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Investing in Startups: Instruments, Terms, and Red Flags

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MoFo partner William Wilson and Of Counsel Max Rich delivered a presentation titled ‘Investing in Startups: Instruments, Terms,...

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MoFo partner William Wilson and Of Counsel Max Rich delivered a presentation titled ‘Investing in Startups: Instruments, Terms, and Red Flags’ to Columbia Business School.Columbia Business School Executive Education is a professional learning arm of Columbia University that focuses on offering the development of advanced skills in leadership, strategy, finance, and innovation through a combination of academic research, real-world case studies, and global peer collaboration.<hr>

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William Wilson is a partner in the Technology Transactions Group in the New York office of Morrison Foerster.William provides guidance to startups, major corporations, and venture capital and private equity investors. His practice spans business and technology transactions, including counseling, as well as structuring and negotiating deals across various industries, with a specialized emphasis on the Fintech, software, and technology sectors.William provides legal representation across the entirety of a company’s lifecycle, from general corporate and IP counseling, to early- and late-stage financings, to exit event. As an active participant in the venture ecosystem, William is involved with various startup accelerators and incubators, including MIT Delta V, NYU Endless Frontier Labs, and Spark Cleantech Accelerator.William’s practice covers all aspects of technology and intellectual property counseling, including strategic licensing, artificial intelligence, technology transactions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, and intellectual property strategy and protection. He also has substantial experience in intellectual property and commercial matters related to strategic mergers, acquisitions, and corporate divestitures.William has served as a guest lecturer at numerous institutions, such as Columbia University, Brown University, New York University, Washington University in St. Louis, and University of Tennessee. His lectures span topics from technology transactions and venture capital to artificial intelligence and startup matters.William is recognized as a Recommended Lawyer for Patent Licensing by The Legal 500 United States. The publication highlighted his profound understanding of both legal and technical matters, with clients noting that he has “deep knowledge of the issues, both legal and technical and is able to clearly advise and support both the legal and business teams,” and commending his “relaxed and collaborative negotiation style that promotes resolution of issues, which is a very helpful skill when dealing with a difficult counterparty.”

William Wilson

Partner

Maxwell Rich is of counsel in the New York office of Morrison Foerster, and a member of the firm’s Emerging Companies + Venture Capital Group.Maxwell represents clients across a wide range of corporate matters, including general corporate, financings, transactional, regulatory securities matters, and mergers and acquisitions. His representation of operating companies and investment vehicles spans the entire corporate life-cycle, from formation to exit across multiple industries.Prior to joining the firm, Maxwell served as a Deputy General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, and Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at a venture-backed financial services unicorn. While at the company, he was responsible for company-wide legal operations, legal strategy, and compliance, serving as the chief compliance officer of a FINRA-member and a registered investment adviser, respectively, during his tenure. He acted as a regulatory liaison and advocate for the company’s various regulated entities; and managed corporate structure and supervised growth of the business, including leading acquisitions and spinouts, both foreign and domestic.Maxwell has a strong commitment to giving back to his community and industry. Max volunteers as a traveling expert for the State Department-backed Financial Services Volunteer Corps, a non-profit whose mission is to build sound banking and financial systems in developing and transition countries seeking to develop market-oriented economies. During intersessions at Georgetown University School of Law, Maxwell is an adjunct, teaching “Formation to Exit – Capital Formation for Startups. Max is also an adviser for The Association of Online Investment Platforms ("AOIP"), and organization that champions expanding investment opportunities in private companies to the general public, advocates for the responsible growth of private investment platforms, and educates the investors, legislators and regulators about the private markets in a transparent, honest manner.Maxwell earned his J.D., with honors, from Boston University School of Law, and holds a B.A., summa cum laude, from Drew University.

Maxwell Rich

Of Counsel

Investing in Startups: Instruments, Terms, and Red Flags

13 Apr 2026