WALA Creative Entrepreneurs Series (CES)
(Legal Issues for Creative Entrepreneurs)
WALA’s Creative Entrepreneurs Series is for creatives of all kinds who want to take the next step in their professional career by creating their own business. Explore the basics of forming a business for your creative endeavors, from deciding whether to incorporate as a non-profit or for-profit entity, to understanding copyrights and trademarks, contracts and licensing, negotiation strategies, the grants process, and finally estate planning for artists and creatives.
The series comprises of six sessions to be held on *consecutive Tuesdays, starting Tuesday, April 29, 2025 and continuing through Tuesday, June 3, 2025 from 6pm – 8pm.
Location:
Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza
1 Veterans Place
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza
*All sessions are in-person
*Attendees must Register for each individual session.
*There are 6 sessions in all.
• Session #2: Tuesday, May 6, 2025 ~ Business Entities Formation
(Select this date to attend this session)
Presentation and Q & A with:
Cynthia M. Gayton, Esq.
This Session Covers:
• Overview of Business Entities
• Types and Organization
• Management and Control
• Liability Protection
• Tax-Related Issues
• Business Agreements
• Shareholder and Membership Agreements
• Employment and Independent Contractor Agreements
• Non-Disclosure Agreements
• Non-Profit Entities
• Types
• IRS Form 1023 for Tax-Exempt Status
• Common Mistakes for Entrepreneurs
Cynthia M. Gayton, Esq. holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Affairs from The George Washington University and a Juris Doctor degree from George Mason University School of Law. Cynthia is a member of both the State Bar of Virginia and the District of Columbia Bar. She is an adjunct professor at the A. James A. Clark, School of Engineering at the University of Maryland as well as The George Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. She is the owner of Gayton Law, in Arlington, Virginia, which concentrates on small business formation, intellectual property, information technology, and business transactions/contracts. In addition, she has worked for the federal government, in the private sector and for non-profit organizations. Ms. Gayton is the author of several law-related articles and of the textbook "Legal Aspects of Engineering, Design and Innovation" 11th Edition, published by Kendall-Hunt in January 2023 and “Guide to Contracts, Copyrights and Trademarks for CryptoCreatives, 2022. For over twenty years, she has volunteered her services to the Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts.
Visit Gayton Law online at www.gayton-law.com
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The 2025 Spring WALA Creative Entrepreneurs Series @ AHCMC is FREE for WALA members.
Free General Admission tickets provided through a special collaboration with the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County
#WALASPRING2025
