J. Brad Bernthal

Associate Professor of Law
Director, Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology and Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial Law, Early Stage Finance, Innovation Policy

401 UCB
2450 Kittredge Loop Drive
Wolf Law Building
Boulder, CO  80309-0401
Office: 322E
Phone: (303) 492-0610
E-mail: brad.bernthal@colorado.edu

Curriculum Vitae:  View (PDF format)

Bio:
Brad specializes in startups, entrepreneurial law, and early stage finance (such as angel investment and venture capital). His current research studies finance instruments used in startup investment. Prior to that, Brad studied investment accelerators, providing legal scholarship's first work on the topic. In the classroom, Brad teams with co-professor Keith Olivia to lead the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic (LAWS 7619). He also teaches Venture Capital with co-professor Jason Mendelson (LAWS 7271, TLEN 5835). Brad is the Founder and Director of the Silicon Flatirons Center's Entrepreneurship Initiative. The Entrepreneurship Initiative, launched in 2008, creates a high velocity of interaction between the CU campus and the Front Range's high tech entrepreneurial community. The Entrepreneurship Initiative is closely involved with the CU New Venture Challenge, Startup Colorado, and the Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network.

Articles

The Evolution of Entrepreneurial Finance: A New Typology, 2018 BYU L. Rev. 773 (2019).

Who Needs Contracts? Generalized Exchange Within Investment Accelerators, 100 Marquette Law Review 997 (2017).

Investment Accelerators, 22 Stan. J. L. Bus. & Fin. 139 (2016).

Procedural Architecture Matters: Innovation Policy At The Federal Communications Commission, 1 Texas A&M Law Review 615, (2014).

Bernthal (with Phil Weiser and Dale Hatfield), Study on the Health of the United States 9 1 1 Emergency Network: A Call to Action on 9-1-1, Colorado Law Journal on Telecommunications & High Technology Law, (2008).

Bernthal (with Nancy Jesuale), Smart Radios and Collaborative Public Safety Communications. Accepted, presented and published in IEEE Proceedings of the Dynamic Spectrum Access Networks (DySPAN 2008) Conference, Chicago, IL, October 14-17, (2008).

Bernthal (with Tim Brown, Dale Hatfield, Doug Sicker, Peter Tenhula, and Phil Weiser), Trends and Precedents Favoring a Regulatory Embrace of Smart Radio Technologies. Accepted, presented and published in Proc. of the IEEE Symposium on New Frontiers in Dynamic Spectrum Access Networks, Paper selected for Plenary session of Conference, Dublin, Ireland, April (2007).

Bernthal (with Philip J. Weiser and Dale Hatfield), Toward A Next Generation Architecture for Public Safety Communications, (2006). In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a unitary reliance on Land Mobile Radio systems (LMRs) failed public safety agencies, leaving them without any source of communications once they lost transmission capability. Unfortunately, in the wake of this tragedy, many have dusted off traditional prescriptions for improving public safety communications, such as more dedicated spectrum and more money for single-purpose LMRs (or LMRs based on technology that fails to facilitate broader functionalities). As we explain, however, both the needs underscored by Katrina and the capabilities made possible by emerging technologies call for a different strategy. abstract

Selected Press, Media & Publicity

Street Level: Startups: The New Gold Rush | CPT12 | Tuesday, June 18, 2019

2018's Best & Worst Small Cities to Start a Business | WalletHub | Monday, April 16, 2018

CU's New Venture Challenge putting out 'quality businesses' | BizWest | Friday, September 18, 2015

Climbing Sand Dunes and Talking Seed Accelerators in Namibia | Huffington Post | Thursday, May 28, 2015

New venue will give startup crowd a place to socialize, share ideas | Indianapolis Business Journal | Saturday, December 31, 2011

Rocky Mountain Startups: Why entrepreneurs are flocking to Boulder and how it is benefiting the state and school | Fox Business | Thursday, May 5, 2011

Is Boulder the Next Silicon Valley? | MSNBC News | Friday, February 4, 2011

Title I Litigation Risks Abound | Communications Daily | Monday, December 6, 2010

CU Clinic Aids Start-Ups | Colorado Law Week | Monday, October 18, 2010

Boulder: Where innovation is hip | The Denver Post | Sunday, July 25, 2010

Boulder, Colo., a magnet for high-tech start-ups | The New York Times | Thursday, May 13, 2010

Should Your Lawyer Specialize in Entrepreneurship? | Inc.com | Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Want to Become an Entrepreneur? Get a Degree in it, at Law School! | The Wall Street Journal Law Blog | Friday, January 22, 2010

LLMs in entrepreneurial law reflect shifting view of profession's role | The National Law Journal | Thursday, January 21, 2010

Speaking at CU-Boulder, Ted Turner doesn't mince words: Media mogul a guest at "Entrepreneurs Unplugged" | Daily Camera | Friday, November 13, 2009

Jerusalem Mayor Brings Entrepreneurship to Municipal Government | Boulder Jewish News Website | Wednesday, November 4, 2009

CU law clinic connects students with entrepreneurs: Entrepreneurial Law Clinic 'like a lab for the sciences' | Daily Camera | Monday, March 2, 2009

Courses:

Spring 2025	Legal Negotiation	LAWS 7409-801
Fall 2024	Venture Capital and Private Equity	LAWS 7271-801
Spring 2024	Legal Negotiation	LAWS 7409-801
Fall 2023	Venture Capital and Private Equity	LAWS 7271-801
Fall 2022	Legal Negotiation	LAWS 7409-801
Spring 2022	Entrepreneurial Law Clinic	LAWS 7619-801
Fall 2021	Venture Capital and Private Equity	LAWS 7271-801
Fall 2021	Entrepreneurial Law Clinic	LAWS 7619-801
Spring 2021	Corporations	LAWS 6211-801
Spring 2021	Entrepreneurial Law Clinic	LAWS 7619-801
Fall 2020	Entrepreneurial Law Clinic	LAWS 7619-801
Spring 2020	Entrepreneurial Law Clinic	LAWS 7619-801
Fall 2019	Venture Capital and Private Equity	LAWS 7271-801
Fall 2019	Entrepreneurial Law Clinic	LAWS 7619-801
Spring 2019	Entrepreneurial Law Clinic	LAWS 7619-801
Fall 2018	Venture Capital and Private Equity	LAWS 7271-801
Fall 2018	Venture Capital and Private Equity	LAWS 7271-902
Fall 2018	Entrepreneurial Law Clinic	LAWS 7619-801
Spring 2018	Entrepreneurial Law Clinic	LAWS 7619-801
Fall 2017	Venture Capital and Private Equity	LAWS 7271-001
Fall 2017	Entrepreneurial Law Clinic	LAWS 7619-801
Spring 2017	Entrepreneurial Law Clinic	LAWS 7619-801
Fall 2016	Venture Capital and Private Equity	LAWS 7271-001
Fall 2016	Entrepreneurial Law Clinic	LAWS 7619-801
Spring 2016	Entrepreneurial Law Clinic	LAWS 7619-801
Fall 2015	Venture Capital and Private Equity	LAWS 7271-001
Fall 2015	Entrepreneurial Law Clinic	LAWS 7619-801
Fall 2014	Venture Capital and Private Equity	LAWS 7271-001
Fall 2014	Entrepreneurial Law Clinic	LAWS 7619-801
Spring 2014	Entrep Innovation and Public Policy	LAWS 5201-801
Spring 2014	Entrepreneurial Law Clinic	LAWS 7619-801
Spring 2014	Seminar: Business Law Colloquium	LAWS 8101-001
Spring 2014	LLM Seminar	LAWS 9846-901
Fall 2013	Venture Capital and Private Equity	LAWS 7271-001
Fall 2013	Venture Capital and Private Equity	LAWS 7271-801
Fall 2013	Entrepreneurial Law Clinic	LAWS 7619-001
Spring 2013	Entrepreneurial Law Clinic	LAWS 7619-801
Fall 2012	Venture Capital and Private Equity	LAWS 7271-002
Fall 2012	Entrepreneurial Law Clinic	LAWS 7619-001