Category: 17 Seconds

Is Clocktower Law On Fire?

I recently turned 50, and I believe that Clocktower Law is on fire – in a good way! One of the things I learned from serving on active duty in the Air Force (flying jets and flying desks) is that if you want something (an assignment, an award, a promotion), then you have to nominate yourself. Because nobody is looking out for you in the military except you. Well, in the startup world, it’s uncool to nominate yourself, but we can ask our VIPs to do so!

Tomorrow (10/18/16) is the nominations deadline for BostInno’s “50 on Fire” awards (http://50onfire.com/). Please take 4 minutes and 17 seconds to nominate Clocktower Law in the “professional services” category (http://bostinno.streetwise.co/our-events/50onfire/nominations/). We offer the following four reasons (expanded on below) for our nomination:

1. Startup Experience
2. Startup Clients
3. Startup-Friendly Fees
4. Attorneys, Entrepreneurs, Rockers, Disruptors

You will be asked the following 10 questions:

1. Nominee’s name (first & last or company/organization).
2. Nominee’s email address.
3. What industry does the nominee fall into?
   [Answer: Professional Services]
4. Why is this individual/company on fire? (i.e. What is their most remarkable accomplishment or contribution in 2016? What milestones such as a launch, growth, funding, etc. did they achieve this year? How are they unlike anyone else in their industry?
   [Possible answers: See fodder below.]
5. In your opinion, how did this person or company light up the scene in Boston in 2016?
   [Possible answers: See fodder below.]
6. Please include links to recent press or announcements (i.e. Percentage growth, market share, number of new employees, number of new markets, funding, revenue, number of new features, etc.)
   [Possible answers: See links below.]
7. Your name (first & last).
8. Your company.
9. Your email address.
10. Would you like to subscribe to The Beat and In The Know?

Thank you in advance for your nomination, business, support, and referrals! Business is great, but we can always use more great clients!

Best,
Erik

P.S. And if you don’t think we are worthy, then please let us know why. Continuous improvement is our goal, and we’ve got more in store for 2017!

1. Startup Experience

* Clocktower Law’s patent and trademark lawyers have worked as non-lawyers for software and Internet startups, so we understand how intellectual property (IP) works in the real world.
http://www.clocktowerlaw.com/about-clocktower

* Clocktower Law does not represent patent trolls, trademark bullies, or cybersquatters.
http://www.clocktowerlaw.com/about-clocktower/more-about-clocktower

* Clocktower Law gives you the advice we would want to receive if we were in your shoes.
http://www.clocktowerlaw.com/about-clocktower/more-about-clocktower

* Clocktower Law won’t try to talk you into filing patents and trademarks that don’t make sense for your business.
http://www.clocktowerlaw.com/about-clocktower/more-about-clocktower

* Clocktower Law spends a great deal of time talking our clients out of doing things that are a waste of time and money (such as most foreign patents, most foreign patents, and most patents on intangibles)!
http://www.clocktowerlaw.com/about-clocktower/more-about-clocktower

2. Startup Clients

* Because patent law and trademark law are federal, Clocktower Law’s clients are located all over the United States – and the world.
http://www.clocktowerlaw.com/cool-clients/serving-boston

* Clocktower Law’s representative clients include (alphabetically): AppNexus (appnexus.com, with 900+ employees and over $140 million raised since 2007), KAYAK (kayak.com, acquired by Priceline for $2.1 billion in 2013), Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (pmc.org, founded in 1980, the nation’s original fundraising bike-a-thon and largest contributor to The Jimmy Fund), and Right Media (rightmedia.com, acquired by Yahoo! for $850 million in 2007).
http://www.clocktowerlaw.com/about-clocktower/people/erik-j-heels

* It’s cool that Mass. Ave. is the street address for Harvard (Mike’s alma mater), MIT (Erik’s alma mater), and Clocktower Law!
http://www.clocktowerlaw.com/contact/directions

3. Startup-Friendly Fees

* Clocktower Law does a couple dozen things really well and charges fixed amounts for almost everything.
http://www.clocktowerlaw.com/fees

* Clocktower Law uses rigorous math (based on 10+ years of data) to help you budget accordingly.
http://www.clocktowerlaw.com/fees

* Clocktower Law offers a 50% discount to selected nonprofits.
http://www.clocktowerlaw.com/fees/nonprofit-ip-law

* Clocktower Law offers a 100% discount (i.e. pro bono) to selected causes.
http://www.clocktowerlaw.com/fees/pro-bono-ip-law

* If you are a serial entrepreneur with a proven track record, then you may be able to pay Clocktower Law with stock.
http://www.clocktowerlaw.com/fees/pay-with-stock

4. Attorneys, Entrepreneurs, Rockers, Disruptors

* Clocktower Law founder Erik J. Heels is a frequent speaker (in person and virtually) and writer (1200+ publications and counting). He earned his BS in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and his JD from the University of Maine School of Law (Maine Law). Erik claims to publish the #1 blog about technology, law, baseball, and rock ‘n’ roll at erikjheels.com. Brevity is not his strong suit.
https://www.giantpeople.com/about-erik

* How To Build A Startup: One Board At A Time, Be Yourself, Get Plants (2016-06-15)
Top 11 tips for entrepreneurs.
“I realized that if I always told the truth, even if it was bad news, then I would never have to worry about an alibi. Today, one of the things I enjoy hearing when I meet people for the first time is, ‘Wow, you sound in person exactly like you sound on your website!’ To which I reply, ‘Yes, that’s because none of that is fake!'”
https://www.giantpeople.com/6185.html

* Erik’s Band, The MCats Band, Rocks The #PMC2016 Party Boat, Helps The PMC Raise Millions To Fight Cancer (2016-08-07)
Clocktower Law has been providing pro bono services to PMC since 2011.
https://www.facebook.com/300125923695/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10155106010468696

* What’s The Goal Of The ‘Year Of Disruption’ Project? (2016-09-06)
A Conversation about Disrupting Patent/Trademark Services for Boston Startups.
“I don’t necessarily have a specific goal for the ‘Year of Disruption’ project. I have a good idea about once per decade, and I’m pretty sure that this is one…. The first 15 years of running my law firm were really cool. I want the next 15 years to be even more cool. And I’m pretty sure that disruption will be part of the future, as it has been part of the past. I’m also fairly certain that I don’t have all of the answers, nor do I necessarily even know all of the questions! But knowing what you don’t know is a good thing, I’m pretty sure.”
http://web.archive.org/*/www.yearofdisruption.com/76.html

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17 Seconds is a publication for clients and other VIPs of Clocktower Law. Email version powered by MailChimp and the beat of a different keyboard player.