The HLEP Podcast

On episode 14, we speak to Mike Ghaffary, a General Partner at Canvas Ventures. Mike was also the co-founder of the podcast app, Stitcher, a Vice President of Business and Corporate Development at Yelp, and the CEO of Eat 24, one of Yelp’s subsidiaries. We learn about venture capital investments, including how VC investors evaluate potential investments, how they make investment decisions, and how...

On episode 13, we speak to Yvan-Claude Pierre (“YCP”), a partner at Cooley. YCP is one of the faces of Cooley and a leader in its diversity, equity & inclusion efforts. We learn about the story behind the founding of Cooley’s Chicago office and how the firm makes such a big decision. We also discuss YCP’s career and experiences as a diverse lawyer, and what partners and law firms can do to cre...

On episode 12, we speak to Matt Levine, the Author of the widely read Bloomberg financial newsletter, “Money Stuff”. We talk about his journey from law school, to practicing law, his transition to banking, and eventually to writing. We also discuss Matt’s recent 40,000-word cover to cover essay, “the Crypto Story” and hear about his thoughts on this space. Matt also gives great advice for knowing...

On episode 11, we speak to Brian Potts, a partner at Perkins Coie. Brian posted a picture of a rejection letter he received from Perkins Coie when he was a Summer Associate applying to jobs. Today, he’s a partner at the same firm. Brian is also widely known as the Legal Mentor on Linkedin. He is also an inventor, a founder of several companies, and a published author. We talk about his journey fro...

On episode 10, we speak Alex Su, the Head of Community Development at Ironclad. Many of you know Alex for his Linkedin posts and his TikTok videos under the handle, “@legaltechbro”. On this episode of Pivots & Personalities , Alex talks about his journey from BigLaw lawyer to legaltech, how and why he started producing content, what type of content resonates with his audience and what that sug...

On episode 9, we speak to Milson Yu, a partner at Cooley’s Palo Alto office, about the Public Companies practice area and the types of issues that companies need to adjust to after going public. Milson also shares about what it takes to make partner and discusses why diversity & representation among the partner class matters for associates considering whether to pursue the partner track. Follow an...

On episode 8, we speak to Jordan Roberts & Ran Ben-Tzur, partners at Fenwick & West. We learn about public exits, what an Initial Public Offering timeline looks like, and the types of considerations that companies need to make in preparation to go public. Jordan & Ran also share about the capital markets practice area. Follow and connect with us at our LinkedIn and  Instagram More...

On episode 7, we speak to Kevin Cooper, a partner at Cooley’s New York City Office,  about the mergers & acquisitions practice area, what an acquisition & sale process looks like, and  the types of issues that buyers and sellers need to consider in M&A deals. Follow and connect with us at our LinkedIn and  Instagram More on HLEP at clinics.law.harvard.edu/hlep

On episode 6, we speak to Josh Beser, a partner at Wilson Sonsini’s New York office about the General Counsel’s role. We learn about the types of legal issues that general counsels help founders navigate and how the role compares with practicing at a law firm. Listen to hear Josh share perspectives from his time at fast-growing companies like Away, inc. Follow and connect with us at our LinkedIn a...

On episode 5, we speak to Sepideh Mousakhani, a partner at Cooley’s Palo Alto office about the types of growing pains and challenges that founders tend to face as they build their startups from early into middle and late-stage companies. We also learn about how lawyers help their clients navigate this middle period and anticipate legal issues to come Follow and connect with us at our LinkedIn and&...

On episode 4, we speak to Robin Painter, a partner of Proskauer Rose & Sarah Reed, general counsel of RA Capital Management, about what representing venture capital funds and their General Partners (GP) & Limited Partners (LP) is like. We also learn about the lawyers’ role in helping general and limited partners recognize and manage the risks involved with VC investments. One very cool fac...

On episode 3, we speak to Becki Degraw, a partner at Wilson Sonsini’s SOMA office, about raising capital at a startup’s pre-financing rounds, its later preferred equity financing rounds, devices for raising capital like SAFEs (Simple Agreements for Future Equity), and factors for considering who to raise capital investments from. Follow and connect with us at our LinkedIn and  Instagram More...

On episode 2, we speak to Christopher Higgins, a partner at Orrick’s Washington D.C. office, about patents, Intellectual Property (IP), copyright, trade secrets, what types of IP considerations founders need to make as they set out to protect their ideas, and how IP lawyers help their clients navigate these issues. Follow and connect with us at our LinkedIn and  Instagram More on HLEP at clin...

On episode 1, we speak to Jeff Laretto, a partner at Cooley’s New York City office, about the Emerging Companies & Venture Capital (ECVC) practice area, how it differs from other corporate practice areas like Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) and Capital Markets, and what makes successful ECVC lawyers. Jeff also discusses what startup founders should consider at the founding stage, and how...

A series on lawyering throughout the corporate life cycle and legal trends in emerging industries. Follow and connect with us at our LinkedIn and  Instagram More on HLEP at clinics.law.harvard.edu/hlep