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Drake University Law School is helping startups navigate the legal maze

Drake University
August 24, 2017

Drake University and the Drake University Law School are offering a workshop Friday morning to highlight legal issues facing business startups and technology related fields.

The event, “Tech Startups: Navigating the Legal Maze” is a Continuing Legal Education event for attorneys but organizers have invited angel investors, startups and founders to attend.

The workshop starts at 8 a.m. Friday at the Neal and Bea Smith Law Center at 2400 University Ave. in Des Moines.

Speakers will present on technology and business topics such as mobile applications, website agreements and privacy issues, entrepreneurial resources and founders agreements.

A panel will also use a hypothetical example of a startup to help guide the audience in “issue spotting.” It will focus on intellectual property issues, product development, designing and maintaining a website and other general issues.

Cory McAnelly will moderate the panel and is an Intellectual Property Attorney for the law firm of Goodhue Coleman and Owens.

He said he was contacted last year about organizing a potential workshop and had just so happened to be returning from a similar event in South Dakota.

“My firm and I know a lot of other firms are dealing with a lot of startups right now, whether it’s technology startups or agriculture startups or whatever it is, startups are a big thing right now,” McAnelly said. “Why don’t we put together a lineup of people who have unique expertise on each of the hot topic areas with startups, focus on technology because almost every startup now has some sort of element with technology.”

The event is sponsored by the Drake Intellectual Property Law Center. Shontavia Johnson, Director of the Drake Intellectual Property Law Center, says lawyers, angel investors, startups and founders are invited.

“The substance will offer a framework for both lawyers and their clients in the mobile technology space,” Johnson said. “While founders are certainly incredibly savvy and resourceful, particularly given the breadth of information found online, this CLE will offer tools for those who may not know what they don’t know to ask.”

Johnson said in addition the event will provide opportunities for professionals to network across disciplines and professional circles.

Anyone interested in signing up can do it here.

Drake University Law School is helping startups navigate the legal maze | Clay & Milk
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