Cohen & Grigsby to Further Empower Pittsburgh-Area Technology Startups by Launching New AlphaLaw Program

PITTSBURGH, March 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Cohen & Grigsby, a business law firm with headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA and an office in Bonita Springs, FL, will serve as an additional catalyst for entrepreneurship in the greater Pittsburgh area with the introduction of AlphaLaw.  Launching this spring, C&G AlphaLaw is a legal assistance program tailored specifically to technology startup companies that are entering the incubator phase of their development.  It is also the first program of its kind in the region to offer certain complimentary legal services to qualifying companies.

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"Every week, entrepreneurs in our area are seeking to take their game-changing technological innovations or products to the marketplace," said David Kalson, director and attorney at Cohen & Grigsby and creator of AlphaLaw.  "AlphaLaw enables these companies to launch and prepare for rapid growth without incurring many of the associated costs."  

AlphaLaw is the product of a partnership with Innovation Works and will be made available exclusively to companies that are enrolled in the organization's AlphaLab accelerator program.  

Through AlphaLaw, Cohen & Grigsby's lawyers work with the AlphaLab companies free of charge to tailor core "start-up" documents, such as a certificate of incorporation, restricted stock purchase agreement, stockholders agreement and proprietary rights agreements, to the particular needs of the company.  

"Every AlphaLab company comes to us with different ownership, product strategies and plans for growth.  The AlphaLaw documents provide the foundation the AlphaLab companies need to succeed," Kalson said.

"Pittsburgh has undergone quite an evolution in the past 25 years, moving from an industrial base to an economy driven in part by technology," added Jack Elliott, president of Cohen & Grigsby.  "At Cohen & Grigsby, we see AlphaLaw as a way to invest in the region's future."

Through AlphaLaw, Cohen & Grigsby has also offered to present educational seminars to client companies that will demystify the startup process and early-stage operations so those companies are positioned for success.  In addition, companies that choose to participate in AlphaLaw may also engage Cohen & Grigsby for certain other legal services at a reduced rate while they remain in the Innovation Works AlphaLab program.

"At Innovation Works, we are proud to be known as one of the nation's most active early-stage investors.  Programs such as AlphaLab give companies the guidance and funding that they need to take their ideas from concept to reality," said Rich Lunak, president and CEO of Innovation Works.  "We are pleased to add Cohen & Grigsby's AlphaLaw to the wide array of programs available to these startup companies, and we are certain they will quickly see the benefit in participating."

For more information on Cohen & Grigsby, visit www.cohenlaw.com.  

ABOUT COHEN & GRIGSBY

Established in 1981 in Pittsburgh, PA, Cohen & Grigsby is a business law firm with headquarters in Pittsburgh and an office in Bonita Springs, FL.  Cohen & Grigsby attorneys cultivate a culture of performance by serving as business counselors as well as legal advisors to an extensive list of clients that includes private and publicly held businesses, nonprofits, multinational corporations, individuals and emerging companies.  The firm has more than 120 lawyers in seven practice groups – Business & Tax, Labor & Employment, Immigration/International Business, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Bankruptcy & Creditors' Rights, and Estates & Trusts.  For more information, please visit www.cohenlaw.com.

ABOUT INNOVATION WORKS

Innovation Works is the Ben Franklin Technology Partner (BFTP) of Southwestern PA.  As one of the nation's most active investors in seed-stage technology companies, Innovation Works provides regional startups in all technology sectors with the risk capital and business mentoring they need to grow and succeed.  As part of the BFTP network, Innovation Works was recently awarded $10 million over the next five years to grow regional energy-related startups as part of the Commonwealth's Energy Independence Strategy

Contact:  Jeff Donaldson
412.642.7700
[email protected]

SOURCE Cohen & Grigsby