Speaking Engagement
Keep up with the latest legal and industry insights, news, and events from MoFo
29 Oct 2026 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM PDT
You’re invited to Morrison Foerster’s ScaleUp Speaker Series, a complimentary series that will provide insight into the legal side of founding a startup. This weekly seminar will arm you with the knowledge needed to manage the legal aspects of launching, funding, and growing a startup, with insights on how to avoid common mistakes that can have serious consequences down the road.
We are hosting this cycle of the ScaleUp Speaker Series as virtual-only events, and sessions will be held on Fridays.*
Topics covered by this one-hour session include:
- Types of impact investors
- Impact deal terms
- Impact instruments
To register for upcoming events in this series, see our full schedule below:
To attend a session, please register by clicking its title (in orange text) below. You must register for each session individually.
Week 5: Most Common Legal Mistakes of Startup Entrepreneurs – October 30, 2026
Learn more than a dozen common mistakes, their impact on startups, and how to avoid them in the first place.
Week 6: Antitrust Issues for Startup Companies – November 5, 2026*
Learn about basic antitrust laws and principles, the current antitrust enforcement landscape, antitrust risks in interactions with peers and competitors, and other relevant topics relating to antitrust and competition in the startup space.
Week 7: Startup Equity Incentives – November 6, 2026
Learn the basics of customary equity incentives and how they are used to attract and retain top talent in a competitive market. We will discuss founder vesting, restricted stock, and stock options (including ISOs and NSOs).
Week 8: Follow-On Venture Financing Complexities – November 13, 2026
Learn how startups and investors manage down rounds, recapitalizations, pay-to-play financings, and other complexities that arise only in the second and subsequent rounds of financing.
Learn how fintech companies can navigate the evolving state and federal regulatory landscape, from licensing, supervision, and enforcement to emerging issues involving AI, bank-fintech partnerships, and digital assets.
Week 9: Selling Your Startup – November 20, 2026
Learn the differences among acquisition structures, master fundamental mergers and acquisitions (M&A) terms, and receive an overview of definitive M&A agreements and processes.
Week 10: Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) – December 3, 2026*
Learn about the steps necessary when considering an IPO, including the process and timing, and life as a U.S. public company.
Week 11: Open Forum Recap – December 4, 2026
Join our interactive, open forum where you can ask our experienced startup attorneys questions on topics raised during earlier sessions or startup legal questions generally.
For more information on our ScaleUp programming offered in Austin, Boston, New York, and Palo Alto, please visit us at MoFo ScaleUp.
*Week 6: Antitrust Issues for Startup Companies, Week 8A: Fintech Under Pressure, and Week 10: Initial Public Offerings will be held on Thursdays.
