About
the Panelists:
Eric
Klein Partner of KMZ Rosenman
Eric Klein has extensive experience with issues confronting
newly formed and emerging companies. He has represented numerous
founders, venture capital investors and start-up companies in
a wide range of industries including technology, biotechnology,
health care, entertainment, retail and financial services. Mr.
Klein has worked closely with management and investors to structure
and form companies, negotiate compensation arrangements, raise
capital through public and private securities offerings, enter
into corporate partnering and distribution arrangements, and
undertake mergers, acquisitions and public offerings. Mr. Klein's
practice also includes intellectual property matters, international
transactions, securities law, and general corporate law. Prior
to joining Katten Muchin Zavis Rosenman, Mr. Klein was a founding
partner in the Los Angeles firm of Klein & Martin LLP, which
merged with Shaw Pittman in 2001.
Mr. Klein
received his A.B. from Princeton University in 1981 and earned
his J.D. from Boston University School of Law in 1985. He is
admitted to practice in California and before the U.S. District
Court, Northern District of California. Mr. Klein is a member
of the UCLA Anderson School of Business Ventures Program, Board
of Advisors; the Los Angeles Ventures Association; and the American
Bar Association Section of Intellectual Property Law, International
Technology Transfer Committee.
John
Babcock, Partner of Rustic
Canyon Ventures
John Babcock
brings over 10 years of technology-related experience to Rustic
Canyon. Before joining Rustic Canyon, he was the general manager
of online real estate at the Los Angeles Times. In 1991, John
founded the Delta Group, a technology consulting firm that advised
Intel, Compaq Computer and Home Savings of America, among others.
He received his BA from Duke University and his MBA from the
Anderson School at UCLA. Rustic
Canyon company representation: Agribuys*, Cyrano Sciences*,
HomeGain, RiverOne
Gene
Wang, chairman and chief executive officer of Bitfone
Corporation:
As founder and CEO of Bitfone Corporation, Gene Wang is creative,
competitive and determined. He thrives on challenges, and that
includes raising three kids, while leading a start up company;
founding and chairing a new wireless industry organization,
the OTA Flash Forum; and teaching music to pre-schoolers. Mr.
Wang has served as CEO of three start-up companies and is currently
serving as CEO of Bitfone Corporation. Through his efforts,
Bitfone Corporation has managed to secure more than $35 million
in funding while providing a revolutionary technology that upgrades
the
embedded software of mobile phones over-the-air (OTA).
James
Saake, Chief Executive Officer of Etronica,
Inc.
Jim currently heads Etronica, a software company initially funded
by the Tech Coast Angels and now in its third phase of life.
Jim recently sold a portion of Etronica's IP portfolio to a
major public company, and used some of the proceeds to re-capitalize
the company to fund the development and commercialization of
the PublishPal™ system, an ASP that offers small to medium
size organizations an integrated system with content management,
membership management, enhanced search and e-commerce functionality
at a monthly cost of under $1,000.
Jim has 20 years of executive experience in operations, business
development, sales & marketing, strategic planning, and
engineering. Prior to becoming Etronica's CEO, he headed sales
and business development for a start-up focused on ISP services
customized for organizations and affiliations. He also worked
on the development of one of the first Web-based affinity portal
solutions in 1998. Additionally, Jim developed a "virtual
incubator" focused on providing key Web development services
for dotcom start-ups.
Prior to his Internet life, Jim enjoyed a 17-year career with
Unocal Corporation, where he managed sales and marketing for
the chemicals division and racing gasoline business, and managed
strategic planning for the 76 Products Company.
Among his many accomplishments Jim has earned three U.S. patents,
and has served in several elected and appointed positions with
trade organizations and governmental bodies. He has a bachelor's
degree in engineering from the University of California at Davis.
He is active in the Caltech/MIT Enterprise Forum, the Software
Council of Southern California, Pasadena Entretec and other
local technology and business groups.
Jay Molloy,
Special Counsel, KMZ Rosenman
Jay Molloy has, for more than three decades, assisted clients
with issues faced by entrepreneurial and middle market companies,
including: mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; joint ventures;
public and private equity and debt financings; complex contractual
matters; business formation; and tax issues. His clients include
software and hardware development, service and maintenance firms,
telecommunications firms, medical device manufacturers, hardware
resellers, point-of-sale computer manufacturers; and research
and development partnerships involving the makers of robotics,
supercomputers, digital switches, laser disc equipment and CAD/CAM
systems. Mr. Molloy also has experience in animated film production,
avionics, construction, food distribution, metal fabrication,
health care and child care.
Mr. Molloy
earned a B.S. from the University of Southern California in
1968 and his J.D. from the University of Southern California
Law School in 1972. He is admitted to practice law in California
and before the United States Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of
Appeals, 9th Circuit, the U.S. District Court, Central District
of California, and the U.S. Tax Court. He is a member of the
American Bar Association and the State Bar of California.
