New York, NY—Civic Hall announced a partnership to expand access to legal services for early-stage businesses and entrepreneurs. Through dedicated office hours at Civic Hall’s—The Bernard Goldstein Center, Pacific Street Law attorneys will help early stage founders address the legal questions that arise as they launch companies, raise capital, engage vendors, hire teams, and bring new products and services to market.

The partnership is being unveiled at Civic Hall’s November 9 NY Tech Meetup, where more than 200 founders and members of New York’s technology community are gathering for an evening of live product demonstrations, conversations, and connections that spotlighted emerging innovators from Columbia University’s Technology Management program who are turning bold ideas into promising technologies and real-world solutions.

“Entrepreneurship is a powerful driver of economic opportunity, innovation, and job creation,” said Christine McMahon, President and CEO of Fedcap. “At Fedcap, we believe that giving people access to the right resources and expertise can turn promising ideas into thriving businesses. This partnership is another example of how Civic Hall is bringing together organizations with complementary strengths to create new opportunities and help New York’s entrepreneurs succeed.”

“Starting a company means making consequential decisions quickly, often when you have limited resources, and that is where quality, affordable legal counsel can make a big difference,” said Gareth Rhodes, Founder and Managing Attorney of Pacific Street Law. “Pacific Street Law has years of experience working with early-stage companies on everything from incorporation and their first financing to hiring, product launches, and regulatory compliance. We’re excited to bring that experience to the startups that work at Civic Hall and the 14,000 innovators and entrepreneurs that are part of the NY Tech Alliance, to help more New York based early stage businesses build a strong foundation for growth.”

The partnership will include dedicated office hours with Pacific Street Law attorneys for Civic Hall based startups and NY Tech Alliance members. The office hours will give entrepreneurs a dedicated opportunity to discuss legal priorities, identify potential obstacles, and understand their next steps. Topics will include company formation and founder agreements; fundraising and equity ownership; hiring and employee compensation; customer and vendor contracts; intellectual property; the legal and regulatory considerations involved in developing and launching products; and much more.

Civic Hall and its NY Tech Alliance serve as a premier gathering place and resource network for New York’s entrepreneurs, technologists, and innovators. Combining Civic Hall’s Union Square home with NY Tech Alliance’s longstanding community and programming, they connect founders with peers, investors, mentors, and resources to help turn ideas into businesses. The partnership with Pacific Street Law adds access to experienced legal counsel to that support.

“New York has no shortage of great ideas or talented entrepreneurs. The challenge is giving them the tools to succeed,” said Jim Malatras, Managing Director of Civic Hall. “Pacific Street Law brings exceptional legal expertise and a practical, hands-on approach to helping startups navigate the challenges of building a business. By connecting that expertise with our community of more than 14,000 innovators and entrepreneurs, we’re helping turn great ideas into successful businesses. That’s exactly what Civic Hall was built to do.”

New York is home to one of the world’s most vibrant communities of entrepreneurs building across technology, finance, healthcare, media, consumer products, and other industries. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to strengthening that entrepreneurial community by making legal guidance more accessible at the earliest stages of a company’s development.

Office hours will take place at Civic Hall and remotely. Scheduling and registration details will be shared through Civic Hall and NY Tech Alliance.