COURSE NUMBER: MBA 295D.1

This course is cross-listed with the School of Law.

COURSE TITLE: New Venture Finance

UNITS OF CREDIT: 2

INSTRUCTOR: Mario M. Rosati

E-MAIL ADDRESS: mrosati@wsgr.com

CLASS WEB PAGE LOCATION (HTTP URL): None

MEETING DAY(S)/TIME: Mondays 2:00-4:00 PM

PREREQUISITE(S):    None

CLASS FORMAT:  Lectures/Cases/Guest Speakers

REQUIRED READINGS:   Class Readings can be found on Catalyst.

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: Class participation 40%; Final Assignment or Examination 60%

ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES:

This is a course about financing new entrepreneurial ventures. Consistent with the Haas School's strategic direction, we will focus on high potential firms that have the possibility of creating a national and/or international impact. This is not exclusive to, but may often mean, ventures that are financed by venture capital funds and exploit high technology and/or participate in new or emerging markets.

We will take two perspectives: that of the entrepreneur and that of the investor. Therefore, this course is of interest to those who wish to be entrepreneurs and/or investors. We will place special focus on how companies are formed with a view to rewarding founders and employees, and securing financing, how financing is secured and structured, how strategic alliances can be structured and how mergers and public offerings provide paths to liquidity.  As part of this process we will examine sources of capital, focusing on venture capital, both the industry and the business, and alternative sources of capital.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:

Mario M. Rosati is an Adjunct professor at the Haas School of Business and a partner of the law firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto, which he joined in 1971. Mr. Rosati specializes in Corporate Law, especially as it relates to high technology companies. Mr. Rosati participated on the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Task Force to the office of the then-President Elect, Ronald Reagan, and served as a Special Consultant to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Transportation. Mr. Rosati has sat as Judge Pro-Tem in the Superior Court, State of California, San Mateo County. Mr. Rosati is a director of Aehr Test Systems, Sanmina-SCI Corporation, Symyx Technologies, Inc.,  and Vivus, Inc. - all publicly traded companies, and  several privately held companies. Mr. Rosati is a member of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati's Executive Committee and is Managing Partner of WS Investments, a venture capital investment partnership. Mr. Rosati has a BA (History), UCLA and JD, Boalt Hall UC Berkeley.