Legal Session 2 - Later-Stage Founder
As part of STARTUP WEEK Düsseldorf, we are once again inviting aspiring founders, start-up teams and young companies to our workshop format “HEUKING Legal Session 2“. The event provides a concise and practical overview of the key legal issues for technology-oriented start-ups at the founding, growth and financing stages. Experienced experts provide insights into current developments, legal frameworks and typical challenges arising in business practice.
The focus is on forward-looking legal topics: digital law, the protection of intellectual property (IP law) and the specific legal considerations in the fields of defence, space and dual-use technologies. A further focus is on patent and innovation protection for software- and AI-based business models.
In addition, participants will gain valuable insights into the legal foundations of venture capital financings and learn which aspects are particularly relevant to investor participation and financing rounds.
The programme is rounded off by a specialised talk on medical law for MedTech, HealthTech and BioTech start-ups.
The event is primarily aimed at existing start-ups that wish to expand their legal knowledge and prepare for future growth and financing phases. People with initial business ideas are, of course, also very welcome. In addition to specialist knowledge, participants will benefit from practical examples and the opportunity to exchange ideas with the speakers.
Participation is possible both in person and online via MS Teams.
Provisional agenda
9:30–10:30 a.m. – Digital law (Dr Philip Kempermann, LL.M., Julian Rosenfeld, Georg Thomas)
10:30–11:30 a.m. – IP law (Dr Ruben A. Hofmann)
11:30–12:30 a.m. – Dual Use/Defence/Space (Dr Thomas Jansen, Julian Groenick)
1:30–2:30 p.m. – Patent law – Software and AI (Isabella Sommer-Zhang, Philipp Roman Schröler)
2:30–3:30 p.m. – Venture Capital (Dr Patrick Müller, LL.M., Ilona Schütz, Laura Jochem, LL.M.)
3:30–4:30 p.m. – LifeScience – Medical law for MedTech, HealthTech and BioTech start-ups (Dr Stefanie Greifeneder)
4:45–5:45 p.m. – Compliance meets criminal law (Anna Coenen, Dr. Andreas Schramm)
6:00–06:30 p.m. – Public Funding Law (Dr. Ute Jasper, Dr. Laurence Westen, Johannes Baumann)
Date & location
Tuesday, September 8, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
