How Entrepreneurs Can Avoid Legal Mistakes with Daniel Green, Partner at Gunderson
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In this episode, Miguel Armaza sits down with Daniel M. Green, Partner and Co-head of Gunderson Dettmer’s Latin America practice group, an international elite law firm focused on startups and venture capital.
Dan’s focus is Latin America and Europe, where he represents companies as well as U.S. and international investors pursuing business opportunities in those regions. His practice encompasses all areas of corporate and securities law, including company formation and financing, public offerings, debt transactions, corporate governance and investor-side financings.
Recent transactions handled by Dan include Uber’s Cornershop acquisition, recent financings by Clip, Konfio, Credijusto, and Valar Ventures’ investments in TransferWise, N26, and many more.
Dan holds a JD from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor from Stanford University.
Listen to the full interview --> Spotify | Soundcloud | Apple Podcasts
In this episode, Dan shares some extremely valuable lessons for investors and entrepreneurs building companies around the world. Your legal decisions taken at the onset of your startup have repercussions for years to come. Giving these decisions a fair amount of thought is important to ensure you get it right early on. Fundamentally, it comes down to tax and corporate considerations. Some of the items Dan talks about include:
Where to incorporate? Why you should consider the Cayman Islands when founding an international startup.
Getting ready to fundraise? VCs are creatures of habit and want to see good habits from startups. Some of those habits include:
Developing comprehensive vesting schedules for employees and founders
Taking proper steps to document and protect your intellectual property
Dan has advised some of the largest startups around the world for their M&A activity. What are investors and companies looking for to ensure an acquisition goes smoothly?
Tune in for an outstanding episode!
Finally, over the last two decades, Dan has had the opportunity to work with some of the most successful entrepreneurs around the world. What are the common traits of these founders? According to him, it comes down to being charismatic communicators with a laser-focused approach on productivity. Additionally, great founders understand their weaknesses and surround themselves with great talent to fill these gaps.
Miguel Armaza is Co-Host of the Wharton Fintech Podcast and Co-Founder of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas.