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LAW-2555 Business Planning: Formation and Financing of
Start-Up Businesses
Mr. Karl-Otto Hartmann,
2 credits day; 2 credits evening.
Students using this course to fulfill the experiential learning requirement may not also use this
same course to meet the legal writing requirement.
Boston is a dynamic innovation center for the U.S. and world. Every day new businesses are
being created and financed. At the heart of a corporate and securities lawyer’s practice is the
provision of advice and guidance to businesses and their owners. Such advice is transactional in
nature, distinct from litigation counsel. Successful attorneys develop the skills necessary to
understand business objectives, offer intelligent solutions and effectively communicate and work
with business executives. The Business Planning class is designed to help students develop such
critical planning and counseling skills. The course provides a general survey of the basic factors
to be considered in the organization, financing, operation, and liquidation of the non-public
business venture. The material covered is multi-disciplinary in scope, including choice of entity,
taxation, intellectual property, venture capital, and securities regulation. Prior completion of the
following courses is highly recommended: LLCs and Partnerships, Corporations and/or
Securities Regulation. The course will have a skills focus. Most students will be assigned (and
graded based on) a variety of business lawyer practice-oriented assignments such as the
reviewing or drafting of various documents (business plans, term sheets, LLC operating
agreements, founding shareholder agreements, etc.). In addition, third year day students, who
need to fulfill the legal writing requirement, can elect to be graded on the basis of a paper
(relevant course-related topic to be selected by student) in lieu of the practical written
assignments. Students will be asked to select the paper or written assignments option during the
first two weeks of class: up to five students will be allowed to exercise this option.
Prerequisite: Prior completion of the following courses is highly recommended: LLCs and
Partnerships, Corporations and/or Securities Regulation.
Enrollment is limited: 16
Elective Course
Meets Skills Menu Requirement
Meets Financial Services Concentration Requirements
Meets Legal Technology and Innovation Concentration Requirements
May Fulfill Legal Writing Requirement
Meets Experiential Learning Requirement