Seyfarth Shaw Hosts Crowdfunding Panel for Startups

NEW YORK (April 29, 2014) – Seyfarth Shaw, together with The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), will host a panel discussion on the best ways to use equity crowdfunding to fund startups on Wednesday, April 30, 2014. Industry experts will discuss crowdfunding, starting a crowdfunding portal and creating other products and services related to crowdfunding.

Late last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed rules to implement Title III of the JOBS Act, setting the stage for legalized equity crowdfunding. Once effective, companies will be able to raise up to $1 million per year in exchange for equity or debt in hundreds or thousands of small investments from the masses. The act creates new opportunities for entrepreneurs seeking to raise capital and for other businesses serving this new industry such as crowdfunding portals, payment solutions, escrow services, due diligence services and advisory services. While the act opens up many possibilities, it comes laden with regulation, disclosure requirements, and increased liability exposure. Seyfarth attorney Georgia Quinn will moderate the panel experts below who will discuss the regulatory and market framework around equity crowdfunding.

• Thomas Selman, Executive Vice President, Regulatory Policy, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
• Ryan Feit, Founder and CEO, SeedInvest
• Arie Abecassis, Venture Partner, DreamIt Ventures, Founder, Appstori

Host: Kiran Lingam, The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE)

Meet & Greet: 5:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Panel Discussion: 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Networking & Cocktail Reception: 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

“Entrepreneurs intrigued by the successes of Kickstarter and Indiegogo will be able to hear this distinguished panel of not just thought-leaders but actual leaders that are working in this nascent industry discuss the opportunities provided by equity crowdfunding,” says Quinn. “I am looking forward to a great night of discussion and want to get a real dialogue going amongst panelist and with the audience.”

Georgia Quinn has spearheaded Seyfarth Shaw’s crowdfunding initiative and is a sought after expert in the crowdfunding space. She has recently spoken to the Securities and Exchange and Commission, Congressional staff-members, leaders of UK crowdfunding portals and has chaired a panel on crowdfunding for the ABA, presented to the Council of Development Finance Agencies, the Crowdfund Global Expo in San Diego, in an international webcast for the New York State Bar Association, at the New York State Securities Bar and at the Small Business Administration Roundtable on Crowdfunding in Washington DC.

About Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Seyfarth Shaw has more than 800 attorneys and provides a broad range of legal services in the areas of labor and employment, employee benefits, litigation, corporate and real estate. With offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York, Sacramento, San Francisco, Shanghai, Sydney and Washington, D.C., Seyfarth’s clients include over 300 of the Fortune 500 companies and reflect virtually every industry and segment of the economy. A recognized leader in delivering value and innovation for legal services, Seyfarth’s acclaimed SeyfarthLean® client service model has earned numerous accolades from a variety of highly respected third parties, including industry associations, consulting firms and media. For more information, please visit www.seyfarth.com.

About TiE

TiE is the largest non-profit for entrepreneurs in the world with 13,000 members, including over 2,500 charter members in 57 chapters across 14 countries. TiE's singular mission is to foster entrepreneurship globally through mentoring, networking, and education. Dedicated to the virtuous cycle of wealth creation and giving back to the community, TiE’s focus is on generating and nurturing our next generation of entrepreneurs. "TiE Bootstrap" is a focused series of panel discussions and workshops for entrepreneurs considering a new venture or in the growth stage.

About Disclosure Dragon

Disclosure Dragon is the first advanced document automation solution that helps companies and online portals efficiently and effectively prepare the necessary legal and financial disclosure to conduct crowdfunding offerings. For small businesses and early stage companies, Disclosure Dragon automates, expedites and standardizes the development of a private placement memorandum (PPM) (or other required disclosure documents depending on the type of offering) and supporting exhibits required to satisfy the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission’s regulations. Disclosure Dragon eliminates the inefficiencies of preparing offering materials and ensures a heightened level of compliance. Disclosure Dragon helps provide accurate and thorough disclosure in a cost-efficient manner, allowing small and startup companies to allocate scarce funds to their business and not to the costs of legal disclosure.