Jackson Walker partner Michael Meskill spoke to a group of aspiring entrepreneurs about the legal mistakes that commonly plague startups. His presentation, titled “Top 10 Legal Mistakes of Startup Entrepreneurs,” was given on April 5 at the Ignite Startup Workshop hosted by the Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship in the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.

In his presentation, Mike discussed the importance of legal organization, capital structure, fundraising, intellectual property protection, and term sheets. He also provided practical guidance on how to ensure these issues are addressed in a way that avoids surprise litigation down the road. His presentation drew off of his experience counseling entrepreneurs through the formation, funding, growth, and exit stages of their businesses.

Mike is an experienced corporate and securities lawyer and leader of JWStartup, Jackson Walker’s startup-focused legal practice. He represents buyers and sellers in public and private M&A transactions; issuers, underwriters, and investors in public and private debt and equity offerings; and companies and special board committees in corporate governance matters. Mike received his B.B.A., Accounting, from the University of Texas at Austin and his J.D. from SMU Dedman School of Law.