Author Archives: James Graves

Readers of our first post, GDPR update in this series, have already worked through Step 1: Transfer Mapping.  Part of that step was determining what countries you’re exporting data to.  Now, we move onto step 2: Transfer Tools.  Truth be told, Step 2 is really two parts.  So, go grab your country list from your transfer mappingContinue reading “The GDPR Update – Step 2 for Updating Your SCCs”

Last week the European Commission announced that the Standard Contractual Clauses (the “SCCs”) are being updated.  These changes primarily apply to entities exporting data out of the European Economic Area.  Starting in 2021, whether you’re a controller or a processor (or both!), you’ll need to make certain your SCCs and your data export policies are compliant with theContinue reading “GDPR Update – The Standard Contractual Clauses Are Getting a Makeover”

Most entrepreneurs don’t know of a simple way to avoid millions of dollars in capital gains tax. Section 1202 of the Internal Revenue Code grants non-corporate taxpayers a tax break of up to $10,000,000 in capital gains on “qualified small business stock” that the taxpayer holds for more than five years. This is a hugeContinue reading “How To Avoid Millions of Dollars In Capital Gains Tax By Using The Qualified Small Business Stock Exclusion”

Starting your company is an exciting time.  The temptation will be to sign all your legal documents as fast as possible so that you can get up and running.  We highly suggest you avoid that temptation and take the time to thoroughly review and, if appropriate, negotiate your documents.  With that in mind, in thisContinue reading “How To Read Your Founder Documents”

This post will cover the best way for your company to obtain a 409a valuation, the reason why, and when your company needs to obtain one.  If you’ve ever started a company, you know and are probably sick of dealing with the terms “fair market value” (FMV) and “409a”.  There is already tons of educationalContinue reading “How to Obtain a 409a Valuation For Your Company And When To Do It”

How should you pick a trademark? You’re at the beginning of the trademark selection process.  You want a trademark that grabs your customers’ attention while being legally enforceable.  Your graphic designer is busily cranking out possible brand names for you, but you’re not sure which of these options will survive legal scrutiny.  So, how shouldContinue reading “How Should You Pick a Trademark?”

Your product is ready to launch.  You’ve selected the perfect name for it.  At least, you think you have, until the cease and desist letter hits your inbox, at which you start to wonder whether your Trademark is actually YOUR Trademark. This is a common enough story and one we never want to have happenedContinue reading “Is Your Trademark YOUR Trademark?”

Legal documents can range from the moderately annoying to the insufferably pedantic. Convertible promissory notes are no exception but are so commonplace, you are going to need at least a basic understanding of how they work. With that in mind, I created a list of common key terms in convertible notes and what they mean.Continue reading “How to Read Convertible Promissory Notes”

Privacy law, where do I begin? You’ve got customer names. You’ve got user addresses. Your analytics are starting to pile up. But, you haven’t even started to figure out how to process, store, and maintain this data. More than that, you don’t know what your responsibilities are to the people you’ve collected data from. It’sContinue reading “Privacy Law – Where do I begin?!?!”

By: James Graves The Significance of Accredited Investors vs. Non-Accredited Investors The unfortunate reality of United States securities law is that your company cannot take investment money from just anyone. One of the most important distinctions in the world of fundraising and securities law is “accredited” versus “non-accredited” investors. An “accredited investor” is generally anContinue reading “Why It Is So Difficult to Take Investment From Non-Accredited Investors”