Legal Dos and Don'ts When Scaling Your Startup (Lunch & Learn)

What if you scaled your business – successfully – only to discover you’d broken some unknown legality? John Montague and Evan Ferl, attorneys at law, are here to set you straight before you start. Enjoy lunch with fellow entrepreneurs – and learn – from these attorneys who specialize in startup care.

About the speakers:John Montague, ESQ holds a BS in Accounting from Stetson University and a J.D. from the University of Florida’s Fredric G. Levin College of Law. John’s decade of legal experience includes working on major real estate transactions as an associate with Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, P.A and working on Venture Capital, M&A, and private equity transactions at the prestigious AM Law 200 firm Locke Lord LLP.

Since starting his own firm, John has focused on startups and high-growth technology companies. John has worked with several prominent Gainesville startups, including, but not limited to, Feathr, Trendy Entertainment, and SharpSpring.

Evan Ferl is a double Gator, was born, raised, and spent 28 years of his life in Gainesville. During his time at UF, he loved being involved on and off of campus, whether it was playing in the Florida Drumline on gameday, late night UF Senate meetings, drawing cartoons for the Independent Florida Alligator, or long summer days as a lifeguard at the city pools, he was privileged to call Gainesville home for many years. UF set him up for what has been an incredible personal and professional journey.

After working for NASA during his time at UF Law, he began his career at a software company in Mountain View, California. It was there he fell in love with the technology industry, and has been working with exciting and innovative companies ever since. During his time practicing, he’s ran his own firm, worked in-house for large public companies, lead private companies through venture financing and successful exits, and currently serves as General Counsel to Poshmark, a social commerce marketplace for new and used merchandise.

Outside of his legal career he also spent a number of years as a professional standup comedian, performing at colleges, comedy clubs, and various dive bars nationwide, and just finished writing and illustrating a children’s book through which he has been able to raise money for the UF Arts in Medicine Program at Shands.

Host or Publisher UF Innovate | Accelerate @ The Hub