October 2012

Eve Riskin.pngMegan Muir.jpgCONTRIBUTED BY
Megan Muir
@megan_muir

Dr. Eve Riskin is one woman in tech who is actively working to “change the ratio” by increasing the number of women faculty in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).  As Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for the University of Washington College of Engineering, Professor of Electrical Engineering, and Director of the ADVANCE Center for Institutional Change, she is a leader and a mentor for other women considering academic STEM careers (or second careers, following work in industry).

Eve received her bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from MIT and her graduate degrees in EE from Stanford.  She joined the EE Department at the University of Washington (UW) in 1990.  As Director of UW ADVANCE, Eve works on mentoring and leadership development programs aimed to increase the participation of women faculty in STEM fields.  Her research interests include image compression and image processing, with a focus on developing video compression algorithms to allow for cell-phone transmission of American Sign Language.  Eve was awarded a National Science Foundation Young Investigator Award, a Sloan Research Fellowship, the 2006 WEPAN University Change Agent award, the 2006 Hewlett-Packard Harriett B. Rigas Award, and the 2007 University of Washington David B. Thorud Leadership Award.  She is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Read on as Eve discusses her career path, provides advice for young women interested in STEM fields and shares her suggestion that you find a “ventor.”Continue Reading Women in Tech: Dr. Eve Riskin, Professor and Assoc. Dean of Engineering

CONTRIBUTED BY

Criddle.jpg
Kevin Criddle
kevin.criddle@dlapiper.com 
Kappus, Anthony R._photo_4742.jpg
Anthony Kappus
anthony.kappus@dlapiper.com

One of the key considerations in structuring merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions is determining which contracts of the target company, if any, will remain in effect for the acquiror following closing.  This post will briefly outline: (1) the general rules of contract assignment; (2) the effect of anti-assignment clauses and other exceptions to the general rule of assignability; and (3) the effect of four common M&A structures on contract assignment.

General Rule: Contracts are Freely Assignable

The general rule is that contracts are freely assignable unless the contract itself, a statute, or public policy dictates otherwise.  This is true in Washington State, where courts have found that contractual rights are generally transferable unless the contract expressly prohibits assignment in “very specific” and “unmistakable terms.”

Exceptions to the General Assignability Rule

The exceptions to the general rule of free assignability fall into two broad categories: (1) contractual prohibitions on free assignability (“anti-assignment clauses”) and (2) case law prohibitions on free assignability of certain types of contracts that arise out of public policy concerns.Continue Reading Assigning Contracts in the Context of M&A Transactions

Compliments of Jason Smith of Kidder Mathews, attached is a Seattle-area office real estate market review for Q3 2012. As the report notes, compared with the first half of the year the Seattle office market was very quiet in Q3, with the main difference between Q3 and Q2 that there were no new Amazon lease commencements. Not to say Amazon is the only driver in the local office market recovery, but it does point out just how big a role they have played, accounting for about half of the total net

Continue Reading Seattle Office Real Estate Market Review for Q3 2012

On Tuesday, we announced the results of DLA Piper’s fifth Technology Leaders Forecast survey.

Click here to download a copy of the survey.

Today we’re addressing some of the key implications of the survey results.

Economic headwinds challenge tech startups and the IPO market

The DLA Piper Technology Leaders Forecast surveys have shown a solidifying opinion among technology leaders that there is a “New Normal” in the model for building and investing in startup technology companies. Approximately two-thirds of executives surveyed believe the operating environment has been permanently altered in some significant way.Continue Reading DLA Piper Tech Survey – Key Findings

Today DLA Piper released the results of its fifth Technology Leaders Forecast survey, which was developed in conjunction with the firm’s 2012 Global Technology Leaders Summit. The survey addresses the major trends, challenges and opportunities confronting the technology industry. 

Click here to download a copy of the survey.

Why is this survey being done? In the face of global economic headwinds and amid a high-stakes 2012 presidential election, technology leaders – ever focused on the promise of the future – are seeking clarity with respect to the economic, regulatory and political landscape.

What questions is the survey intending to answer? 

  • Will there be greater economic certainty following November’s election?
  • What is the direction of tax policy? 
  • Will the next administration ease regulations – or increase the regulatory burden?
  • How will China’s role in technology development and financing evolve? 
  • Will the IPO market cool down or heat up?
  • What are the most promising and challenging areas for the technology economy?

Continue Reading DLA Piper Releases Technology Leaders Forecast Survey Results

Megan Muir.jpgCONTRIBUTED BY
Megan Muir
@megan_muir

Thumbnail image for Jenny Lam TVA.jpg

Jenny Lam is a co-founder of Jackson Fish Market, a small software startup focused on making beautiful software experiences. The company has shipped over 20 software products in the past 5 years. Their latest product is A Story Before Bed – the first (and only) service that lets parents, grandparents, and children record video of themselves reading children’s books and play it back as often as they like on the Mac, PC, or iPad.

Before Jackson Fish Market, Jenny worked at Microsoft from 2001–2007 as Creative Director of the Windows User Experience team. When she isn’t running her startup, she serves on the board as Experience Director of the AIGA Seattle chapter (the professional association for design) and works with national and local organizations to foster the next generation of creative design talent headed for the tech industry. She was named one of the Top 100 Most Influential Women in Technology by the Puget Sound Business Journal and was awarded Seattle 2.0 Best Startup Designer in 2010.  You can follow Jenny on Twitter (@helveticagirl).

In this piece, Jenny answers our questions about her work, how she wound up doing what she does so well and her thoughts about women in tech.Continue Reading Women in Tech: Jenny Lam, Award Winning Designer

Asher Headshot - Resized.pngCONTRIBUTED BY
Asher Bearman
asher.bearman@dlapiper.com

The Washington Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) issued a Notice to all interested parties that its Securities Division intends to propose amendments to its rules for investment advisers.  Significantly, these rules could significantly change the regulatory landscape for investment managers operating in Washington State.  In speaking with state regulators and reviewing the release, I understand that DFI currently is in the process of surveying fund managers.  If you have been contacted by DFI to complete this survey but you are not a registered investment adviser, I would very much like to hear from you as it’s not clear to us exactly who is part of the DFI analysis.Continue Reading Washington DFI Announces Possible Amendments to Investment Adviser Rules