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Ronald Star is a director with the firm, Co-Chair of the Emerging Companies & Venture Capital Practice Group and serves on the Management Committee. His practice focuses on securities law, financings, venture capital, intellectual property, and mergers and acquisitions. He works closely with start-up and private companies on issues related to equity and financings, intellectual property matters, the structuring of executive compensation (including stock arrangements), strategic ventures, acquisitions and management buy-outs.

Mr. Star's engagements run the gamut from representing start-up companies in formation to representing major multinational companies in strategic transactions. His particular industry specialties include computer software and hardware, semiconductors, information services businesses, Internet and multimedia companies, medical technology, food related companies, retail operations and financial services companies.

His representative clients include Vocera Communications, Inc.; Research in Motion, Ltd.; OutPerformance, Inc. (formerly Maxager Technology, Inc.); Capella Photonics, Inc.; Amimon Ltd; Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc.; Fullpower Technologies, Inc.; Nextrials, Inc.; VirtuRad, Inc.; Replicate Technologies, Inc.; Technology Partners; HighWired Technology, Inc.; Forensic Logic, Inc.; Theta Microelectronics, Inc.; Lexy, Inc.; Navis LLC; Semi Solutions, Inc.; PurePlay; The Doheny Eye Institute; Reiter Affiliated Companies; Tanimura & Antle; Joint Juice, Inc.; and ORCO Construction Supply.

Mr. Star is a lecturer at the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley, where he teaches an MBA course on entrepreneurship. He is a guest lecturer at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. He also is a frequent lecturer on venture capital transactions, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, employment matters and closely held businesses.

Education

  • J.D., Harvard Law School (magna cum laude; Editor, Harvard Law Review; Editor-At-Large, Harvard Environmental Law Review), 1980
  • M.B.A., Harvard Business School (with distinction), 1980
  • B.A., Harvard University (magna cum laude), 1976

Admitted

  • California

Memberships

  • State Bar of California

Selected Publications

  • "Letters of Intent," Drafting Business Contracts, CEB
  • "Obtaining or Making Submissions of Entertainment Software for Review," Entertainment Industry Contracts, Matthew Bender & Co., Inc.
  • "Annotated Form of Employee Confidential Information and Inventions Agreement," Business Law News
  • "California Incorporations," LAWGIC, co-author
  • "California Stock Issuance Agreements," LAWGIC, co-author

Selected Presentations

  • "Business Bootcamp - Secrets of Company Valuation, Legal Formation & Capitalization Structure of Startups," Indus Entrepreneurs (TiEcon) (May 2010)
  • "Lethal Mistakes Startups Need to Avoid," Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs (SVASE) (April 2010)
  • “Preparing Financial Statements for an Entrepreneurial Business,” Stanford Law School (February 2007)
  • “Identify, Strike & Manage Strategies for a Successful Partnership,” San Jose BioCenter (November 2006)

Awards & Honors

Mr. Star was recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyer in 2004 through 2006 and in 2010. He is also an AV-rated attorney, a peer-awarded honor given by Martindale-Hubbell.