About the Preccelerator Program
The Preccelerator is a novel platform offered to select start-up companies out of the Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP Santa Monica office that provides interim office space and access to sophisticated legal services, with the objective of helping start-ups grow their idea from business concept to funded startup. For more information, visit www.stubbsalderton.com/preccelerator

Media Contact
For further information regarding this press release, please contact Heidi Hubbeling, Director of Marketing – (310) 746-9803 or hhubbeling@100.26.91.60