Category: Private Placements

New York’s Blue Sky Securities Laws – A Primer for Startups and Other Issuers by Michael Stanczyk

Accredited Investors, Angel Investors, Broker-Dealers, Crowdfunding, Financing Your Business, Investors, Private Placements, Securities, Stock, Venture Capital

3d blue sky bookAs a younger lawyer I was regularly working on securities offerings.  For the bulk of the offerings they were private placements to accredited investors under SEC Rule 506(b), which involved filing a Form D and state notice filings.  In most states it was pretty straightforward. New York, however, was not straightforward then, and still remains a mystery to many people.  Over the years I searched for a book that covered the basics of New York’s Martin Act (the law covering securities offerings in the State), but never found exactly what I was looking for.  I kept working on deals and writing posts for this blog (in addition to memos and white papers, etc.), and over time I compiled a decent amount of information and knowledge of the subject and decided to put it all into one place.  Next thing you know I had the beginnings of a book.  Link to see it on Amazon here.

Now I don’t profess to being a specialist in the field of securities, as there are many complexities and rabbit holes to go down if you get outside the more “vanilla” type offerings. Startups, emerging companies and even investment funds, however, generally are raising money through private placements under SEC Rule 506(b). This book gives the basics and is, like its titled, a primer.  I tried to walk a fine line to allow it to be read by non-lawyers, with enough citations to assist legal practitioners.

Admittedly, this book is a niche product.  The prospective audience is those whose companies are looking to raise money, or individuals otherwise involved in some aspect of companies raising money.  I hope it can be helpful to such individuals, including younger attorneys just getting started in the field.

In any event, the book is for sale in paperback and e-book on Amazon.   I personally feel the paperback is easier to read and to flip back and forth to things, and to view the exhibits and addenda, which should be consulted. I have a number of copies of the book, and if any friends and colleagues of mine (which I knew prior to this post) would like a free copy , feel free to reach out.  Thanks for the support.

SEC allows general solicitation and advertising in Rule 506 offerings

Accredited Investors, Financing Your Business, Investors, Private Placements, Securities, Venture Capital

Yesterday, July 10th, under the provisions of the JOBS Act the SEC passed its Final Rules which amended Rule 506 and Rule 144A to lift the ban on general solicitation and advertising in offering and selling securities in a Rule 506 sale as long as all purchasers of the securities are accredited investors. Read more

To Register or Not to Register?: Broker-Dealers and Finders

Accredited Investors, Broker-Dealers, Financing Your Business, Finders, Investors, Private Placements, Securities, Stock, Venture Capital

If you are involved in a startup you undoubtedly have heard about the company’s need to raise money. If you’ve gone the regular route you may be funded by institutional investors, like an angel or VC fund. The company may also have raised money through a private placement by selling equity to investors directly or through brokers.

You may have heard of another type of person involved in the capital raising process called a “finder”.   Everyone has heard of the term a “finder’s fee” which is known to be about 10% of the overall transaction.   The concept is the same with startup financing or M&A activities, although who can qualify as a finder and how they can be compensated has been a big deal with the SEC in the last couple years.  The real issue is when anyone can act as a finder, and if they really should be registered with the SEC as a broker-dealer. Read more

SEC proposed regulations would allow general solicitation and advertising in a Rule 506 financing

Accredited Investors, Angel Investors, Crowdfunding, Financing Your Business, Investors, Private Placements, Securities, Stock, Venture Capital

Last week the SEC issued its proposed regulations to allow for public advertising and general solicitation in Rule 506 offerings.

As way of background, at this point when companies are trying to raise funds in a private offering, they typically rely on Rule 506 of Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933, which allows for an unlimited amount of funds to be raised and minimal disclosure requirements if the securities are sold to accredited investors.  Offering undertaken pursuant to Rule 506 also preempt state securities laws, except those relating to fraud and notice filing (and notice filing fee) requirements.  While all of the above makes Rule 506 the “go to” securities law exemption, the main reason it was originally allowed is because it has historically only been able to be used in private offerings, where the issuer (or the broker acting for the issuer) had a pre-existing relationship with the investor.

The JOBS Act, which I’ve discussed, contained a provision which would require the SEC to promulgate regulations to allow general solicitation and advertising in Rule 506 offerings, provided that all purchasers in such offering are accredited investors.

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Crowdfunding – Prepare your Company to Crowdfund

Accredited Investors, Angel Investors, Crowdfunding, Financing Your Business, Investors, LLCs, Private Placements, Securities, Stock, Venture Capital

As I’ve discussed earlier, the SEC is now preparing regulations to allow for Crowdfunding pursuant to the recently passed JOBS Act.  These should be done by 2013 (emphasis on should be done by then – we’ll see when they actually come out).  As you may have heard, it will allow for true equity sales over the World Wide Web.  Companies will soon be able to sell shares of their corporation (or LLC) through online portals to regular persons that are not accredited investors (i.e. not millionaires or otherwise sophisticated).

There are a couple of things to discuss, the first is whether this is something your company actually would want to do.  The second item is, if it is something you want to do, then what can you do to prepare your company to do a Crowdfunding raise in 2013 (or whenever the SEC finishes the regulations).

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How do I Value my Company?: Startup Valuation

Angel Investors, Financing Your Business, Investors, Private Placements, Securities, Stock, Uncategorized, Venture Capital

One of the most important issues when raising money from investors is the valuation of the company. This will drive all of the other financial terms of the deal: how many shares will be sold, at what price per share, and how much equity the investor will own in the company after the transaction.

In essence, for early stage (pre-revenue) startups, the company’s valuation is whatever the market deems it to be.  I’m not being glib, that’s actually how it works.  For example, say that I have a flat screen TV that I want to sell, if someone offers me $800, and then someone else offers me $900.  I’m selling it for the $900 and that’s the TV’s market value.  If an investor values you at $1M, then that’s your market value.  Now he could be undervaluing you, but probably not by a large amount, and if the investment goes forward at that valuation then it’s the de facto market price.  Now that doesn’t mean that there is no room to negotiate.  That’s why it’s always said that early stage company valuation is an art and not a science.

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The basics of Startup Funding

Accredited Investors, Angel Investors, Crowdfunding, Financing Your Business, Investors, Private Placements, Securities, Stock, Venture Capital

So you’ve got a great business idea, and a team ready to bring it to market (or at least a plan to begin getting it there), but the one thing you don’t have, like a lot of new companies is the capital to begin.  This post will walk through the traditional process for a startup to seek and receive funding. Read more

JOBS Act Breakdown – What the New Crowdfunding Law Actually Means for Startups

Crowdfunding, Financing Your Business, Investors, LLCs, Private Placements, Securities, Stock

This is a follow up to my last post regarding the concept of crowdfunding in general and the progress of the JOBS Act through Congress (full name – Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act).   Since then, the Senate revised and passed the JOBS Act in a 73 to 26 vote.  The House then, voting on the amendments made by the Senate, passed it by a vote of 380 to 41.  This is something that both parties agree on, and were eager to work together to implement.  Josh Earnest, the White House Deputy Press Secretary, stated that President Obama will sign the JOBS Act into law this Thursday, with a bipartisan public announcement.  The President and Eric Cantor, one of the champions of the JOBS Act, will appear together for the signing of the bill into law.

This post will detail the provisions of the JOBS Act and how they will affect companies going forward.  The JOBS Act can be found here if you’d like to take a read.  After it is signed into law, the SEC has 270 days to promulgate regulations.  Expect the SEC to claim that they need more time, as the JOBS Act is a monumental change, and there are various consumer (i.e. the new investor) protections required, especially to prevent fraud which, unfortunately, could run rampant if left unchecked.  Hopefully Congress can put enough pressure on the SEC to get the regulations complete in the actual 270 day time period, and the regulations will actually have some teeth with respect to fraud without stifling startup’s ability to raise money.

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Startup Financing – Private Placements 101

Financing Your Business, Investors, Private Placements, Securities, Stock

Startups need cash, no doubt about it.  One of the ways to go about getting it is through a private placement.  This post will give an overview of how such a placement works.

For the sale of any stock in a startup corporation, the federal and state securities regulations require registration of such securities prior to the sale, unless there is an exemption from registration that is available to the company.  One of the exemptions from the registration requirements is when the securities are sold in a private placement.  This is a federal exemption which preempts state regulation, save for certain notification filings and fees to be paid wherever to whatever state the company and investors are located in.

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