The 83(b) election often comes up when a founder or other employee receives stock (or other equity, but I will stick with calling it stock) that is subject to vesting – that is, there are conditions that may require the stock to be forfeited, e.g., if the founder or other employee stops working for the company. The default tax rule for stock subject to vesting is that no income has to be recognized upon grant, but rather will be recognized when the stock vests at the value at the time of vesting.

Digital Assets are a +$100 billion industry, and while substantial, the market is still in its infancy compared to broader financial markets. The lack of clear regulatory oversight and a reliable infrastructure for custody have been key factors causing many institutional investors to avoid the digital asset market.

It should come as no surprise that you cannot patent your technology if someone else already filed a patent application on it or released it out into the world. But less obvious to many entrepreneurs, inventors, and emerging company executives is the danger that your own business activities can permanently prevent you from patenting your own inventions.

A 2017 Harvard Business Review article by Dana Kanze has introduced new insights into the issue of gender bias in venture capital funding.

A patent can last for twenty years. But that patent might not adequately protect your invention from competitors unless you grow a patent family tree. A patent family tree can include later, related patents that cover variations of your original patent. This could help you prevent a competitor from designing around your original patent. It can also add great value to your company. You grow a patent family tree by filing multiple patents that are “related” to your first patent. Courts even use terms like “grandparent patents” and “grandchildren patents” to describe the related patents.

grIP Senior Advisor for ESG, Sustainability, Fintech and Financing, Jennifer Cuccaro hosted a panel for the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum Cornerstones Series titled “Digital Assets & Blockchain – The Impact on Emerging Companies, ESG & Sustainability Initiatives” on December 14, 2020. Jennifer was joined by Doug Borthwick, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer of INX Limited, and Kosrow Denhad, Thought Leader, Columbia University Professor and Author of the recently published Blockchain Investor Manual: The Complete Guide to Blockchain Fundamentals, Trading and Investing.

grIP Team Member and IP lawyer Larry Sandell and his Mei & Mark colleague P. Andrew Riley gave a presentation at the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum Cornerstones Series titled “Strategic & Technical Intellectual Property Issues” on December 16, 2020.Larry and Andrew discussed intellectual property strategy, procurement, and enforcement. The presentation covered both strategic and technical issues geared towards emerging companies, VCs and other prospective investors.

grIP Senior Advisor on Government Contracting Strategy Cameron Hamilton, gave a presentation for the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum Cornerstones Series titled “Insights on Government Contracts for VC & Startups” on December 7, 2020. Cameron was joined by fellow presenter, Greg Jacobs, Chair of the Government Contracts Practice at Polsinelli.

What new possibilities arise for millions of people when AI, 5G, Cloud Computing, Distributed Ledger and Quantum Computing come together? This is the question the World Economic Forum asked of the financial services industry recently. In their report, Forging New Pathways: The next evolution of innovation in financial services new themes have emerged from the global thought-leadership forum.

As we close out 2020, digital assets and the blockchain industry are experiencing another revival. The tokenization of assets and blockchain technology in general are having significant effects on capital markets, entrepreneurship, and fundraising by improving liquidity and democratizing investment opportunities.