Tag Archives: SAM

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP Preccelerator® Program Announces Its Ninth Class of Companies

LOS ANGELES, Calif., March 28, 2018 (Newswire.com) – The Preccelerator ® Program, a Santa Monica, California-based accelerator program for early- stage startup companies in the digital media and technology space, announced today that it has added its ninth class of companies featuring three innovative startups.

In 2012 Stubbs Alderton & Markiles launched the first-of-its- kind Preccelerator® Program to provide select start-ups with co-working space, mentorship, sophisticated legal services, curriculum and access to a strategic perks portfolio with the objective of helping grow a founder’s idea from business concept to a funded company. Over the past five years, 37 companies have graduated the Program, of which 24 have received funding totaling over $11.2M.

Louis Wharton, President of the Preccelerator states, “Class 9 is representative of the diverse Southern California tech ecosystem, showcasing fintech, e-commerce and social connectivity. We’re thrilled to partner with these founding teams as they accelerate development and deployment of their market solutions.”

Preccelerator® Program Class 9 companies include:

PayClub, Inc. – Payclub is the easiest way to organize and collect money with a group. Payclub can be used for any type of group, which we call “clubs.” Payclub enables you to manage the entire process directly from your phone with a few simple taps, empowering groups to come together and gain insight without the need for spreadsheets or outdated systems. Whether you are collecting for your club or organization, to planning that next getaway with friends, Payclub will help bring both your group’s finances and the people who matter most, together. Based out of Los Angeles, CA, the team is founded by tech, financial, and sales veterans who had a deep need for a solution to managing funds together. It’s time to #JoinTheClub.

Loved Lots, Inc. – Loved lots offers the best in premium
pre-loved baby goods in one safe and easy to use marketplace. Buyers enjoy the best selection of top-of-the-line baby gear and Sellers benefit from a marketplace of Buyers who know the value of quality baby goods. We’ve eliminated awkward cash exchanges and offer a variety of shipping and delivery options to fit your needs. Rest assured with our Buyer and Seller Protection Programs and feel good knowing that a portion of each sale goes to help children and families in need.

Fork & Spoon, LLC – Connect. Cook. Share. Creating a culinary delight for someone is one of the most genuine expressions of care. Fork & Spoon revolutionizes the dating app paradigm by combining the joy of a home cooked meal with the convenience of a mobile app. Realize or extend your passion for cooking and experience what it’s like to Fork & Spoon. Put a spark in your day by sharing your culinary adventure stories and even your #kitchenfails with our unique community. Welcome to a place where relationships start with the magic of sharing.

For more information about the Preccelerator® Program, visit www.preccelerator.com.

About Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP
Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP is a Southern California-based business law firm with robust corporate, public securities, mergers and acquisitions, entertainment, intellectual property, brand protection and business litigation practice groups focusing on the representation of, among others, 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 a broad range of industries with a concentration in the technology, entertainment, video game, apparel and medical device sectors. The firm’s 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 the firm. For more information, visit http://stubbsalderton.com.

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, sophisticated legal services, education, networking, mentorship and $350,000 in usable perks from Google Cloud for Startups, Amazon Web Services, and HubSpot among others, with the objective of helping grow a founder’s idea from business concept to funded startup. The program also retains more than 50 active strategic mentors providing free office hours and discounted services, and provides over 50-plus educational workshops and networking events each year. The Program expanded in 2017 to accept a greater number of companies in more formalized classes, depending upon where the companies are in their evolutionary growth, expand benefits to accepted companies, and will look to make strategic investments backed by strategic angel investors. To apply to the Preccelerator, visit www.preccelerator.com/application.

Contact:
Heidi Hubbeling
Chief Operating Officer, Preccelerator ® Program
hhubbeling@stubbsalderton.com
310-746-9803

SAM Encourages You to Attend LABIC’s ICO Panel Discussion on March 29, 2018

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP and SAM attorney Shanita Nicholas encourage you to attend:

LA Black Investors Club
ICO Panel Discussion
Thu, March 29, 2018
6:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Join the LA Black Investors Club 501(c)(3) in a lively panel discussion with three startups venturing into their own ICOs. Businesses include ZEN, TrustaBit.io and the eSports Amateur Competitor’s League.

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

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Six Stubbs Alderton & Markiles’ Attorneys Listed as 2018 Southern California Super Lawyers

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP is pleased to announce that six lawyers have been named to the 2018 Southern California Super Lawyers. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The patented selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations.

Super Lawyers Magazine features the list and profiles of selected attorneys and is distributed to attorneys in the state or region and the ABA-accredited law school libraries. Super Lawyers is also published as a special section in leading city and regional magazines across the country. Lawyers are selected to a Super Lawyers list in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP would like to congratulate the following attorneys named to the 2018 Super Lawyers list –

Scott Alderton is a founding partner of the Firm, Managing Partner, and a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee. Scott is co-chair of the Firm’s Venture Capital and Emerging Growth Practice Group and chair’s the Firm’s Interactive Entertainment and Video Games Group. Scott advises both public and private clients across a number of industries, including technology, manufacturing and distribution of goods in commerce, finance, the Internet, interactive video games, and new media industries.

Kevin D. DeBré is the chair of the Firm’s Intellectual Property & Technology Transactions Practice Group. Kevin advises entrepreneurs and companies that use intellectual property to build their businesses. Kevin has particular expertise in structuring and negotiating technology commercialization and patent licenses, strategic alliances, research and development collaborations, trademark licensing and brand merchandising agreements and manufacturing, distribution and marketing arrangements. He also counsels clients on compliance with data security and privacy laws and regulations.

Jeffrey F. Gersh is a Partner of the Firm. He has litigated, arbitrated, or mediated complex business and commercial matters, for both plaintiffs and defendants, whether individuals, public or private corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and/or its members, shareholders and partners, involving various types of disputes, including contract matters, trade secrets, intellectual property (trademarks, copyrights and trade dress) negligence and fraud, employment, real estate, license agreements, the apparel and garment industry, and general business matters.

Daniel Rozansky is a Partner of the Firm in the Business Litigation Practice. Dan concentrates his practice on entertainment, privacy, First Amendment and complex business and real estate disputes. Dan’s areas of focus are entertainment finance, anti-SLAPP motions, unfair competition, trade secrets, intellectual property, surreptitious tape recording, reality television, profit participation, rights of privacy and publicity, real estate, partnership disputes and First Amendment issues. He represents clients both at the trial and appellate levels in state and federal court on a wide array of issues.

Michael Sherman 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 energy, 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.

Joe Stubbs is a founding partner of the Firm, and a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee. He is co-chair of the Firm’s Venture Capital and Emerging Growth Practice Group, and of the Firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group. Joe practices in the areas of corporate and securities law, emphasizing the corporate representation of both publicly-held and privately-held emerging growth and middle-market companies, venture capital and private equity firms, angel investment groups and investment banks.

The official Super Lawyers 2018 publication can be read in its entirety here.

For more information about Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, contact Heidi Hubbeling at hhubbeling@stubbsalderton.com or (310) 746-9803.

Built In LA’s 50 Startups to Watch in 2018 Presented by SAM

In 2017, Southern California tech raised nearly $7 billion, launching startups across industries and attracting top talent and funding support from local investors. As Los Angeles and Orange Counties have become the established homes to some of the most innovative startups in the world, the expectations for 2018 are high.

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles is the title sponsor for 2018 for Built in LA’s annual “Top 50 Startups to Watch” list. To check out the full list from Built in LA, visit here.

For more information on Stubbs Alderton & Markile’s practices that can assist your company along its evolutionary path – from startup, to growth to liquidity – contact Heidi Hubbeling at hhubbeling@stubbsalderton.com.

SAM Expands Leading Business Litigation Practice With the Addition of New Partner Dan Rozansky

Los Angeles, CA, January 16, 2018 (Newswire.com) – Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP, Southern California’s leading business law firm, has announced that Dan Rozansky has joined the firm as a partner in its Sherman Oaks office. Mr. Rozansky will join the Business Litigation practice group.

“Dan is a fantastic addition to our firm” commented Scott Alderton, Managing Partner. “Not only does he augment our litigation practice at a very senior level, which is the fastest growing segment of our firm, he also brings a synergy to our entertainment and digital media practices, which are at the core of our technology expertise. Dan would be a great asset to any firm in the country, and we feel very fortunate that Dan chose to join Stubbs Alderton & Markiles.”

Mr. Rozansky concentrates his litigation practice on entertainment, privacy, First Amendment and complex business and real estate disputes. Recognized as an industry leader, Dan has been listed as a top entertainment and media litigator in Chambers USA (2011-2016). In 2013, 2014, and 2016, he as featured in Variety’s “Legal Impact Report,” which names the top attorneys who are making a significant impact in the entertainment industry. Prior to joining Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, he worked at Jenner & Block’s Los Angeles office.

Dan Rozansky stated, “I am thrilled to be joining the firm. It is rare to find a business law firm of this size with such high quality corporate lawyers and litigators under the same roof. I chose Stubbs Alderton because its technology focus and deep bench of talented attorneys will allow me to continue delivering excellence to my clients.”

To read Dan Rozansky’s full bio, click here.

To view the full press release, visit here.
To view the story on the SFV Business Journal, visit here.

About the Stubbs Alderton & Markiles Business Litigation Practice
The Firm’s business litigators have significant depth and breadth of resources and a detailed knowledge of clients’ industries and business concerns. As trusted counselors to middle market businesses, and particularly early stage, growth companies and entrepreneurs, we understand that how a company or entrepreneur handles dispute risk oftentimes is the difference between business success and failure. For more information about the Business Litigation practice at Stubbs Alderton, click here.

About Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP
Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP is a business law firm with robust corporate, public securities, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property and business litigation practice groups focusing on the representation of venture backed emerging growth companies, middle market public companies, large technology and Internet companies, entertainment, video games 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, video games, apparel, consumer electronics and medical device sectors. The firm’s 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 the firm. For more information, please visit www.stubbalderton.com.

Contact:
Heidi Hubbeling
Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP
(310) 746-9803
hhubbeling@stubbsalderton.com

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles Represents Client Platinum Equity in Sale of Keen Transport to Wallenius Wilhelemsen Logistics ASA

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 12, 2017 (NEWSWIRE) – Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP announced today that it represented Platinum Equity in its sale of Keen Transport to Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics ASA (WWL). Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The deal was led by Partner Marc Kenny and associate Nick Feldman assisted in the transaction.

Keen Transport is a national provider of heavy-haul logistics and transportation services for the construction, mining and agriculture equipment markets. WWL, based in Oslo, Norway, is a global logistics operator serving the manufacturing industry with special focus on vehicles, mining and construction equipment and machinery. Founded in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm with $13 billion of assets under management and a portfolio of approximately 30 operating companies that serve customers around the world. The firm is currently investing from Platinum Equity Capital Partners IV, a $6.5 billion global buyout fund.

To view the full press release, click here.

ABOUT STUBBS ALDERTON & MARKILES, LLP

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP is a business law firm with robust corporate, public securities, mergers and acquisitions, entertainment, intellectual property, brand protection and business litigation practice groups focusing on the representation of, among others, 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. Stubbs Alderton’s clients represent the full spectrum of Southern California business with a concentration in the technology, entertainment, videogame, apparel and medical device sectors. Our 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 our Firm.

For more information about the Mergers & Acquisitions practice at Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, contact Marc Kenny at mkenny@stubbsalderton.com

Press Contact:

Heidi Hubbeling
Director of Marketing
hhubbeling@stubbsalderton.com

SAM Client Alert – Deadline Approaching: Register Your DMCA Agent by End of the Year – U.S. Copyright Office Changes the DMCA Agent Registration Process

By December 31, 2017, any online service provider that has registered an agent with the U.S. Copyright Office through the paper-based registration system must submit a new registration using the new electronic system to preserve safe harbor protection under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”).

The DMCA, among other things, provides a safe harbor for online service providers from copyright infringement liability resulting from content posted on their websites or services by users. To qualify for DMCA safe harbor protection, online service providers must designate an agent to receive notifications of alleged copyright infringement by registering with the Copyright Office and each service provider must list their agent’s contact information on their website.

The Copyright Office’s paper-based registration system has been replaced by an online registration system. All online service providers seeking DMCA safe harbor protection must now register agents using the new electronic registration system. This applies to online service providers that have already designated DMCA agents using the paper-based system.

Online service providers that previously designated a DMCA agent using the paper-based system must resubmit their designations through the new electronic system before the December 31 deadline and renew their designations using this system at least every three years. Failure to register electronically by the end of the year will result in the expiration of existing designations and the loss of DMCA safe harbor protection.

What should online service providers do? All online service providers should submit a new DMCA agent designation using the online registration on the DMCA website by December 31, 2017. The fee for filing, amending or renewing a designation through the online system is $6.00.

How Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP can help. We are a full-service law firm with expertise in intellectual property and technology law. We can help register your DMCA agent designation with the Copyright Office using the new electronic system.

For more information about this or other intellectual property issues, contact SAM Partner Kevin DeBré at kdebre@stubbsalderton.com

Preccelerator® Program Announces Its Eighth Class of Companies

LOS ANGELES, Calif., November 28, 2017 (Newswire.com) – The Preccelerator® Program, a Santa Monica, California-based accelerator program for early- stage startup companies in the digital media and technology space, announced today that it has added its eighth class of companies featuring four innovative startups.

In 2012 Stubbs Alderton & Markiles launched the first-of-its- kind Preccelerator® Program to provide select start-ups with co-working space, mentorship, sophisticated legal services, curriculum and access to a strategic perks portfolio with the objective of helping grow a founder’s idea from business concept to a funded company. Over the past five years, 34 companies have graduated the Program, of which 20 have received funding totaling over $9M.

Preccelerator® Program Class 8 companies include:

Boomer Returns – Boomer is an ecommerce return platform that brings returns to your front door. The company’s goal is to eliminate the pain points in the return process where they hurt online shoppers the most. If you need clothing or accessories returned, you no longer have to leave your home. Instead, you can use Boomer and a reliable person will be at your door within an hour to handle your returns for you. The company is founded by Pat Bauer and Ben Grabow.

Best Food Trucks – Best Food Trucks (BFT) is the largest food truck platform in the U.S., with over 500 trucks booking lots nationwide. BFT is reinventing the office lunch experience, by providing business parks & office buildings with all the logistics of setting up food trucks, booking, and (coming soon) the ability to skip the line and order ahead from your phone. The company is founded by Matt Geller and Kevin Davis.

Lumenus – Lumenus is an IoT safety company, building a Hardware/Software platform using the Internet of Things to provide real-time safety alerts and create actionable insights for both consumers (bike/run/motorcycle) as well as industrial usage (high-risk vocational workers). They license their technology out to existing companies to scale the operation across industries and use-cases. They are currently in production with Timbuk2 on a backpack ‘Powered by Lumenus’ launching Spring 2018. The company is founded by Jeremy Wall.

BluAtom VR – BluAtom VR is a provider of a next-generation motion and haptic game controllers for virtual and augmented reality entertainment and training applications — It effectively turns any player’s body into a game controller. The BluAtom system comes with a wireless motion vest, hand controller and network hub to detect as well as enhance the user’s movements for a more natural and immersive virtual reality experience. The system is plug and play, no special device driver is required. The BluAtom VR founding team are Steve Kearsley, Dean Shipley, Farzad Ahmadkhanlou, Sean Sharifian, and Mark Thimmig and Sean Lee.

For more information about the Preccelerator® Program, visit www.preccelerator.com.

About Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP

Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP is a Southern California-based business law firm with robust corporate, public securities, mergers and acquisitions, entertainment, intellectual property, brand protection and business litigation practice groups focusing on the representation of, among others, 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 a broad range of industries with a concentration in the technology, entertainment, videogame, apparel and medical device sectors. The firm’s 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 the firm. For more information, visit http://stubbsalderton.com.

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, sophisticated legal services, education, networking, mentorship and $250,000 in usable perks from Google Cloud for Startups, Amazon Web Services, and HubSpot among others, with the objective of helping grow a founder’s idea from business concept to funded startup. The program also retains more than 50 active strategic mentors providing free office hours and discounted services, and provides over 50-plus educational workshops and networking events each year. The Program expanded in 2017 to accept a greater number of companies in more formalized classes, depending upon where the companies are in their evolutionary growth, expand benefits to accepted companies, and will look to make strategic investments backed by strategic angel investors. To apply to the Preccelerator, visit www.preccelerator.com/application.

Contact:

Heidi Hubbeling
Chief Operating Officer, Preccelerator® Program
hhubbeling@stubbsalderton.com
310-746-9803

SAM Preccelerator® Company nēdl Named Finalist in PILOT Innovation Challenge

SAM Preccelerator Company nēdl, an app that allows radio listeners to use speech recognition to eliminate the need to go station-to-station to find specific news, sports, talk and music, has been named among the 12 finalists for the PILOT Innovation Challenge. PILOT is an innovation initiative of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). The PILOT Innovation Challenge recognizes creative ideas that leverage technological advances in the production, distribution and display of engaging content.

To read the full press release visit here.

About nēdl
nēdl uses proprietary Speech Recognition to let you search within 100,000+ live news, sports, talk, and music broadcast streams to find what you want and listen to the stream or add your unique voice to the global real-time database for instant discovery. Visit www.findnedl.com

To learn more about the Preccelerator® Program, contact Heidi Hubbeling, COO at (310) 746-9803 or hhubbeling@stubbsalderton.com

Major Legal Pitfalls for Startups – The Case for Hiring a Lawyer before you “Start Up” – Part 2

In this two part series, Kelly Laffey discusses the legal pitfalls that startups can avoid when forming their company. Kelly counsels clients on issues related to corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions matters, and securities regulation and compliance. She also assists with financing for large private corporations, and entity formation and succession planning for professional services firms. Kelly provides general business counseling on a variety of up-and-coming regulatory issues for small and emerging companies that offer commercial services, allowing them to explore new business opportunities in various states. Drawing on her diverse work experience in the entertainment arena, including time spent with talent agencies, and music and television production companies, Kelly also assists on matters related to licensing, marketing, and exploitation of intellectual property rights.

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In Part 1 of this series, I described some typical legal problems that startup companies face when they try to go it alone in the early stages of their business related to choice of entity form and jurisdiction and common issues that arise with respect to division of equity. In this part 2, I discuss issues related to securities laws and intellectual property and finally offer some words of advice regarding how to manage the costs of hiring an attorney early on.

Compliance with Securities Laws

Any issuance of securities, meaning stock, LLC interests, options, warrants, convertible notes, convertible securities (or SAFEs) and more, will be subject to federal and state securities laws. Startup companies often need to find an exemption to the registration requirements of federal securities laws until they are ready to go public. Securities law is a large and complex subject that really requires a good corporate attorney to help explain those obligations relevant to a particular company in a particular given circumstance. Failure to comply with securities laws can result in a huge financial burden on the company, the founders and recipients of equity, including employees and investors, when fines are imposed or the recipients are forced to pay a much higher price for the equity than what was intended. An experienced securities practitioner can help you find the right exemption and implement the right process to avoid fines and adverse consequences.

Protecting Your Intellectual Property and Employment Issues

It is critical to have proper employment documentation in place and such documentation should properly protect the company’s intellectual property. Typical employment agreements include “at-will” offer letters, independent contractor agreements, consultant or advisor agreements and stock incentive award documents. Employment laws vary from state to state so depending on what state you’re in, you may need to include specific provisions to comply with applicable state law. One of the most important employment documents which every employee (including co-founders) should sign is a proprietary or confidential information and inventions assignment agreement. This document ensures the company’s confidential information will remain confidential and that any ideas, work product or deliverables created by the company’s employees while working for the company will be owned by the company. These agreements generally prevent key employees who have developed significant intellectual property for the company from claiming rights in such intellectual property in the event that they leave.

Trying To Do It Yourself

For the reasons stated above and many more, one of the biggest mistakes a company can make is trying to do the legal formation work on their own or with an inexperienced legal service provider. All of the mistakes described above are correctable but correcting them takes time and can incur greater cost than getting professional advice from the beginning. Many firms have very reasonable startup packages for early stage companies that include both forming the company properly and providing a suite of documents covering most, if not all, of the above issues for the company’s use, for a very reasonable flat fee. These packages are designed to get the company started and provide you with the basic forms of agreements you need to be protected. Once these are put in place, the company is unlikely to incur significant legal costs until it raises capital or undergoes another significant event. While a startup package fee may still seem like a significant amount of money to spend in a company’s early stages, the value is immeasurable over the life and success of the business.

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For more information about Startup Formation and other emerging growth issues, contact Kelly Laffey at klaffey@stubbsalderton.com.