Our venture capital lawyer works with founders, investors, angels, super angels, venture capital firms, private equity, and institutional investors to structure mutually advantageous capitalization and funding deals.

From friends and family funding and early stage financing to Series C and Series D rounds, our Columbus venture capital attorneys offer guidance with all facets of fundraising, securities, and pre-money and post-money valuations. Our VC lawyers work with companies from a range of sectors, including technology, life sciences, software, digital media, eCommerce, Internet of Things (IoT), hardware, and manufacturing.

Contact Us (614) 826-3100

Emerging Companies Law Firm Ohio

Regardless of which side you’re on, your first major investment can present numerous legal and business issues. If you’re the startup raising money, the full implications of a hastily negotiated term sheet or stock purchase may result in unforeseen and unanticipated issues in the future.

Our emerging companies and venture capital attorneys offer guidance at every stage of raising capital and issuing equity. At the term sheet stage, we carefully walk our clients through options and issues associated with core issues like closing procedures and mechanics, per share pricing, voting rights, post-money valuation, dividends, liquidation preference, anti-dilution provisions, and redemption rights.

As a company moves through a funding round, our venture capital law firm works closely with our clients to negotiate with lead investors, assist with VC due diligence, comply with state and federal securities requirements, and structure purchase agreements. This includes advising on sale and issuance of stock/units, preferred stock company representations, financial statements, pay to play rights, investors’ rights, use of proceeds, regulatory issues, and closing rounds.

Venture Capital Attorneys Columbus Ohio

From angels to general partners and limited partners, our Columbus venture capital lawyer advises investors of all sizes on investing in startups and emerging companies.

Our Columbus attorneys help advise investors form venture capital firms and funds. This includes working with VC firms and their investment strategies to focus on key factors such as target life cycle stage, industry, geographic area, and target fund size and maturity.

We also advise on structuring funds. We work closely with general partners and limited partners to draft and negotiate fund operating agreements, limited partner agreements, and ancillary investment documents. This includes working through key issues such as general manager duties, requirements for limited partner approval, removal of the managing partner, carry, key person, waterfall provisions, clawback provisions, and management fees.

Among the key ancillary investment documents, we work with general partners and limited partners to advise on the structuring of and legal issues with side letters. Side letters can present an avenue for attracting desirable limited partners, but can also present general partners with fiduciary issues and conflicting obligations. We assist both GPs and LPs in negotiating waiver or reduction of management fees, preferred contribution withdrawal rights, and preferred information and reporting rights.

From the initial term sheet to closing a round, our venture capital lawyers provide assistance with every stage of venture capital, including:

  • Fund operating agreements
  • Limited partner agreements
  • SAFEs (simple agreements for future equity)
  • Options pool
  • Seed financing
  • Common stock and preferred stock
  • Term sheets
  • Convertible promissory notes
  • Liquidation preferences
  • Offering memorandum
  • Private placement memorandums (PPMs)
  • Redemption rights
  • Pay to play provisions
  • Cliff vesting
  • Drag along rights
  • 83(b) elections
  • Due diligence
  • Full ratchet and weighted average anti-dilution
  • Capitalization tables (cap tables)
  • 409A safe harbor
  • Regulation D Rule 504 and Rule 506
  • Stock purchase agreements
  • Investor rights agreements
  • Units purchase agreements
  • Tag along rights
  • Board of directors/managers seats
  • Accredited investors
  • Side letters
  • Management fees
  • Conflicts of interest
  • Fund governance
  • Carried interest

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