Global Mindset. Local Instinct.

Legal Counsel Tailored To Early-Stage Growth And Technologies

The lawyers in our emerging growth and technology practice advise and assist entrepreneurs and other individuals as they take their next big ideas to the marketplace; as well as represent the venture funds and corporate and strategic investors that will invest in these early-stage companies. Our lawyers are often the main source of counsel and advice for these early-stage companies as they navigate the legal landscape of starting a new business and dealing with sophisticated and demanding investors.

These startups and early-stage, emerging growth companies are often pioneers in their fields, working to be the first to market with new technologies or novel products. As such, our deep insights in areas such as intellectual property, employment, licensing, financing and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) allow us to help our clients find creative approaches and solutions to legal issues that they may face.

With a global platform, we have advised many non-U.S. companies that have elected to enter the U.S. market, whether to expand, raise investment capital, or seek an exit. We have also advised many U.S. start-ups and early-stage companies on debt or equity investments from non-U.S. investors.

Startup And Venture Capital

We work closely with startup and early-stage, emerging growth companies from formation through the various stages of their financing activities. This area of our practice includes acting as mentors and judges in several academic and private acceleration and incubation programs such as at Wharton, Columbia and TechStars. We also advise many of the venture capital funds and strategic investors that invest in these early-stage companies. As these startups mature, our lawyers continue to advise them in their strategic joint venturing, acquisitions and disposals and liquidity transactions.

Our lawyers will also counsel those clients through disputes, debt restructuring or other difficult situations encountered in their quest to be unicorns.

Research And Development (R&D) Funding And Grants

It is not uncommon for the startup companies that we advise to have their genesis in the academic world, whether the founders themselves are associated with universities or they receive their initial funding through financial support or grants from universities or governmental agencies.

Our lawyers will counsel these startup companies with such relationships or have received such funding to deal with issues relating to intellectual property rights or complicity relating to new investors.

Technology Transfer

In the course of advising technology companies or those that are developing emerging technologies, our corporate and intellectual property lawyers work closely together to advise them on obtaining rights to intellectual property that will help speed up their R&D process or to monetize the intellectual property they developed through licensing or transfer.

Blockchain Technology And Digital Currency

As the marketplace becomes more receptive to blockchain technology and digital currency, our lawyers are sought by startups, investors, funds, brokers, advisors, software developers and many others to advise them on this developing area of the law.

We have counseled clients on a variety of matters in connection with blockchain technology and digital currency, including public and private token sales, ATS and exchange registrations, OTC crypto trades, cryptocurrency investment funds, blockchain as a service (BaaS) and other corporate and regulatory matters.

Cannabis Investing And Regulatory Issues

We have a well-established team that has counseled sophisticated investors on the structuring and execution of deploying capital to the cannabis and cannabidiol (CBD) industry. We develop innovative, targeted solutions to intricate, complex legal problems arising from today’s cannabis and CBD industry. As regulatory developments change from time to time, we take notice of the changes and advise our clients on ways in which their businesses and investments may be impacted.

Health Care And Medtech

Health care is a complex and fast-changing area of the law, especially with new and innovative technologies and devices being introduced to increase efficacy and improve patient care. Our lawyers advise health care and medical technology (medtech) clients on various issues ranging from IP protection to regulatory framework and compliance for new technologies and devices. For the startup companies in this space, we work with our clients on fundraising, business structuring, regulatory approval (European conformity or CE, 510(k), and other types) and many other aspects of creating and bringing new technology or devices to the market.

Proptech

Although the real estate industry has been traditionally slow to adopt new technologies, that has changed with the development of real estate fintech, shared economy, and smart real estate. This arena includes artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, and finally, blockchain technology that is being used for recording real estate transactions and to crowdfund via tokenization of real estate interests. Our attorneys, who often have a technical background themselves, help startups and investors in these aspects of property technology (proptech) navigate the evolving regulatory environment.

Space Law

While this is a new and developing area of the law, lawyers in our emerging growth and technology practice advise our clients on space systems, space travel, asteroid mining, environmental space protection, debris removal, space law and policy and applications of other innovative technologies. Examples of relevant areas of interest include blockchain and artificial intelligence, and real estate considerations, including asset, property and facility management, insurance concerns, property valuation, leasing, licensing for space navigation, tracking and travel, intellectual property and environmental and heritage matters.

Reach Out With Legal Concerns In Emerging Technology Areas

Attorney heads our emerging growth and technology division. To reach him or another member of our team who is qualified to advise you in this area, call 877-690-8163 or complete our online inquiry form.

Department Heads

Brendan Cochrane

Julian Haffner