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Defending Against the New Wave of Crypto Class Actions
Defending Against the New Wave of Crypto Class Actions

Given the proliferation and volatility of cryptocurrencies available on the market today and the multitude of ways you can buy, leverage, short, borrow, and lose all your money - there’s no question that lawsuits are soon to follow. This blog post gives a high level overview of the cases filed again token issuers and exchanges along with potential defenses they can use and why.

SEC Expands the Accredited Investor Definition — Are We Any Closer to Leveling the Playing Field?
SEC Expands the Accredited Investor Definition — Are We Any Closer to Leveling the Playing Field?

SEC expands accredited investor definition but does this do anything to level the private market playing field? This “expansion” is still quite restricting. It only includes those who have a Series 7, Series 65, and Series 82 license with the “flexibility to reevaluate.” Plus, the private markets remain incredibility exclusive with the best rounds almost always oversubscribed before anyone hears about them.


Vitalik Buterin’s Outlook to 2019 - The Need for Real Use Cases, Hype vs Value, and His Contrarian Opinion
Vitalik Buterin’s Outlook to 2019 - The Need for Real Use Cases, Hype vs Value, and His Contrarian Opinion

Here are a few of my takeaways after hearing Vitalik Buterin, founder of Ethereum, speak at a small gathering last week in San Francisco. Vitalik has become quite the icon in the blockchain space and it’s always fascinating to meet these people in real-life after seeing them online for so long. You can also checkout Blockchain at Berkley’s full livestream on Facebook here.

Blockchain Legal & Tax Considerations: Part 2
Blockchain Legal & Tax Considerations: Part 2

This is Part 2 on token design pulled from a  Crypto Underground panel I did with my friends, Sarah Hody, Associate at Perkins Coie and Rob Massey, Tax Partner at Deloitte. Combined, they have almost 10 years of blockchain experience, which definitely makes them industry experts in this new field. This post covers: SAFT’s Aren’t Simple, Choosing Advisors, Token Allocation to Founders, Employees & Advisors, Token Use After ICO’s, Cost of Services.



Blockchain Legal & Tax Considerations: Part 1  -  Where to Incorporate, What Entity to Use and Where Non-Fungibles Fit In
Blockchain Legal & Tax Considerations: Part 1  -  Where to Incorporate, What Entity to Use and Where Non-Fungibles Fit In

Part 1 - Sarah Hody, Associate at Perkins Coie and Rob Massey, Tax Partner at Deloitte. This post covers: Where to Incorporate, What Entity to Use and Where Non-Fungibles Fit In.

Ben Bartlett on Tokenizing Municipal Bonds to Fund Community Projects in Berkeley
Ben Bartlett on Tokenizing Municipal Bonds to Fund Community Projects in Berkeley

Last night, Ben Bartlett, Berkeley Vice Mayor, gave an inspiring talk at Crypto underground on how blockchain can help shape the future of cities by spurring economic growth at the local level and creating an entirely new asset class of ownership. Ben is currently working on a project to create a virtual currency for Berkeley.

Stanford’s CodeX FutureLaw Conference - How the Legal Profession Plans To Keep Up With Technology
Stanford’s CodeX FutureLaw Conference - How the Legal Profession Plans To Keep Up With Technology

How the American Bar Association (ABA) views the rise of legal technology, the need to change restrictive ethics and state licensing rules to promote more innovation and adoption of technology to make legal services more affordable and accessible to the masses. We still have a long way to go but at least the ABA sounds like they are moving in the right direction.

Decrypting Crypto with Brit & Co.
Decrypting Crypto with Brit & Co.

Last night, hundreds of women gathered together to learn about blockchain and cryptocurrencies so that they can be involved in rebuilding the financial market of the future. Here's some foundational resources to check out if you're just getting started in the crypto space. 

The Unregulated World of Personal Care Products
The Unregulated World of Personal Care Products

An interview with Gregg Renfrew, founder of BeautyCounter, on the safety hazards surrounding unregulated chemicals in personal care products, tools to identify them and a list of chemical conscious brands. 

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly -  Being a Female CEO/Founder in Silicon Valley
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly - Being a Female CEO/Founder in Silicon Valley

Last night, female CEO's got real on the struggles of creating, running and scaling companies. While they share many of the same challenges of their male counterparts, it's refreshing and inspiring to hear the tales from a woman's perspective, one that is usually missing in Silicon Valley. 

An Interview: Tim Ferriss & Naval Ravikant
An Interview: Tim Ferriss & Naval Ravikant

Picking Tim Ferriss's brain. An interview by Naval Ravikant. 

TEDWomen 2016: It's About Time
TEDWomen 2016: It's About Time

Thoughts & inspiration from TEDWomen 2016 

Flashpoint's Demo Day 2016 - Finding Authentic Demand Through Behavioral Economics
Flashpoint's Demo Day 2016 - Finding Authentic Demand Through Behavioral Economics

Why traditional methods of customer discovery are fundamentally flawed and how to find authentic customer demand using behavorial economics. 

Sunrise from the Top of Africa - My Journey to the Summit of Kilimanjaro
Sunrise from the Top of Africa - My Journey to the Summit of Kilimanjaro

My 5 day journey to the summit of Kilimanjaro and back. 

Advice From and For Female Founders at YC's Annual Female Founders Conference 2016
Advice From and For Female Founders at YC's Annual Female Founders Conference 2016

A collection of notes from YC's Female Founders Conference. 

A  Conversation with Ben Horowitz and Shaka Senghor
A Conversation with Ben Horowitz and Shaka Senghor

A conversation with Ben Horowitz and Shaka Senghor about the criminal justice system, the ability to change and how a second chance at a productive life can reform the prison system. 

Thoughts on the TED2016 Livestream from the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center
Thoughts on the TED2016 Livestream from the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center

My thoughts on watching the TEDTalks 2016 on livestream from the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center. Passionate speakers, thought-provoking topics and inspiration to create real change. 

Using Technology to Solve the Justice Gap

Our legal system is outdated, overpriced and cannot keep up with the needs of our country. This is in part because of age-old “traditions” and “rules” that support non-competition, discourage innovation and reject alternative business structures that have the potential to drastically improve access to high-volume, low-margin legal needs that the majority of Americans face. 

Why I didn’t Follow BARBRI’s Bar Prep Schedule and Neither Should You – Pass the Bar by Making Your Own Study Schedule
Why I didn’t Follow BARBRI’s Bar Prep Schedule and Neither Should You – Pass the Bar by Making Your Own Study Schedule

Your best chance of passing the bar exam is to know which study methods work for you. Don't blindly follow Barbri's or Kaplan's schedule just because you've paid for the course. This typically leads to quick burnout and high stress levels. Know yourself, put in the hours and take some breaks. 

Entrepreneurs Uncensored – Startup Advice from Jeff Arnold, founder of WebMD

Last night, at TechSquare Lab’s sneak peek event, we were lucky enough to hear some words of wisdom from Jeff Arnold, the founder of WebMD and Chairman and CEO of Sharecare. 

Photo Credit - Harvard Gazette
Freeing the Law

Harvard Law School and Ravel Law announced last week that they will be digitizing Harvard's entire collection of case law and making it available online for free. This is a huge step in the right direction for more transparency and access to the legal system. 

The South's Cultural Dilemma: Women Technical Founders
The South's Cultural Dilemma: Women Technical Founders

With only 3% of technical female founders in the U.S., the Southeast fares even worse. A cultural shift is needed. Not only to encourage young girls to pursue STEM programs, but also to change the mindsets of parents. While the Southeast is heading in the right direction, there is certainly more that can be done. 

Midtown Atlanta's Innovation Ecosystem

Atlanta's innovation scene is growing rapidly. Last week, a panel of innovators and economic developers spoke at a Midtown Atlanta event focused on collaboration and the local technology ecosystem. The message was clear -  Atlanta has the right ingredients to become a global hub for innovation but it's going to take a lot more collaboration to make that happen. 

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San Francisco, California
ssbrooks5@gmail.com
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