Mission-driven for-profit entrepreneurs often face the tough task of deciding how to balance mission protection with growth. In this blog series, we will explore how traditional corporate entities can anchor their mission in the corporate DNA. In the initial three posts, we will discuss mission-anchoring strategies including: golden or veto share; voting trusts or voting …
Alternative Finance
What 18,000 crunches taught me about the practice of law
Roughly one year ago I set out to develop a new routine – 50 core exercise repetitions per day (e.g. 50 crunches, bicycle sit-ups, etc.). This routine took me approximately two minutes per day. Over the last year, I found myself doing many of these sets at 9:30 pm, right before bed, in a hospital …
The New Trusts: Democratic Ownership Beyond the ESOP
This webinar on emerging explorations on trust structures—their promise and their problems features Nathan Schneider (University of Colorado Boulder), Christopher Michael (Christopher Michael P.C.), Camille Kerr (Upside Down Consulting), Derek Razo (Purpose Ventures), Sara Stephens (Sustainable Economies Law Center), and our very own Jason Wiener (Jason Wiener | p.c.). A new generation of lawyers, investors, …
Pathways to Purpose Driven Legal Practice – Jason’s Journey
This is the second post in a series where the attorneys of Jason Wiener | p.c. will share the path that led them to purpose driven legal practice. Each week, one of our team members will share their story. This is Jason’s story. *** The following is an excerpt from a recent letter of recommendation …
Contract Drafting: More Art than Science
I’ve been practicing law for more than 13-years. By some measurements, I’m still in the adolescent phase of my career. Nevertheless, in that time, I have reviewed and drafted thousands of contracts, ranging from the commonplace – NDAs, LOIs, Purchase and Sale Agreements, Consulting Services Agreements, Contractor Agreements – to the more complex – cooperative …
Reflections on Our 5-year Anniversary (est. 2014)
Today marks the 5-year anniversary of our firm, Jason Wiener|p.c., a public benefit corporation. For any start-up or entrepreneur, this occasion is ceremonious and marks a point of reflection and inflection. Many think about the strategic pivots that led to their success (or survival), and the humble ones acknowledge the dumb luck along the way. …
Tax Advantages of Selling to a Worker Cooperative
Why Try a Worker Co-op Business owners should think carefully and develop a strategic plan for exiting a business. You, the business owner looking to sell, can leave your business by selling it to family members or third parties, merging it into a larger organization, selling it to employees through an employee stock ownership plan …
Got Foreign Investors? What you need to know about Regulation S
Raising Money Abroad Picture this – your start-up is ready to raise seed money; you think your business has international appeal and you want to open the round up to foreign investors. This might be the right strategy for your business, but have you thought about securities compliance? Will you also open the round to …
Limited Cooperative Associations and Early Stage Financing
Cooperatives are the original social enterprise business model and Colorado is emerging as the “Delaware of cooperative law,” thanks in no small part to limited cooperative associations (LCAs), authorized by C.R.S. Title 7, Article 58. The limited cooperative association is a relatively new entity type, adopted in Colorado in 2010. It offers a balance of …
Building Our Community Through Legal Cafés
A strong and supportive community can enable and catapult any entrepreneur to success. This is even more true for social entrepreneurs, those who find solutions to the most pressing social and environmental problems of our time. As an aspiring social entrepreneur, I can attest to the fact that my community became my champions, confidants, partners, teachers, and emotional support, without whom starting a business would have been a …