What’s on this site?
April 26, 2007
Below is a comprehensive list of posts.
CONVERTIBLE NOTE BRIDGE FINANCINGS
1. Should a startup company raise its seed round using a convertible note or Series A Preferred Stock?
2. What does a convertible note bridge financing term sheet look like?
3. What should the interest rate for a convertible bridge note be?
4. What should the conversion discount be for a bridge note into preferred stock?
5. What type of financing forces an automatic conversion of the promissory note into Preferred Stock?
8. What should the maturity date of the convertible note be?
9. What should the terms of bridge loan warrant coverage be?
10. Can you have multiple closings in a convertible note bridge financing?
11. What does subordination mean in a convertible bridge note?
12. What is a security interest in connection with a convertible note?
13. What should the representation and warranties in the note purchase agreement be?
14. Why should a majority of investors be able to amend the convertible notes?
15. Who pays legal fees in a convertible note bridge financing and how much does it cost?
17. What is the California Finance Lenders Law?
SERIES A FINANCINGS
1. What trends does WSGR see in venture financings?
2. What does a Series A term sheet look like?
3. What do definitive agreements for a Series A financing look like?
4. Are Series A term sheets binding?
5. What is preferred stock and why is it issued to investors?
6. How do you calculate Series A price per share?
7. Can you have multiple closings in a Series A financing?
8. What is a dividend preference?
9. What is a liquidation preference?
10. What is the amount of a typical liquidation preference?
11. What is the difference between non-participating preferred stock and participating preferred stock?
12. What is a cap on a participating preferred liquidation preference?
13. What is the priority of the liquidation preference when the Series B financing occurs?
14. Why do preferred stockholders have odd economic incentives upon a sale of company when they have non-participating preferred stock or particpating preferred stock with a cap?
15. What are redemption rights?
16. Why is preferred stock convertible into common stock?
17. When should preferred stock be automatically converted into common stock?
18. What is anti-dilution protection?
19. What is weighted average anti-dilution protection?
20. What is full ratchet anti-dilution protection?
21. What is a pay to play provision?
22. What are carveouts to anti-dilution protection?
23. What are protective provisions?
24. What stockholder approval is necessary to complete a venture financing?
25. What are information rights?
26. What are registration rights?
27. What are demand registration rights?
28. What are piggyback registration rights?
29. What are S-3 registration rights?
30. What is a market standoff or IPO lockup provision?
31. What is a right of first offer or right to maintain proportionate ownership in future financings?
32. What is a right of first refusal and co-sale agreement?
33. What is a drag-along or bring-along provision?
34. What should the composition of the board be like and how are the board seats allocated?
35. What are board observer rights?
36. What is a management rights letter?
37. What should legal fees for a Series A financing be?
38. What should the terms of the no shop be?
39. Why should a term sheet be confidential?
40. What are the conditions to closing of a Series A financing?
41. What does the legal opinion cover?
SERIES B FINANCINGS
1. What does pari passu mean?
2. Should the Series B liquidation preference be senior to the Series A?
3. Should the Series B have a separate protective provision?
COMPANY FORMATION
The third series of posts will be on incorporation, founders stock, option plans and other company formation issues.
1. What state should I incorporate in?
2. How many shares should be authorized in the certificate of incorporation?
3. What is par value?
4. What is an agent for service of process?
5. How do you calculate Delaware franchise taxes?
6. What trademark and other legal issues are involved in selecting a company name?
7. What inspection and information rights does a stockholder have?
[to come]
FOUNDERS ISSUES
1. Should founders stock be subject to vesting before a venture financing?
2. What should the vesting terms of founder stock be before a venture financing?
4. What is qualified small business stock?
[to come]
STOCK OPTIONS
2. What’s the difference between an ISO and an NSO?
3. How do you set the exercise price of stock options?
GENERAL
1. What is important in a confidentiality agreement or non-disclosure agreement (NDA)?
M&A
1. What stockholder approval is necessary to sell a company?
2. What are directors’ duties and what can they do to protect themselves in a sale of company?
[to come]
What will you blog about?
April 26, 2007
I’ll try to cover common startup company questions from my practice, including incorporation, founders stock, stock options, seed financings, convertible note bridge financings, Series A financings, M&A issues, IPO planning and other things that seem to come up over and over again.
I’m going to start with a series of posts on seed financings done via a convertible note, because I seem to have several clients doing convertible note bridge financings recently.
Why are you blogging?
April 25, 2007
Two of my clients, Ballhype (which incidentally aggregates sports blogs) and Education Revolution started blogging about their experiences in starting up their companies. After reading their blogs and reading comments on the blogs of VCs who regularly blog about legal issues affecting startup companies, I realized that there was a lack of easily digestible legal information for entrepreneurs starting companies. I seem to answer the same questions over and over again, so I thought I would start blogging to disseminate what I know.
-
Buy this Wordpress theme
