Attorneys in Taft’s Venture Capital and Emerging Companies practice focus on representing both venture capital funds and venture-backed companies from coast-to-coast in some of the most active industries, including information technology, life sciences, energy/cleantech and social and digital media. We ensure that each client works with an engaged team that is familiar with its industry, business objectives and market issues. We are able to combine our deep market knowledge with strong industry relationships to provide practical, business-oriented counsel designed for the needs of venture capital funds and emerging growth companies.

Venture Capital Services

Our attorneys remain actively engaged with our venture fund clients through the entire venture capital growth cycle: from fund formation, new money investments, follow-on and secondary financings and refinancings to IPOs and strategic and exit transactions, supporting our clients as they pursue portfolio company investments. We represent every stage of fund managers and sponsors, including structuring and forming:

• Venture Capital Funds (seed through late-stage)
• Angel Groups
• Accelerators/Incubators
• Corporate VC Groups
• Funds of Funds
• Family Offices

Our services include negotiations with investors; regulatory and tax planning and compliance; general partner entity and management company structuring and governance; compensation and incentives programs; and portfolio company due diligence, SEC filings and interaction, investment and ongoing oversight.

Emerging Company Services

Our attorneys represent a multitude of high growth companies across a broad range of industries in every stage of development. We have participated in hundreds of millions of dollars in venture fund transactions on behalf of our emerging growth clients.

We are ever-evolving with the needs of our emerging growth clients as they progress from start-up through exit or IPO. Our attorneys are skilled at counseling on the basics (e.g., formation, financings, equity incentive arrangements, labor and employment, governance issues and intellectual property protection), and we play an active, strategic advisory role in the operations of our emerging growth clients. In essence, we serve as a “virtual” general counsel, partnering with management to think through and help execute their growth and fundraising strategies on their path to success. We pride ourselves on our ability to provide cost-efficient and practical solutions with the flexible terms that high-growth companies desire.