[ by Howard Haykin ]

Next Thursday, 11/15, the SEC's Government-Business Forum on Small Business Capital Formation will be an all-day affair, beginning at 9 am and concluding at 5:30 pm with a Networking Reception.  If that's not reason enough to attend the Washington, D.C., event, then how about the agenda and list  of speakers.  There will be 2 morning panel discussions focusing on:  (i) JOBS Act implementation;  and, (ii) small business capital formation issues not addressed by the JOBS Act.  Afternoon breakout groups will develop recommendations on a variety of issues related to small business capital formation.

Participants.   Gerald Laporte, Chief of Office of Small Business Policy in SEC Division of Corporation Finance, who's running the event, will introduce     Meredith Cross, Director of SEC Division of Corporation Finance, as well as SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro and the 4 Commissioners - Elisse Walter, Luis Aguilar, Troy Paredes, Daniel Gallagher.  Each will provide opening remarks. 

Panel Discussion: JOBS Act Implementation.   Meredith Cross and Gregory Yadley, of Tampa-based Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, will moderate the panel, that includes:

• William Beatty, Director of Securities at Washington State Department of Financial Institutions
• Jean Peters, Board Member at Angel Capital Association and Managing Director at Golden Seeds Fund LP
• Sara Hanks, Co-Founder and CEO at CrowdCheck in Alexandria, Va.
• Michael Lempres, Assistant General Counsel and Practice Head at Silicon Valley Bank in Palo Alto, Calif.

Panel Discussion: Small Business Capital Formation Issues Not Addressed by the JOBS Act.   Meredith Cross and Marty Dunn, of Wash., D.C.-based O’Melveny & Myers, will moderate the panel that includes: 

• Professor Robert Bartlett, University of California, Berkeley School of Law
• John Borer, Head of Investment Banking at The Benchmark Company LLC in New York
• Ann Yvonne Walker, Partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Palo Alto, Calif.

After Breakout Groups Meetings to Develop Recommendations.   Three groups include:

• Exempt Securities Offerings  - moderated by Gregory Yadley
• Crowdfunding, moderated by Vincent Molinari, of NY-based GATE Technologies, and Sara Hanks.
• Securities Regulation of Smaller Public Companies,  moderated by Spencer Feldman, of NY-based Greenberg Trauri.

For additional details and information on attending, go to:  [SEC PR 12-221, 11/8/12].