I had the pleasure of working with the Lab at 91亚色 for my placement. The BEST Lab is a startup incubator that offers 91亚色 students resources and mentorship on starting a business.
I was placed with the BEST Lab through Osgoode鈥檚 . The Intensive Program is a great way to get practical hands-on experience in IP law and understand the needs of a variety of organizations.
The BEST Lab is a unique workplace for a law student (see picture 1). At the incubator, I worked alongside the BEST Lab . This contrasts with a law firm where there is a buffer zone between lawyers and clients. In such environments, meetings between clients and lawyers are often done by appointment.
Being embedded in the entrepreneurial space is an enriching and rewarding experience. The experience made me appreciate the types of problems the entrepreneurs encounter daily. It was interesting to see the entrepreneurs work through technical problems, make sales calls, or devise new business strategies while I worked alongside them on legal issues.
My supervisor, , and program managers Maedeh and Dora made me feel like a valuable member of the team. I was responsible for creating startup-friendly educational materials that covered how to perform patent searches and how to apply for patents. With the entrepreneurs in mind, I tailored the resources to include discussions on raising start-up funds to cover patenting costs and taking advantage of the drawn-out patent timeline to test business ideas.
I held regular office-hours to meet with entrepreneurs and provide legal information. Most of the companies at BEST Lab are early-stage startups that are building their products and services, meeting with potential customers, and conducting market research. Consequently, many of the entrepreneurs had legal questions about starting a business such as employer-employee contracts, shareholder agreements, and incorporation. Although these are legal issues about starting a business, such concerns still have facets of intellectual property. For instance, when hiring independent contractors, the startup must consider who owns the work product once the contract ends.
For entrepreneurs who were closer to patenting their invention I provided information on the patent process as well as funding sources such as and to cover initial costs. I also connected entrepreneurs with my supervising lawyer who could offer guidance and next steps for their ventures.
Some of my most memorable experiences at the BEST Lab was discussing with entrepreneurs to learn more about their businesses and seeing where I could add value as a legal intern. I acted as a sounding board to entrepreneurs who would pitch their ideas or discuss business strategies. Since I don鈥檛 have a background in entrepreneurship or business, I could offer insights with fresh eyes and ask questions. I would also flag any legal issues that could come up.
My placement would not have been an enriching experience without the people who make the BEST Lab. First, I want to thank Professor D鈥橝gostino, Professor Vaver and Joseph Turcotte for securing placements and providing experiential education for law students. Second, I want to thank my BEST Lab supervisor Professor Terry Sachlos, as well as my off-site supervising lawyers Reshika Dhir and James Hinton for a wonderful experience. I also want to thank Maedeh, Dora and Professor Andrew Maxwell for making the BEST Lab a great place to work. Finally, I want to thank the entrepreneurs at the BEST Lab. It was a pleasure learning from everyone while also helping with intellectual property and corporate legal issues.
Neeraj Gupta completed the IP Intensive cohort in Fall 2023