For founders, aspiring founders, business or law students. Learn and connect at this value-packed, practical and FREE workshop covering the key legal considerations for startups – with Josh Woo, JW Legal.

How the workshop will run:

Session 1 (5.00pm-6.15pm)

Topic 1: Business structure – Know the key differences – including advantages and disadvantages – between sole trader, company and partnership. Understand the commonly used limited partnership structure.
Topic 2: Co-founders and employees – Learn how to talk about co-founder relationships and set something in writing. Plan for the future and contingencies to protect business value. Learn the basics of employment law.
Topic 3: Intellectual property – Understand the importance of IP in a startup. Learn key ways IPs are categorised at law and protected.

30 min break

Session 2 (6.45pm-8.00pm)

Topic 4: Funding and growth – Learn key ways companies go about raising money and what typically happens between a company and investors at different stages of growth.
Topic 5: Exit – Understand the different options shareholders have to exit the business.
Topic 6: Other key legal topics for startups – Understand how privacy and data protection laws apply to businesses. Understand that businesses in specific sectors and industries (such as in financial service, insurance or banking) will be governed by sector-specific laws and regulations.

Joshua Woo - Director, JW Legal

Josh is in charge of capital raising, exit and other corporate transactions. He has close to a decade of transactional experience, including listing a few companies on the NZX, over 50 capital raises, and business sales and purchases of all sizes. Josh also helps companies to set up ESOPs, shareholders’ agreements, financing and commercial contracts and more.

Prior to founding JW Legal, Josh worked at specialist corporate transactions firms in Auckland, including Harmos Horton Lusk and Webb Henderson. Immediately prior to JW Legal, he was a senior associate at a boutique law firm in Auckland, where he was the youngest member of the firm to have been promoted to that position. Josh is one of the solicitors approved by the NZX to provide opinions on listed entity governing documents. Outside of JW Legal, Josh is the legal advisor to TEDxAuckland and also a volunteer lawyer at the Auckland Central Citizens Advice Bureau.