N AVIGATING THE I SSUES OF M ULTI - D ISCIPLINARY S TUDENT T EAMS S ERVING U NIVERSITY S PIN -O FFS Sean M. O'Connor, J.D., M.A. Professor and Chair Law, Technology & Arts Group Founding Director, Entrepreneurial Law Clinic University of Washington School of Law |

Introduction Overview of UW Entrepreneurial Law Clinic Who is the Client? Mediating Among Different Commercialization Plans Supervising Different Types of Professional Students Conclusions

Overview of ELC Pro bono legal and business advisory services to: low-income micro-entrepreneurs; early stage high-tech, life sciences, and clean/green tech entrepreneurs; nonprofit and social entrepreneurship ventures; and UW Center for Commercialization for UW technology spin-offs Pro bono opportunities for: (i) IP, corporate, and tax attorneys in their fields of practice; and (ii) business executives, especially those experienced in entrepreneurial ventures

Overview of ELC Opportunities for practical training of: (i)UW Law students in transactions and counseling in business law (corporate, securities, commercial), IP, tax, employment law, and regulatory compliance; and (ii)UW MBA students in management, marketing & branding, accounting, operations, and finance advisory services.

Who is the Client? General Issues: Issues with multiple founders Representing founders vs. companies Special Issues in Working With University Researchers and Technologies: Potential conflicts Treating researchers as “PIs” with tech transfer as the client

Mediating Among Different Commercialization Plans Translational vs. commercialization ready technologies The three common university commercialization pathways Dissemination through publication or low/no cost nonexclusive licenses Exclusive licenses to large established companies Exclusive licenses to small or medium enterprises

Supervising Different Types of Professional Students Relying on student practice rules and obligations for law students Establishing confidentiality and professional supervisors for MBA students Using science and engineering students Serving the entrepreneur vs. being the entrepreneur

Conclusions Multidisciplinary students teams allow tech transfer offices greater leverage in developing university technologies Teams must be clear on who the client is—in the university technology area it should be the tech transfer office Researchers should be treated as “PIs” Expectations must be managed, especially as to whose commercialization plan will be adopted Teams need to be appropriately supervised for the different types of professional students