Tech Meets Legal

Startup founders often face significant legal pitfalls that can jeopardize their company’s success if not properly addressed from the outset. One of the most common mistakes is failing to structure the company correctly, whether by not incorporating at the right time, choosing the wrong entity type, or not formalizing agreements among co-founders.

 

Without a well-defined ownership structure, disputes can arise over equity splits, decision-making power, and responsibilities. Additionally, failing to have proper employment agreements and intellectual property (IP) assignments can lead to legal battles, particularly if a former co-founder or employee claims ownership over key technology or assets.

 

The Tech Meets Legal track takes a full-day, deep dive into the legal issues that concert startup founders, senior staff and investors. It looks at subjects such as Structuring Shareholder Agreement, Managing Investor Entry and Exit, Stock Option Vesting Systems, and more. This is a must-attend event for experienced investors and startup founders. 

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The event is being held together with Best Legal Cyprus, a leading legal conference taking place in Cyprus every month, and benefits from adding the perspective of an international business centre

 

Keynote Speech

10:00 – 10:30             

 

Session 1: Legally Structuring your Tech Enterprise

10:30 – 12:00      

      

This session focusses on structuring the legal foundations of your startup or tech enterprise. As founders, we often focus on the technical development and product-market fit of our startup, but do not stop to consider what happens if founders no longer perform well together. The first session of Structuring your Tech Enterprise looks at key issues in terms of drafting (or revising) your Shareholder Agreement and Company Statutes:

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• Speech 1: Fundamentals of Corporate Governance and Decision-Making for Startups
   

• Speech 2: Structuring your Shareholding Structures and Voting Rights. Emphasis on adding and replacing Founders and Equity Owners, including drag-along, tag along, right of first refusal and pre-emptive rights; lock up periods
   

• Speech 3: Decision-Making Boundaries and Methods in Startups: What constitutes an absolute majority? What decisions must be made unanimously versus with different majorities? What kind of budgetary and payment controls exist?
   

• Speech 4: Best Practise in Structuring and Managing your Board of Directors
   

First Break

12:00 – 12:30             

 

Session 2: Raising Capital: Balancing Founder, Investor and Employee Priorities

12:30 – 14:00             

This session will examine the impact on startups from raising capital. How does shareholder dilution work and are there any ways it can be avoided? What are some typical clauses and powers investors look for? How are employees affected in terms of stock options and vesting schedules? 
 

• Speech 1: The Cap Table, New Capital Raises and Dilution Impacts 
   

• Speech 2: Investor Preferences for Liquidation, Anti-Dilution, Founder Locking, Downround Protection & More
   

• Speech 3: Founder Issues in Capital Raises, including Key Person Provisions, Non-Compete Clauses, Non-Solicitation Clauses, IP Ownership and More
   

• Speech 4: Best Practise in avoiding Staff Dilution; Structuring Stock Options and Vesting Schedules. 
   

Second Break

14:00 – 14:30             

 

Session 3: Protecting and Valorizing Intellectual Property

14:30 – 16:00

This session will explore best practises in intellectual property rights and ownership from the founder and investor perspectives. Key issues to be discussed include:
 

• Speech 1: Overview of IP Rights, Registration and Ownership
   

• Speech 2: IP Ownership Verification, Infringement and Co-ownership
   

• Speech 3: IP Collateralisation and Transfer in Investment Situations
   

• Speech 4; IP Indemnification and Insurance Policies

 

Third Break

16:00 – 16:30             

 

Session 4: Frontier Legal Issues from Cybersecurity, Crypto and AI

16:30 – 18:00            

This session will explores the impact of rapid technological development in terms of the legal and regulatory impact. Key issues to be discussed include:
 

• Speech 1: Artificial Intelligence and Copyright Infringement: Legal Cases and Precedents
   

• Speech 2: Legal Challenges to Data Privacy: Understanding GDPR, the Digital Services Act and More
   

• Speech 3: Legal Challenges to Cybersecurity Breaches and Theft
   

• Speech 4: Seeking Legal Redress in cases of Crypto Theft and Crypto Fraud
   

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