Article prepared by and republished courtesy of our colleagues Stephen Taeusch, Daniel Turinsky, and Carsten Reichel; originally published here: https://www.dlapiper.com/en/insights/publications/2024/01/what-to-know-about-noncompete-agreements-in-2024

As we head into 2024, employers can expect more risk related to the use of restrictive covenants at both the federal and state level. From the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) anticipated final rule and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) unfair labor practice charges to new state laws and court decisions, employers are monitoring the landscape, preparing to meet compliance deadlines, and reassessing their approach to noncompete agreements.

Continue Reading What to know about noncompete agreements in 2024

Article prepared by and republished courtesy of our colleagues Richard Marks, Kevin Criddle, Curtis Mo, and Jeffrey Lehrer; originally published here: https://www.dlapiper.com/en/insights/publications/2023/03/applying-the-lessons-of-the-svb-and-signature-bank-failures

The failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank sent many companies into credit and liquidity crises. With the most pressing short-term impacts now stabilized, corporate boards and management should consider steps to be better prepared in the future.

What happened

On March 10, 2023, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) was closed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver. Two days later, New York regulators stepped in to close Signature Bank under the same structure. On March 12, 2023, the Federal Reserve, FDIC and Treasury Department jointly announced an emergency program to backstop all deposits at both SVB and Signature Bank.Continue Reading Applying the lessons of the SVB and Signature Bank failures: Steps for boards and management

Article prepared by and republished courtesy of our colleagues Jeffrey Hare, Margo Tank, Christopher Steelman, David Whitaker, and Adam Dubin; originally published here: https://www.dlapiper.com/en-us/insights/publications/2023/03/takeaways-from-the-silicon-valley-bank-and-signature-bank-receiverships

On Friday, March 10, 2023, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) was closed by its chartering regulator, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) was appointed as receiver which is typical for a bank receivership. The FDIC formed Deposit Insurance National Bank of Santa Clara (DINB) (chartered by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency) and immediately transferred to DINB all insured deposits of SVB. No loans or other products were transferred to DINB nor were uninsured deposits.Continue Reading Takeaways from the Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank receiverships

Choosing the right lawyer for your startup can be overwhelming, given the important role that relationship will play in the evolution of your company. However, finding the right fit at the earliest stages can save you lots of pain (and cost) down the road. Accordingly, I thought it would be helpful to share my observations on how to optimize the selection process and ensure a strong long-term relationship with your lawyer.

While all of the below considerations are obviously important, in my experience, individual founders put different weight on each
Continue Reading How to Choose Your Startup Lawyer

Although entrepreneurs and venture investors typically drive the negotiation of the term sheet for a venture financing, once the term sheet is executed, the commercial parties (especially those who have not been through the process many times) often feel sidelined in the ensuing process to close and uncomfortable with their lack of visibility into and control over the timeline. Accordingly, I thought it would be helpful to provide a high-level overview of a standard venture financing timeline.
Continue Reading How Long Should it Take to Close my Venture Financing?

By Tyler Hollenbeck and Cisco Palao-Ricketts

Although there a number of web resources regarding the distinctions between “incentive stock options” (ISOs), which can only be granted to employees, and “non-statutory options” (NSOs)[1], which can be granted to employees, directors and consultants, these resources are often heavy with tax jargon that is difficult to understand.  To help entrepreneurs focus on what should be most important to them, we have put together the below quick reference guide[2].

I.  TAX CONSEQUENCES – TO THE INDIVIDUAL

A.  NSOs

  • At date


Continue Reading Understanding the differences between an ISO vs. NSO