Cecilia Barnes Delivers the Tech Law Fundamentals Course to Early-Stage Businesses in the FoundHers Accelerator

On October 25, Lawson Lundell lawyer Cecilia Barnes delivered a lecture titled 'Legal Clinic: Tech Law Fundamentals' as part of the FoundHers program: 'Powering Early Stage Businesses.' Cecilia's session equipped early-stage tech founders with essential legal knowledge to build and scale responsibly. Key topics included:

• Business Structures: Overview of sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, and cooperatives, with guidance on choosing the right structure for liability protection, funding, and growth.
• Intellectual Property (IP): Types of IP (patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets), when and how to protect them, and how to build a cost-effective IP strategy.
• Technology Protection: Best practices like NDAs, source code control, and licensing agreements to safeguard innovation.
• Contracts & Compliance: Founders’ agreements, employment and contractor contracts, client/vendor terms, and early-stage regulatory requirements.
• Legal Support: When to engage legal counsel, risks of relying on templates, and budgeting for legal services.
• Equity & Investment Readiness: Structuring common and preferred shares, vesting schedules, cap table management, and employee stock options.

This lecture was part of FoundHers' three month hybrid program which is designed to empower early-stage, tech-enabled businesses led by women entrepreneurs, through a combination of in-person workshops, online learning, and one-on-one mentorship. The course helps attendees scale their business and prepare for venture capital funding.