“The JOBS Act: Initiatives and Challenges of the New Legislation” symposium revolved around the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act of 2012, which eased securities regulations to help small businesses raise capital. The symposium explored contradictions and likely effects of the new law on IPOs and crowdfunding.

It featured two main panels: (1) The IPO On-Ramp, discussing how the JOBS Act created an “on-ramp” for Emerging Growth Companies to go public, and (2) Crowdfunding, examining the Act’s provisions enabling equity crowdfunding. Panelists included Berkeley Law professors (Robert Bartlett), visiting scholars (Reza Dibadj), industry professionals (Martin Zwilling of Startup Professionals), and SEC officials. Key issues debated were the reduced disclosure requirements for new public companies, potential investor risks from loosened regulations, and how crowdfunding might complement or undermine traditional IPOs.

Moderators Ian Peck and Natalia Katunkina (J.D. students) guided discussions. The event did not feature a separate keynote, instead devoting time to deep panel discussions and Q&A.

A recap of the symposium was live-blogged on The Network (BBLJ’s blog), and a special symposium section was later published in BBLJ, Volume 10.1, compiling analysis on the JOBS Act’s early impact.

Details

Date: Friday, March 15, 2013

Time: 8:45 am – 2:00 pm

Venue: Warren Room, Boalt Hall, Berkeley, California 94720