Tuesday, September 13, 2022, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.

--- CLASS WILL BE HELD VIA ZOOM. ZOOM INFORMATION WILL BE EMAILED TO REGISTRANTS PRIOR TO CLASS START TIME ---

Business entities come in many shapes and sizes, and choosing the right one can avoid serious tax and liability consequences. Learn which business entity is right for you, how to prepare and file incorporation documents, and why supposed "formalities" like corporate by-laws can be so important to your business success.

Class covers:

• Creating legal structures that will protect business start-ups and accommodate the business as it grows
• Common myths and mistakes people make in setting up a business
• The difference between an LLC, C-Corporation and S-Corporation and how to determine which one is right for your business
• Why shouldn't you just operate as a partnership or a sole proprietorship?
• What are the issues that co-owners should address and resolve in a "Shareholders Agreement" before starting a business together?

Participants are encouraged to join by video as class may involve sharing of visual information and writings, participation via the chat function, and the opportunity to interact with others. Virtual networking reception to follow class.

Presented by: Prof. Michael Chasalow
Professor Chasalow directs the USC Law School Small Business Clinic, where students gain hands-on experience handling transactional legal problems and providing basic corporate legal assistance to small businesses, entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations. Professor Chasalow has worked with start-up companies for over 25 years. His scholarly interests involve the development and structure of business ventures as well as corporate governance issues, fiduciary duty standards and issues relating to the operation and governance of partnerships and LLCs. Professor Chasalow received his B.A. from UC-Berkeley, his J.D. from Berkeley Law and his M.B.A. at UCLA. After law school Professor Chasalow practiced law for several years, initially as a transactional attorney with Latham and Watkins in Los Angeles, where he specialized in such complex corporate transactions as mergers and acquisitions and the issuance of sophisticated debt securities.

Registration fees: FREE - sponsored by the Friends of the Los Angeles County Law Library through the generous support of Pacific Western Bank.

No legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The Law Library is pleased to offer our patrons the opportunity to obtain assistance from third party legal service providers at this and other events within the Library. However, the Library does not control and is not responsible for the content or scope of any assistance given by those providers.

Tuesday, September 20, 2022, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

--- CLASS WILL BE HELD VIA ZOOM. ZOOM INFORMATION WILL BE EMAILED TO REGISTRANTS PRIOR TO CLASS START TIME ---

New and growing businesses must enter into a variety of contracts, with landlords, suppliers, and clients, to name a few. Learn how to read common “boilerplate” contractual language and negotiate contractual terms to your advantage.

Class covers:

• Contract law basics
• Essential terms of a commercial lease: what is negotiable and what is non-negotiable
• Essential terms of a contract for goods or services
• “Typical” contracts negotiated by business people
• Caveat emptor: how to avoid problematic contracts

Participants are encouraged to join by video as class may involve sharing of visual information and writings, participation via the chat function, and the opportunity to interact with others. Virtual networking reception to follow class.

Presented by Gina Pak:
Gina Pak is the COO and Co-founder of Lawgood, a legal tech company that is helping business owners with their everyday legal contracts through a combination of real lawyers and artificial intelligence. Prior to Lawgood, Gina was as a corporate lawyer at large firms in New York and Los Angeles working with Fortune 500 companies. She was also a law professor at Peking University. Gina graduated from Columbia Law School.

Registration fees: FREE - sponsored by the Friends of the Los Angeles County Law Library through the generous support of Pacific Western Bank.

No legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The Law Library is pleased to offer our patrons the opportunity to obtain assistance from third party legal service providers at this and other events within the Library. However, the Library does not control and is not responsible for the content or scope of any assistance given by those providers.

Tuesday, September 27, 2022, 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.

--- CLASS WILL BE HELD VIA ZOOM. ZOOM INFORMATION WILL BE EMAILED TO REGISTRANTS PRIOR TO CLASS START TIME ---

Effectively communicating the value of your product or service is essential to your business success. Learn how to attract and retain your customer base through creative branding, channel marketing, and smart promotion.

Class covers:

• Defining and protecting your brand
• The different marketing channels available, and the strengths and weaknesses of each
• How to integrate branding and marketing across multiple channels and platforms
• Basing your marketing initiatives on research and data
• Approach to marketing on a budget

Presented by: Erin Kapczynski (https://www.linkedin.com/in/erink)

Erin Kapczynski has built her career as a marketing executive for technology, media and advertising companies. 

Erin’s passion for marketing centers on looking at how a business can transform and grow, leveraging data and user experience, while building customer trust. Currently serving as consultant and advisor to leading startups and mid-stage businesses, Erin helps clients plan and execute customer acquisition, content creation, and branding – tying these pieces together to generate growth.

She has helped B2B (Business to Business) SaaS (Software as a Service) companies such MomentFeed and Greenfly; media companies such as Ranker and Demand Media (now LeafGroup); and AdTech giants such as System1 tell their stories and acquire new customers. Erin has also worked with DTC (Direct to Consumer) companies such as Wrench and OneRep, accelerating their marketing efforts.

Coming into the role via acquisition, Erin was formerly VP of Marketing for the media and technology platform Purch (Space.com and TomsGuide.com), where she oversaw all global consumer and corporate marketing that grew audiences and accelerated ad sales and lead-gen deals for partners to well over $100M in annual revenue. At Purch, Erin was also part of the executive team, seeing through multiple acquisitions, app launches, and a $135M equity round of financing. 

Prior to Purch, Erin served as VP of Marketing at Panache, an early mover and market-leading digital video ad tech business (B2B SaaS) that was acquired by WPP.  She also held senior-level marketing positions at Herbalife's HQ and Move.

Erin currently serves as an advisor at the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce's tech incubator Bixel Exchange, part of SBA’s SBDC (Small Business Development Centers) program, where she helps local startups establish product-market-fit and position them for capital infusion.

Registration fees: FREE - sponsored by the Friends of the Los Angeles County Law Library through the generous support of Pacific Western Bank.

No legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The Law Library is pleased to offer our patrons the opportunity to obtain assistance from third party legal service providers at this and other events within the Library. However, the Library does not control and is not responsible for the content or scope of any assistance given by those providers.

Tuesday, October 4, 2022, 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.

--- CLASS WILL BE HELD VIA ZOOM. ZOOM INFORMATION WILL BE EMAILED TO REGISTRANTS PRIOR TO CLASS START TIME ---

Many successful businesses develop important assets that are “intangible,” including trademarks identifying your products (or services) in the flow of commerce, and patents to protect scientific inventions. Learn how to protect such assets and ensure your company’s continued success.

Class covers:

• Protecting an original invention through the patent process
• What patent protection can provide your business, and what it can’t
• How to develop and protect a valuable trademark

Participants are encouraged to join by video as class may involve sharing of visual information and writings, participation via the chat function, and the opportunity to interact with others. Virtual networking reception to follow class.

Presented by Courtney Stuart-Alban

Registration fees: FREE - sponsored by the Friends of the Los Angeles County Law Library through the generous support of Pacific Western Bank.

No legal advice:
LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The Law Library is pleased to offer our patrons the opportunity to obtain assistance from third party legal service providers at this and other events within the Library. However, the Library does not control and is not responsible for the content or scope of any assistance given by those providers.