The Low Down on Down Rounds
June 01, 2003
The following is an excerpt from a conference call hosted by VCExperts.com, of which <i>Advising Start-Up & Emerging Companies</i> Editor-in-Chief Joe Bartlett is Chairman. Participants included Joe Bartlett, Mike Halloran, senior partner in Pillsbury Winthrop LLP's 341-lawyer corporate and securities practice group, and Tom Gump, Senior Associate in the corporate and securities group in the San Francisco office of Pillsbury Winthrop.
Why Web Sites Fail: Marketing
June 01, 2003
This next article in the "Why Web Sites Fail" series examines the reasons why Web initiatives frequently do not meet their intended goals. While there are as many reasons for failure as there are different kinds of Web sites, this series is based on experiences I have had over the past 5 years as a Web site builder and refers to Web sites that are used for client acquisition, customer relationship management and e-commerce. This article addresses the underlying foundation of Web site communications - marketing.
The <i>Ashley Albright </i>Case: A Mixed Message About LLC Business Asset Protection
June 01, 2003
On April 4, 2003, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado rendered its decision in <i>In re: Ashley Albright</i>. In the case of single-member LLCs, the <i>Albright</i> decision seriously weakens an important LLC business organization law feature often referred to by LLC practitioners as "business asset protection." In the case of multi-member LLCs, the decision significantly strengthens this feature. As discussed below, the decision has important implications not only in entity formation practice generally but also for the VC/PE community.
How Can an Investment Invalidate a Patent?
June 01, 2003
Structuring a venture capital investment is almost always tricky, but if both sides aren't careful, they may inadvertently create problems with any pending patent applications the target company is prosecuting. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) allows certain parties, such as small businesses (referred to generally as "small entities"), to pay reduced fees. This can be a big benefit to small businesses and individual inventors, many of which have only limited funds with which to prosecute a patent application.
How to Sell a Coaching Program to Your Firm
May 01, 2003
You've seen or experienced the benefits of coaching firsthand. Now you want to persuade your firm to institute a coaching program for business development and/or general professional development. How do you go about it? The best approach is one that combines rational arguments, strategic "lobbying" and appeals to the ultimate decision-makers - in a way that best matches each individual's personal style.
Best Practices In Law Firm Marketing: Think Strategically and Tactically For Maximum Results Part one of two
May 01, 2003
If you've watched "That '70s Show" and lived through the era, you get a good chuckle out of reminiscing. If you're a bit younger, the music, clothing and situations may seem like strange rituals. So it is with the changing landscape of law firm marketing. For firms who market successfully, the promotional-based approach of the '80s has morphed into something that's far more strategic and owes more to long-range planning than it does to short-term tactics.
Ask The Coach
May 01, 2003
This month's question:<BR>We occasionally receive RFPs for work that we really don't want. How can we gracefully phrase the "thanks but no thanks" letter?
You Are The Tea: The Crucial Role Of Image In Law Firm Marketing
May 01, 2003
Imagine, for a moment that, instead of being an attorney, you are a pile of tea. I'm fairly certain no one has ever asked you to do so before, but bear with me. You are a pile of tea. Not a big pile. A few ounces. And, truth be told, you aren't much different than any other pile of tea. You might be a slightly different flavor. You might be decaffeinated. And, while tea connoisseurs might disagree, to almost everyone else, let's face it, tea is tea. Now, here's your choice: You can put yourself in a generic box with the local supermarket chain's logo on it and sell on aisle 14 for $1.99, or you can pack yourself into a fancy white box decorated with Japanese higura characters with delicate cranes and bonsai trees, call yourself Tazo, and sell at Starbucks for $4.99.
Firms Take Hard Line on Law Directories
May 01, 2003
What is the single biggest marketing expense at many large law firms? Not hip, computer-animated television commercials. Not bold, full-page ads in <I>The New York Times</I> or <I>The Wall Street Journal</i>. Certainly not pens and tote bags handed out to clients and law students.
