Venture Capital & Emerging Companies

In Harper Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird, the protagonist Atticus Finch tells his son: “One never really understands a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”. Unless you take the time to stand in another person’s shoes and see the world from that person’s perspective, we really don’t process very well what others may be saying or feeling. In this challenging time of a global pandemic and national outrage for systemic social injustices, we urge all of our readers to listen (truly listen) to your colleagues and try to understand better what it is like to be in another person’s shoes. Black Lives Matter and it is up to all of us to listen, support each other, and to see how we can make this world better. We have assembled a list of books that may help deepen that understanding and encourage us all to work diligently to build the equitable world we all want for ourselves and our fellow citizens.

In Harper Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird, the protagonist Atticus Finch tells his son: “One never really understands a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”. Unless you take the time to stand in another person’s shoes and see the world from that person’s perspective, we really don’t process very well what others may be saying or feeling. In this challenging time of a global pandemic and national outrage for systemic social injustices, we urge all of our readers to listen (truly listen) to your colleagues and try to understand better what it is like to be in another person’s shoes. Black Lives Matter and it is up to all of us to listen, support each other, and to see how we can make this world better. We have assembled a list of books that may help deepen that understanding and encourage us all to work diligently to build the equitable world we all want for ourselves and our fellow citizens.

XENDEE is the most awarded Microgrid platform, and is the standard solution for Worley, the largest energy, chemicals and resources engineering services company in the world. The United States Department of Defense has recently selected XENDEE as its standard platform for the design of resilient Microgrids by all branches and services.

This article discusses updated documentation and timing for the Federal Reserve Main Street Lending Program and certain considerations for companies considering borrowing under the program.

In this podcast, Jake Shapiro, the founder of RadioPublic and Podfund, explores the current state of the podcasting market and industry trends.

This article outlines Treasury Department and IRS tax relief available to individuals and businesses affected by travel disruptions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This article discusses the recent revisions to the Federal Reserve’s Main Street Lending Program; borrower considerations regarding eligibility and access to the program; implications of certain covenants and restrictions; and considerations under existing debt documents.

In the first installment of Mintz’s multi-part series addressing common questions relating to establishing a new enterprise, Jeremy Glaser and Sebastian Lucier discuss the timing of forming an entity, the differences between the two most common choices (corporation and LLC) and the best jurisdiction to position a company for outside investment.

This alert reviews the risks of a down round financing and lists steps that a company considering this option during the COVID-19 pandemic can take to reduce those risks.

Today the Small Business Administration (SBA) issued additional guidance with respect to the “necessity” certification required under the CARES Act in connection with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The relevant guidance appears in FAQ 46, and it is very good news for borrowers who received PPP loans under $2 million (together with PPP loans to affiliates, if any). The SBA, in consultation with the U.S. Department of Treasury, has determined that a safe harbor will apply with respect to SBA’s review of the certification of necessity in connection with respect to such loans. Specifically, “[a]ny borrower that, together with its affiliates, received PPP loans with an original principal amount of less than $2 million will be deemed to have made the required certification concerning the necessity of the loan request in good faith.”

This edition of MintzTech Connect features articles on the Federal Reserve Main Street Lending Program and the pros and forms of different forms of business entities.

Choosing the form of your business entity is one of the first and most important steps toward running a successful business. Three of the most common entity types are C-Corporations, S-Corporations and Limited Liability Companies (LLCs). Each entity type has its own advantages and disadvantages, including with respect to taxation, attractiveness to investors and simplicity.

This article discusses the Federal Reserve’s Main Street Lending Program, including eligibility; impacts on debt service, capital structure, and strategic planning; and potential obstacles under existing debt and other agreements.

Read about recently issued IRS guidance related to the employee retention credit enacted in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act.

This alert provides an overview of how the CARES Act, signed on March 27, 2020, eases tax burdens on businesses to increase their short-term liquidity as they deal with impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This alert describes two types of relief loans available to small businesses suffering due to COVID-19: Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and SBA EIDL loans.

In this episode of MintzEdge’s From the Edge podcast, David Ponraj, a physicist-turned-analyst-turned-entrepreneur, tells Aditya Perakath, a physicist-turned-Mintz attorney, how he started his current venture: a startup designed to help other startups succeed.

In this article, Mintz attorney Kati Pajak provides guidance on how to adjust contract language to be gender-neutral.

Learn about upcoming events for start-ups, entrepreneurs, and the tech community.

This issue of MintzTech Connect includes tax guidance on the treatment of virtual currencies, a “how-to” for writing gender-neutral agreements, and a podcast on the basics of venture debt.