Contributed by our colleague Mark Radcliffe

2014 was a great year for startups seeking funding.  Two of the leading reporting companies, PitchBook and CB Insights, report similar trends (both of these reports focus on funding by traditional financial venture capitalists and corporate venture capitalists, but the numbers differ because PitchBook also includes some angel investments). The key points are:

1.  Significant Increase in the Amount of Funding:  The funding in 2014 increased dramatically from 2013: according to PitchBook,  funding increased almost $20 billion from $39.4 billion to $59 billion…
Continue Reading Three Trends in 2014 Venture Capital Funding

A useful note from our colleague Sanjay Beri, originally posted at Technology’s Legal Edge.

I was recently reminded that the term “reseller” agreement can often mean different things to different people.  Misunderstandings about these types of relationships creates the potential for miscommunication and wasted time drafting the wrong terms.

A client recently asked me for a form of reseller agreement to engage resellers to help distribute the client’s software based product.  “You know, just grab something off the shelf that will work” went the common refrain.  As I talked…
Continue Reading What Exactly Do You Mean By “Reseller” Agreement?

From our colleagues Paolo Morante, Steven E. Levitsky, and Laura Kam

In accordance with the 2000 amendments to the HSR Act, the Federal Trade Commission has announced its annual revision to the jurisdictional thresholds under the Act. The new thresholds will go into effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, which is expected in the next few business days.

Under the new thresholds, no transaction will be reportable unless, as a result of it, the acquiring person will hold voting securities, assets, or noncorporate interests of…
Continue Reading FTC ANNOUNCES ANNUAL REVISIONS TO HSR ACT THRESHOLDS

From our colleagues, Michelle J. Anderson and Jim Halpert, originally published as a Data Protection, Privacy and Security Alert (US)

According to the Data Quality Campaign, 36 states considered 110 student data privacy bills in 2014, and 20 states enacted 28 such bills into law.  At least eight of these new laws may have significant implications for businesses that provide services involving student data to schools, and most of these laws have already taken effect.

IMPLICATIONS FOR VENDORS: Some of the new state student privacy laws specifically require…
Continue Reading New student data privacy laws: top points for school contractors and K-12 education sites, apps and online services

Just a reminder to those who have Delaware corporations, your annual report and franchise tax payment are both due by March 1 (which falls on a Sunday this year so plan accordingly). At this point, you have likely already received from Delaware your notification of annual report and franchise tax due, which is sent to a corporation’s registered agent in December or January of each year. Delaware requires these reports to be filed electronically.

As you will notice, there are two methods that you can use to calculate the amount of Delaware franchise tax due for your corporation (i.e., the “Authorized Shares Method” and the “Assumed Par Value Capital Method”), which result in vastly different amounts due. The default payment amount listed on your notification is set by Delaware using the Authorized Shares Method, which method will almost always result in a much high amount due for startups with limited assets. The minimum franchise tax is $175 (increased from $75 on July 1, 2014) and the maximum franchise tax is $180,000.

Franchise taxes are generally due in arrears for the prior calendar year. However, note that Delaware requires corporations owing $5,000 or more for the prior year to make estimated payments for the current (going-forward) year’s franchise tax with 40% due June 1, 20% due by September 1, 20% due by December 1, and the remainder due March 1.

Here are some examples showing how the different methods can dramatically impact the amount of Delaware franchise tax due:
Continue Reading Franchise tax due by March 1 (a Sunday!) for Delaware corporations: two methods of calculation, two vastly different results

PitchBook just released its recap of 2014 venture capital trends by region, focusing on the most active regions and presenting the information in infographic form. Each infographic can be found here: Bay Area, Pacific Northwest, New York metro and Europe. Below is also a quick summary of the highlights by region:

Bay Area:

  • The median pre-money valuation for 2014 was $28.2m (up from $18.3m for 2013).
  • The most active sector (by both deal count and capital invested), by a wide margin, was information technology.
  • The region

…
Continue Reading Recap of 2014 Venture Capital Trends by Region

Article prepared by and republished courtesy of our employment colleagues, including the Chair of DLA Piper’s US Employment Group, Michael J. Sheehan; originally published here: https://www.dlapiper.com/en/us/insights/publications/2014/12/are-you-a-joint-employer/

Think supply chain. Think franchisor. Think private equity. For all these types of businesses, the rules of the game are changing.

For a host of reasons – among them cost, efficiency, liability and risk management – many large companies have separated from the work force that performs the tasks associated with the end-delivery of their products or services. Before, under established rules defining who is the employer for purposes of application of labor and employment laws, such companies could safely shield themselves from employer obligations. That is not so today. Today, this model is under attack.

How did this change?

The National Labor Relations Board, the US Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, various other federal and state agencies and, of course, a robust and invigorated plaintiff’s class action bar are advocating a liberalized definition of “joint employer.” The thinking behind this shift can be captured in this question raised by Professor David Weil, now the Administrator of the US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division:

Are there ways to allow the beneficial aspects of business models built on adherence to quality and consumer service standards to also assure that they meet their obligations under the law to employees?

It is a loaded question and one that, today, points the barrel squarely at many companies.
Continue Reading Are you a joint employer?

Article prepared by and republished courtesy of our colleagues Evan Migdail, Bruce Thompson and Linda Pfatteicher; originally published here: http://www.dlapiper.com/en/us/insights/publications/2014/11/tax-reform-after-the-mid-terms/.

While some aspects of the agenda for the incoming Republican-controlled 114th Congress are still in formulation, there is no question that tax reform will be a top priority.

Both the expected new Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) have repeatedly stated that tax reform is a fundamental part of their promise to move the country in a new direction. Also, in…
Continue Reading Tax reform after the mid-terms: Why we can expect Congress to act

Contributed by Jeffrey A. Showalter

Most large venture deals require that the Company’s outside legal counsel issue a customary legal opinion, addressed to the investors in the financing, in order to give the investors comfort that the company’s legal affairs are in order. For companies that have been represented since formation by large regional or national counsel with venture capital experience, this requirement generally is not overly burdensome. However, where counsel has not represented the company since formation or is unfamiliar with VC deals, the legal opinion can become an…
Continue Reading Why do VCs require legal opinions in venture deals?

Thank you to all who participated in the Technology Leaders Forecast Survey that we posted last month. As posted earlier, on October 7, DLA Piper hosted its 2014 Global Technology Leaders Summit, where technology leaders, influential innovators and policymakers convened to discuss the future of innovation. In connection with the Summit, DLA Piper released the results of the survey, which was developed with PitchBook. The results concluded that: “With a thriving tech economy, ballooning valuations and an IPO market humming at a level unseen since the dot-com …
Continue Reading 2014 Technology Leaders Forecast Survey Results Released