USC Stevens Legal Office Hours Program

Innovators often forget one of the key elements necessary to advance an idea: making sure the legal issues are sorted out up front. Legal advice enables innovators to use the legal system to manage risk and maximize the value of their ventures, and thus prevent legal issues from becoming big legal problems later on.

The USC Stevens Legal Office Hours Program provides strategic legal guidance on a complimentary basis to USC innovators and start-up companies. USC innovators participating in the program have access to corporate and intellectual property attorneys that provide invaluable assistance by acting as sounding boards for both business and legal issues.

Some of the areas in which our mentors could advise USC innovators are:

Business Law:

• Selecting the most appropriate form of business entity. (Incorporating?)
• Assisting founding teams in structuring the commercialization of their products or services.
• Structuring ownership (Splitting the pie)
• Structuring the transfer of intellectual property from founders, universities and other third parties in light of their business models, organizational needs and strategic direction.
• Forming and working with a Board
• Reviewing business plans and meeting with founding teams to assist them in identifying their key strengths and weaknesses before approaching financing sources and other potential founders
• Managing liabilities and risks
• Managing human resources.

Business Law Mentors are available by appointment on the second Wednesday of the month between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Intellectual Property Law:

• Protecting your inventions and the patenting process (requirements, limitations, timing)
• Understanding trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets.
• IP ownership issues of the start-up company.
• Understanding patent license agreements.

Intellectual Property Mentors are available by appointment on the second Wednesday of the month between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

To set up an appointment please contact Polai Av (pav@usc.edu) with a description of your business idea and 3 questions that you have for the mentors.