Legal Basics for Game Companies

WALTHAM, MA — Morse, Barnes-Brown & Pendleton, P.C. hosts Legal Basics for Game Companies, a half-day seminar focused on angel and venture capital financing, intellectual property protection and licensing, and other legal matters of interest to Boston-area game companies.

The seminar takes place Thursday, May 5, 2011, at the Cambridge Innovation Center, One Broadway, Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA 02142. Registration and networking takes place on the 5th floor in the Havana Room starting at 12:30 pm, and information sessions run from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm. A game-themed Venture Cafe Session will follow on the 4th Floor with Mexican-inspired treats in celebration of Cinco de Mayo!

Game Law Basics Sessions:

• VC & Angel Financing - 1:00 - 2:00 pm
• Strategic Partnering - 2:00 - 3:00 pm
• IP Protection - 3:00 - 4:00 pm
• Formation - 3:00 - 4:00 pm
• Mergers & Acquisitions - 4:00 - 5:00 pm
• Employment - 4:00 - 5:00 pm

Event Speakers:

• Dayna Grayson, Northbridge Venture Partners - Specializing in Digital Media, Dayna actively invests in companies seeking to change the way the Internet is used to deliver and monetize consumer services. She has led investments such as Awareness, Currensee, and Viximo, where she served as the CEO during 2009. Before joining North Bridge in 2006, Dayna led new product development efforts at Blackbaud [NASDAQ: BLKB], the leading global provider of software to nonprofit organizations. She managed products throughout their life cycle as the company grew to over $130 million in revenue and completed a successful public offering. Previously, Dayna was a consultant at Cap Gemini Ernst and Young.
• Michael Dornbrook, CommonAngels, formerly of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. - Mike was often referred to as Harmonix’s “adult supervision” or its master of “the boring stuff,” Mike was responsible for Harmonix’s finance and administration. He handled most major deals, such as game publishing contracts and the Chinese manufacturing of all the drums and guitars. Previously, he headed Infocom’s marketing through most of the 1980s, launching over 40 Top-10 bestsellers, and he is particularly proud of championing The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Leather Goddesses of Phobos. Before joining Harmonix in 1997, he was co-founder and president of Boffo Games, best known for The Space Bar.
• Hank Howie, Blue Fang Games - As president of Blue Fang Games, Hank runs business and strategy. Blue Fang is the creator of Zoo Kingdom Facebook, Zoo Tycoon — one of the best selling franchises in PC game history — and of the critically acclaimed World of Zoo (Wii, PC & DS). Hank began his career in the gaming industry as a product manager at Spinnaker Software in 1989. In 1993, he ran Interchange GameSpace, the Ziff-Davis/AT&T online multi-player game service. In 1996 he joined Restrac, Inc., as their Internet GM, where his team built and launched the Internet recruiting service Webhire.
• Mike Cavaretta, MBBP - Mike represents information and technology businesses, including Internet, videogame and other interactive media companies, software companies, and entertainment and publishing companies. He is experienced in strategic alliances, intellectual property licenses, videogame development and publishing deals, technology development and distribution transactions, and trademark and copyright protection and registration. Prior to joining Morse, Barnes-Brown & Pendleton, Mike served as director of licensing for Mattel Interactive, counsel for The Learning Company, Inc., which at the time was the second-largest consumer software company in the world, and director of strategic alliances for Sonera Corporation, a global provider of wireless Internet portals, games, content and mobile value-added services.
• Jeff Steele, MBBP - Jeff practices securities and general corporate law, focusing on start-ups and developing companies in high technology industries, including telecommunications, medical devices, software and biotechnology. He has extensive experience representing start-ups, developing companies and investment and venture capital firms in connection with private placements, seed and venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property licensing, initial and secondary public offerings, public company compliance work, and executive employment matters.
• Howard Zaharoff, MBBP - An AV-rated attorney with more than 25 years experience in intellectual property, technology and business law, Howard focuses his practice on representing providers of information and technology, including software companies, Internet and e-commerce businesses, life sciences ventures, publishers and authors. Howard has substantial experience in domestic and international technology acquisition, development, distribution and licensing; joint ventures and strategic alliances; Internet contracts, including SaaS, SLA, affiliation, co-branding and privacy agreements; nondisclosure, noncompetition and proprietary rights agreements; the protection and registration of copyrights, trademarks and domain names; trade secrets protection programs; and negotiating print and electronic publishing agreements.
• Sean Detweiler, MBBP - Sean practices in all areas of intellectual property law including: utility and design patent preparation and prosecution, trademark registration, domain name dispute resolution, and the provision of patentability and non-infringement opinions. He routinely advises clients on matters regarding intellectual property portfolio development, strategy, and implementation. In the patent space, he works primarily in the high-technology fields of cleantech and medical devices, as well as computer software, mechanical and electrical devices, and combination technologies. An additional area of focus includes ornamental designs protected with design patents. In the trademark space, he works primarily on trademark registration and enforcement, including enforcement of trademark rights against cybersquatters and other illegitimate uses of domain names, relying upon the administrative procedure defined by the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP).
• Chris Perry, MBBP - Chris represents and advises employers on all aspects of employment law, including discrimination, wrongful termination, wage and hour law, contractual issues and sexual harassment. In addition, Chris regularly litigates complex cases for employers involving claims of wrongful termination, employee benefits, enforcement and defense of restrictive covenants, discrimination and breach of contract. Chris has significant and varied experience in both collectively-bargained and non-collectively bargained arbitrations, as well as court proceedings in state and federal courts. Throughout his career, he has represented management in all types of matters arising out of collective bargaining relationships, as well as union organizing efforts.
  

For more information and to register, please contact Jaclyn Jefgood at jjefgood@mbbp.com or 781-622-5930.

Morse, Barnes-Brown Pendleton, PC, focuses exclusively on the core legal services that businesses need to succeed. The law firm assists businesses of all sizes — from start-ups to Fortune 1000 companies — in the areas of business law, intellectual property, technology licensing and intercompany arrangements, employment and immigration, and taxation.

Morse, Barnes-Brown Pendleton, PC
Reservoir Place
1601 Trapelo Road, Suite 205
Waltham, MA 02451
781-622-5930
mbbp.com