Legal Excellence: A Conversation with Industry Expert Abe Wehbi from Taft Law
Kick off our new Viaka Network Experts Deep Dive series with Abe Wehbi from Taft Law, who shares insights on navigating startup challenges, global perspectives, and fostering growth.
Join Abe, one of our most active and supportive Viaka members, along with our AMAZING Chicago members Ahmad (Audo) and George (TMX Group), at Taft Law for the mixer on the 7th! This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow founders and investors 🔗 Registrations close in 24 hours, so be sure to book your spot and invite your connections for this incredible event!
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We spoke with Abe Wehbi, Partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
Professional Focus & the Story Behind It
What are you currently working on? What motivated you to pursue this path?
I am currently a corporate partner at Taft, with a specialized focus on working with start-ups, emerging growth stage companies and venture capital funds. On the company side, my practice ranges from assisting companies with everything from inception to exit, and, on the investor side, my practice focuses on assisting funds through the investment process. I have always had an entrepreneurial interest, but might be a little too risk averse to actually make the jump to being an operator. By being able to add value to a start-up or investors’ journey is my way of feeling like I am participating and giving back to the community by hopefully helping a lending hand to those that have a mission of making the world a better place!
Connecting with the MENA Startup Community
What value do you (personally) find in being part of a global startup community, particularly in the MENA region?
I value the connections and learning about the backgrounds and stories that each individual has that motivated them to do what they do. Easily. My practice is industry agnostic, so I am able to hear so many stories and meet so many people of differing backgrounds (both personal and professional), and no two stories are ever the same. It has always been something that I cherish about this process. This is especially true of the MENA region where the demographics are so diverse, both personal and professional. The people you meet come from all over the world, and places where I call “home,” and are working on some really cool projects and bring their own perspectives and approaches to what they are working on and being able to experience those differences and perspectives first hand is truly amazing.
Insights on Working with Startups and Evolving with the Ecosystem
What do you enjoy most about working with startups and emerging companies and how do you see your role evolving as the ecosystem grows?
I love the fact that I can act more as an advisor than a transactional partner. Almost every company I have the pleasure of working with does not have an internal legal team/member, and you find yourself being the go-to resource for a lot of questions, not just legal. Being able to take more of an advisor/strategic partner approach, really helps you learn the ins and outs of the business, which, in turn, helps you take more of a forward looking approach with respect to different projects you assist with or advise on. You truly feel like you are part of the team!
Overcoming Challenges
Can you share a significant challenge you’ve faced while navigating legal complexities for a client, and how you resolved it?
This happens all of the time. Particularly, I was faced with an issue involving a company who needed to change its corporate structure in order to facilitate and accept an investment in a certain way. This required the advise of tax, executive compensation, employment and other subject matter experts, all of which I am not, in order to get the job done. In being able to shift my role from counsel to project manager, knowing the business, I was able to take a lot of the heavy lifting from the company and fill in many gaps that they just did not understand in order to pull the project together and accomplish the overall goal.
Common Obstacles & Key Insights
In your experience, what are the most common legal pitfalls startups encounter, and how can they avoid them?
Majority of the time I find myself trying to undo something that prior legal counsel did or something the founders took on in order to avoid a legal spend. This could be anything ranging from the way the company was incorporated, how it engaged its initial partners or service providers or how it accepted some investment. It is always much harder to undo something than to get it done right the first time, and sometimes, if you are not able to undo a past mistake, it could be detrimental to the company or its valuation. I always advise early stage companies to find a legal counsel that specializes in working with start-ups and early stage companies as their approach is much different than a general corporate attorney. It can be a foreign language and your counsel can be your translator. I typically utilize transparent, project based billing to eliminate the worry of a surprise and unaffordable bill, and, knowing the landscape and what investors are looking to see, as well as common practice, helps me keep the company’s needs in line and get the work done in an efficient manner.
Advice for Aspiring & Fellow Professionals
What advice would you give to aspiring or other legal professionals looking to specialize in venture capital and business law?
Read. Read everything that you can. There are a ton of resources published by CARTA, the NVCA, the BVCA and all of the great accelerators that discuss the various topics that you will encounter on a daily basis. Being informed on what is market and the current trends will only aid in your ability to learn. Also, try and get involved by offering office hours or lunch and learn sessions where you can get a sense of the problems people are facing and add value by offering some guidance as to how to navigate. This world moves fast and if you are able to keep pace, you will only be able to better your chances.
Favorite Viaka Network Moments & Connections
What's your favorite part of the Viaka Network thus far? Do you have any memorable experiences or helpful connections to share?
Honestly, it is the enthusiasm of all of its members to get out there and spread the word of what they are working on or what their specific ecosystems look like and the issues that they are facing. Being a global network, not all issues are the same in each ecosystem, and it is awesome to know that you can reach out to someone in the ecosystem to shed light on a specific issue that you are facing that is unfamiliar to you or to ask for connections in a place where you are not familiar with. That is also the most memorable experience I have with the network! I have, on many occasions, asked for certain introductions or have asked questions to only have been met with such enthusiastic responses and people’s willingness to connect and share their thoughts and experiences.
Support from the Viaka Network
How can members of the Viaka Network, particularly those in the legal or financial sectors, support each other more effectively? And how can members of the Viaka Network be most helpful to you and your work right now?
I think keeping communication and a thread of who is working on what would be the most helpful way to support. Members in the network are able to think of other members, first in mind (which I think they do), and that can only be done if everyone knows what is out there and who is doing what. I know that if I have questions on certain ecosystems, I know where to go! It is truly amazing. Personally, I am just happy to be helpful and encourage any founder or investor that has questions to reach out!
Psst! Join the Viaka network now and unlock our exclusive Slack channel, along with many other benefits! Chat directly with members like Abe and others eager to share their expertise. Don't miss out!
Expert Insights: Legal Talk with Abe from Taft
How does Taft foster innovation within the legal field, particularly when working with fast-paced, high-growth startups?
Taft is always on the forefront of innovation, especially with early stage companies. It is a focus of the firm and a large part of the corporate department, generally. Usually, the legal field is the last field to embrace change, but Taft has proved otherwise by implementing systems and adopting all sorts of new technology aimed at assisting a company’s efficiency and freeing up bandwidth for the founders/investors. I’ve been really impressed with all of the recent advancements the firm has been to foster innovation both internally and externally.
What impact do you hope your work at Taft will have on the businesses you advise, both in the short term and in the broader market?
I hope to establish a MENA start-up/venture capital practice at Taft. Right now, we are international in practice, but without a physical presence and I would hope that the work that I am doing today, can open the doors to true international practice. Being a midwestern based law firm, a lot of the firm’s models and guidelines are akin to that of those that are important in the MENA culture. There is an emphasis on being a real person that can offer pragmatic and practical advice, and each person’s backgrounds and unique experiences are celebrated and that, in turn, is seen and appreciated by those that we support. Taft is also heavily invested both in Viaka and creating network and channel partners in the region and it has shown to be successful both in approach and in appreciation.
As someone with a broad range of experience, what’s your favorite aspect of working at Taft, and how does it enable you to better serve your clients?
It is being able to work with all of the subject matter experts at Taft. I have faced a lot of issues that I thought to be unique, only to find that we have an expert in that area. That could be tax, intellectual property, employment or some other niche and specific area, we always have had someone to help. Because of this, I am always learning, which has helped make me a better advisor. The subject matter experts are always so willing to help and jump in and solve issues or give opinions and the deep bench here at Taft is truly special. Especially since many of these subject matter experts are experienced in working with start-ups and speak the language!
Follow Taft on LinkedIn and head over to their website for more information.
🔗 Before you check out the awesome events we have from beyond our network, be sure to SPREAD THE WORD and book your spot for our Chicago mixer! Join Abe, Ahmad, George, and many other Viaka members. Registrations close in 24 hours! 🍹- Click Image below 👇
📝 Save the Dates: Events in August and September
Make sure to mark your calendars, take time off work, book your tickets, and sort out accommodations early! We’ve curated a list of exciting events happening later in August and September that you won't want to miss:
Jordan StartUp Expo: The Global Stage For Jordan’s Most Innovative & Emerging Startups - August 14th -15th (In-Person, Amman, Jordan)
Seamless North Africa: The Future of Fintech, Payments, Banking, Retail & E-Commerce Across North Africa - September 2nd- 3rd (In- Person, Cairo, Egypt)
Dubai AI & Web3 festival organised by Dubai AI campus - September 11th- 12th (In- Person, Dubai, UAE)
If you’d like to share an event in this newsletter, we encourage you to join the Viaka Network and share the event with info@viaka.net!
🆙 Click above for access to our regularly updated job database, including new opportunities and talent open to work. 💡 If you apply, let us know so we can make a personal introduction!🤝
If you’d like to share a job posting in this newsletter, we encourage you to join the Viaka Network and share the event with info@viaka.net!
That’s it for this week. Thank you! 👋
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