In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall Martin chats with Christopher Ezold, a partner at the Pennsylvania-based law firm Wisler Pearlstine, which specializes in business, employment, and corporate law. Christopher dives deep into the fiduciary duties of board members, emphasizing the duty of care, loyalty, obedience, and confidentiality.

He explains that these duties are crucial at every stage of a company’s lifecycle and discusses the complexities that arise when board members have conflicting interests, particularly in startups seeking venture capital investments. Christopher highlights the importance of having a diverse board, the significance of transparent documentation, and the hazards of self-interested decisions by board members. 

Additionally, he touches on the repercussions of failing to meet these duties, ranging from shareholder lawsuits to regulatory sanctions and loss of trust among stakeholders. Hall also brings up a personal anecdote about dealing with a CEO who manipulated the board for self-benefit, with Christopher offering actionable advice on handling such situations.

For more information or to contact Christopher, visit www.wislerpearlstine.com or email him at cezold@wispearl.com. 

 

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Disclaimer:
Hall T Martin is the director of Investor Connect, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the education of investors for early-stage funding. All opinions expressed by Hall and podcast guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of Investor Connect. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon for the basis of investment decisions.