Joy: The Musical: An Entrepreneurial Story

People who know me, even just a little bit, know that I’m a passionate fan and supporter of musical theatre. Truth is that my wife and I (two lawyers with a spreadsheet) have seen just under 800 unique musicals together in our adult lives. 

Even if you don’t know me but have been a regular reader of entreVIEW (are there any regular readers?), you’d also know this because I have frequently written about musical theatre for this blog, including my very first real post on this blog over 14 years ago, which was about the Spider-Man Musical. I’ve also written about other musicals, including "Finding Neverland," "Ernest Shackleton Loves Me," "Matilda," and couple of favorites, "Here Lies Love," and, of course "Hamilton." In case that isn’t enough to show my passion for musicals I’ve also written about the musical I wrote, "Pickle-Chiffon Pie: The Musical," which has now been produced three times!  

Mentorship in Motion: Reflections from a Summer with Our Summer Associates

This summer, I’ve had the privilege of working more closely with the Lathrop GPM class of summer associates as one of the work coordinators. Having experienced a summer program disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic firsthand, I’ve especially appreciated the chance to help this talented group navigate what is, in some ways, a two-month job interview—all while also exploring career paths, learning about different legal practices, locating the printers and bathrooms, and hopefully enjoying a bit of the beautiful Twin Cities summer in between.

Maybe it’s a bit of nostalgic projection for an experience I didn’t fully get to enjoy, but I genuinely hope our summer associates walk away feeling supported during this unique and formative stage of their legal journey. To me, that’s the essence of mentorship.

Businesses and Nonprofits: Get Ready for the New Minnesota Consumer Privacy Act

With the Minnesota Consumer Privacy Act (MCPA), which takes effect July 31, 2025, Minnesota now joins the many other states, like California, that have passed laws granting enhanced data privacy rights to individuals. I first reported on this new law last year.

Who Is Covered?

The MCPA covers legal entities that conduct business in Minnesota or produce products or services targeted to state residents, and that satisfy one or more of the following:

• During a calendar year, control or process the personal data of at least 100,000 consumers (excluding payment transactions).
• Derive over 25% of gross revenue from the sale of personal data and process or control the personal data of at least 25,000 consumers.

Unlike the California Consumer Privacy Act and other state data privacy laws, there is no broad exemption in the MCPA for nonprofits. Businesses and nonprofit organizations must review their privacy policies and practices to assure compliance and avoid enforcement actions by the Minnesota Attorney General’s office.

Startup Law 101: 5 Mistakes That Can Blow Up Your Startup – Don’t Sign the “totally fine” ChatGPT Contract

Startups move fast, but legal mistakes move faster—and they hit harder. Whether you’re bootstrapping or backed by big VC, your lawyer isn’t just a formality—they’re your firewall. Too many founders treat legal like an afterthought, then wonder why things explode. From boardroom to courtroom, these are five founder mistakes that separate the bold from the bankrupt. So, before you launch that app, hire that friend, or sign that “totally fine” ChatGPT contract, read this:

1. Don’t Wait Until You’re in “Oh Sh*t” Mode to Call Your Lawyer

In the startup world, things move fast—your legal strategy should move faster. Waiting to bring in counsel until there’s a co-founder fallout, a misfired contract, or a surprise lawsuit is like trying to install brakes after your Tesla hits 90 mph. We’ve seen it all: 

• One founder stops showing up but still owns half the company because no one drafted a real agreement. 
• Someone grabs a one-page operating agreement off Google that leaves you stuck with default state rules that don’t fit your company’s needs. 

A little legal foresight upfront saves hours of cleanup later.

We’re In This Together

I have been all geared up for a post noting some of the questions and issues for small businesses that have arisen in the first few months of the Trump administration. I did my best to find both good and bad news – for example, the House version of the One Big Beautiful Bill increases and makes permanent the pass-through entity deduction available for LLC and S-corp owners’ business-related income. To the relief of many, the Corporate Transparency Act finally appears dead, at least for U.S. companies. And the Small Business Administration reports an increase in the number of SBA loan approvals, although this apparent demand for capital could be read as good news (small businesses are investing in growth and expansion), or not-so-good news (that small companies are being forced to borrow just to stay in business).

Of course, small and start-up businesses are also facing a number of new challenges – tariffs, and even the threat of tariffs, are in many cases increasing business expenses, reducing profit margins, and disrupting supply chains. The uncertainty surrounding the administration’s tariff policy make hiring, expansion, inventory management, and other operating decisions tricky. Interest rates remain high and despite the above-noted increase in SBA loan approvals, SBA loan eligibility and requirements have become stricter, and the agency is eliminating a number of programs that facilitate participation in federal contracts by women-owned and minority-owned businesses.

Another Review of Summertime Inventions

In this prior post in May 2023, I reviewed some interesting inventions and innovations evoking summertime fun, including a look at U.S. Design Patent No. D584,478 for a unique bun design that could accommodate inventor Mark Murray’s unique “hamdog,” comprising a hamburger split in half to allow a hot dog to be placed in between. Since we are officially moving into Summer 2025, I thought it might be time to take a closer look at some other “cool” inventions for cookouts and picnics.

The most essential item for a successful cookout is the grill.  In the early 1950s, George A. Stephen, anemployee of Weber Brothers Metal Works invented what is universally known today as the Weber Grill. At the time, Weber Brothers made metal buoys for the U.S. Coast Guard. Stephen invented his “George’s Barbecue Kettle” by cutting a metal buoy to form a bowl with a lid.  He added some vents, and the iconic dome-shaped grill design was created. The shape of Stephen’s design improved heat distribution while reducing flare-ups and protecting the food on the grill from windy weather and debris in the air.  Stephen received numerous patents for his grill deigns over the years, including U.S. Patent No. 3,330,266 in 1967 for “Barbecue Vessel.”

Bootstrapping or Capital Raising: The Founder’s Funding Dilemma

One of the primary issues the founders of a company face is determining how to fund the business. On the one hand, the founders could use their own personal funds and “bootstrap” the company. On the other hand, the company could raise capital through external sources like venture capitalists, crowdfunding, angel investors, or friends and family. Each of these options comes with its own pros and cons, ultimately leading young companies to ask its advisors, “which option is best for us”? Unfortunately, the usual answer is “it depends,” because there is not a one-size fits all solution.

At the outset, companies should consider the advantages and disadvantages of both options. Generally, the primary advantages of bootstrapping a startup are, among other things, (i) maintaining complete ownership and control of the business since all the equity is held by individuals who are (usually) actively involved in the business; and (ii) the potential for long-term profitability and M&A attractiveness, because of the company’s limited debt, low overhead, and minimal investor obligations.