CXO Leadership Forum: Reality Show on M & A

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Fri, 03/12/2010 - 12:15 pm - Guest

Start: 04/14/2010 - 11:30 am
End: 04/14/2010- 1:30 pm

Contact Info: Ram Sriram Email: sriram.ram@comcast.net

Location: Reed Smith LLP Voice: 408 627 8302

1510 Page Mill Road, Suite 110

Palo Alto, CA 9430 URL: http://www.reedsmith.com/about_us/offices/silicon_valley.cfm

While a few larger private companies have recently made it out the IPO gate, M&A is still the most likely exit option for most startups. Our April 2010 CXO Forum meeting will focus on the state of M&A in the current environment and prospects for the future.

This session will give you insight into the M&A process and how acquisitive companies scout for new technologies - including pre-revenue companies, what they expect from sellers, and how they integrate new business & technologies into their existing business.

Topics to be discussed will include:

- Common misperceptions about what acquirers want in a company

- How to get on an acquirers radar screen?

- Market expansion acquisitions vs. technology portfolio acquisitions

- Does having customers help or hurt?

- How deals get negotiated, and who are the players?

- What happens after the deal closes?

Guest Speakers:

William S. Wisialowski, Partner

Bill has been an investment banker specializing in mergers, acquisitions and divestitures for 20 years. Previously, Bill was Managing Director and co-head of Robertson Stephens' M&A department and a member of Robertson Stephens' Management Committee. In addition, he was Chairman of the firm's M&A Fairness Opinion Review Committee. Prior to joining Robertson Stephens in 1992, Bill was a Vice President in the M&A department of Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, which he joined in 1985. He has significant experience in a full range of investment banking services including mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, restructurings, hostile defense, initial public offerings, follow-on and convertible offerings, and private placements. Bill also worked at Peat Marwick Mitchell. Bill earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BBA from the University of Wisconsin. He is a Certified Public Accountant.

Joe Beninato, Entrepreneur

Joe Beninato loves startups. Since graduating from M.I.T. with a degree in aerospace engineering, he has worked with more than fifteen startups, serving as founder, employee, investor or advisor. Joe most recently was the founder and CEO of Presto, a venture-backed startup in partnership with Hewlett-Packard that allows people who don’t use computers to receive digital photos and emails from their family and friends.Before founding Presto, he was Vice President of Product Marketing & Business Development at Roku, a privately-held digital media startup company. Prior to Roku, Joe founded and served as Vice President of Marketing for When.com, the leading Internet calendar and event service that was acquired by America Online. Joe has spearheaded marketing and product efforts for Books That Work (acquired by Sierra OnLine), Integrated Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: INTS, later merged with Wind River Systems) and S3 Inc. (NASDAQ: SIII, later known as SONICBlue).

Actively involved in the Silicon Valley startup community, Joe is a limited partner in several venture capital funds, and has served on the board of directors for Presto, When.com, eDaycare (acquired by Arrowsight), and the non-profit Churchill Club. He has acted as an investor or advisor for Bigstep (acquired by Affinity Internet), Ofoto (acquired by Kodak), SuperSecret (private), and numerous other startup companies. Joe has served as a mentor for the Stanford University Technology Venture Formation class and the fbFund REV incubator program. He is hard at work starting his next company, StartupSeven.com.

Armando Castro, Partner, Reed Smith

Armando is a partner in Reed Smith’s Corporate and Securities Group. Armando’s practice is diverse; he represents companies ranging from formation stage to mature public companies. He also represents the boards of directors, investors and investment banks that invest and work with these companies. His industry background includes renewable energy technologies, industrial chemicals, synthetic biology, energy conservation technologies, enterprise and telecom networking technologies, wireless technologies, electronics, software, cyber security, clean tech and semiconductors.

Armando has represented clients in a variety of both domestic and international matters including: public and private offerings, pre‐public convertible security financings, Rule 144A offerings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, licensing, technology transactions and corporate governance matters.

This event is a collegial luncheon designed to foster discussion in a confidential format among founders, officers and managers (CEO, CFO, CTO, CMO) of startup technology companies. We request that participants be involved in the management of a technology company.

Advance registration only, limited to 25 registrants, no walk-ins admitted.

Pre-registration closes 11 AM the day of the event.

When: Wednesday, April 14

11:30–12:00 pm: Networking and Lunch

12:00-01:30 pm: Panel discussion and Q/A

Location: Reed Smith LLP, 1510 Page Mill Road, Suite 110, Palo Alto, CA 94304

PRE-REGISTERED RATES (All Rates Include Lunch):
$20 SVASE members
$29 Affiliates who promote this event
$49 Non-members

This event is co-sponsored by Reed Smith LLP, http://www.reedsmith.com.

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