Why is asking "LLC or Corp?" the wrong question?

By Rick Colosimo / May 2, 2010 /

Here’s another LinkedIn-derived question that merits a better answer. The question was essentially whether the fellow with some IP to build a business on should form an LLC or a corporation. In typical LinkedIn fashion, off-the-cuff answers that are specific end up being wrong. In my mind, if someone is asking this question, they either…

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Five-minute general counsel: incorporate a tech startup

By Rick Colosimo / October 12, 2009 /

Another LinkedIn user asked about how to structure a startup that would be a typical VC-funded software company. Here’s my edited answer: As someone who’s represented dozens of startups, closed probably 100 venture deals, and cleaned up too many small companies to count, there is in fact a right way and wrong way to do…

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Why do legal opinions matter?

By Rick Colosimo / August 12, 2009 /

In a recent post referring to Ted Wang’s “simple series A” proposal, I noted that I would separately discuss legal opinions. Non-lawyers, and lawyers new to transactional practice, have probably never really heard of a legal opinion or what it does. Briefly, the legal opinion letter is a carefully prepared document that is designed to…

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Will VCs adopt a "Simple Series A?"

By Rick Colosimo / August 12, 2009 /

This article on a simpler approach to smaller Series A venture capital financings was written by Ted Wang, a partner at Fenwick & West, a well-known Silicon Valley law firm. Caveat: Ted and I worked on a deal several years ago where he represented the investors and I the company. So, my opinions of Ted’s…

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