On this week's podcast, we're joined by Jeff Farrah General Counsel at the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) where he advocates before Congress, the White House and agencies for pro-entrepreneurship policies and leads in-house legal matters for the association, including management of the NVCA Model Legal Documents.

Jeff shares a wealth of knowledge on proposed changes to acquisitions, the effects on the startup ecosystem and immigration policy. We also cover a whole host of topics including:

• The journey from Capitol Hill to Venture Capital
• What is the NVCA and why it's an important
• How policymakers work and how they make decisions
• The Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act (CALERA)
• Differences between Amy Klobuchar & Josh Hawley's bills
• How democrats and republicans view mergers and acquisitions
• The rise of venture capital ecosystems
• Immigration during the Trump administration
• Why it's challenging to make changes to immigration policy
• What is the international entrepreneurs rule & why it's a big deal
• L visa, O visa, H-1Bs & how they relate to the new rule

Successful advocate for entrepreneurship as General Counsel at the National Venture Capital Association. Jeff has been featured in publications like the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and TechCrunch on topics such as foreign investment, immigration, antitrust, and how public policy impacts startups. Jeff regularly speak at conferences, present to investors, and counsel investors and companies on policy strategy and regulatory compliance.

Previously, Jeff served as Counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation where he advised Chairman Thune (now Senate Minority Whip) on telecommunications, technology, and Internet policy. Jeff also served as General Counsel and a policy adviser to U.S. Senator Scott Brown.

Before Senate service, Jeff was an attorney at a leading Washington, DC law firm for international trade matters. His private sector legal experience includes international trade investigations (antidumping/countervailing duty), administrative reviews, and sunset reviews in market and non-market economy cases. He has also counselled businesses on World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Settlement, NAFTA Binational Panel Reviews, customs matters, and appeals before the U.S. Court of International Trade.

The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) empowers the next generation of American companies that will fuel the economy of tomorrow. As the voice of the U.S. venture capital and startup community, NVCA advocates for public policy that supports the American entrepreneurial ecosystem. Serving the venture community as the preeminent trade association, NVCA arms the venture community for success, serving as the leading resource for venture capital data, practical education, peer-led initiatives, and networking.

• NVCA (National Venture Capital Association): https://nvca.org/
• Techcrunch article "Restrictions on acquisitions would stifle the US startup ecosystem, not rein in big tech": https://techcrunch.com/2021/05/19/restrictions-on-acquisitions-would-stifle-the-us-startup-ecosystem-not-rein-in-big-tech/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-farrah-5343853/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/jefffarrah

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammedjalil/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/yo_jalil
• Email: mo@metapair.com