Mark F. Hoffman chairs DLA Piper's Public Company and Corporate Governance Practice group. He focuses his practice on corporate finance, securities and general corporate law.

Mr. Hoffman has represented public and private companies, among them Amazon.com, Starbucks, Zones, RealNetworks, TeraBeam Corporation, and Tegic Communications, Inc., in merger and acquisition transactions. He also represents several public companies in public company reporting and governance issues. Mr. Hoffman has represented public companies in equity financing transactions, including initial and follow-on registered offerings and PIPE transactions.

Mr. Hoffman has represented private companies and investors on numerous venture capital equity and debt financings and worked on numerous initial public offerings on behalf of clients including Northstar Neuroscience, VaxGen, NetObjects and Ragen MacKenzie Group.

Mr. Hoffman also advises clients on disclosure, insider trading, corporate governance, audit and SEC reporting issues.

Mr. Hoffman is listed in The Best Lawyers In America for Mergers and Acquisitions, Securities Law, Venture Capital, Corporate Governance and Compliance. He has been named both a Washington State Rising Star and Super Lawyer by Washington Law & Politics. The respected English research firm Chambers & Partners lists him in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, calling him "experienced and pragmatic" and stating that he "continues to warrant the respect of the market, which considers him to be an 'astute and thoughtful attorney.'" 

Admissions

• Washington

Memberships

• King County Bar Association
• Washington State Bar Association Securities Committee

Publications

• "Majority Voting: Where Are We Now?" Insights: The Corporate & Securities Law Advisor (June 2006)
• "New SEC Rules Change Offerings Process for All Issuers," DLA Piper Capital Markets eAlert (July 2005)
• "Update on the SEC's Shareholder Access Proposal: Footnote 74 Has Gone, Now How About the Proposal Itself," The Corporate Governance Advisor (March/April 2005)
• “Impact of the New Form 8-K Rules on M&A Transactions,” Gray Cary M&A Newsletter, July 2004 and republished in Dealpoints: The Newsletter of the Committee on Negotiated Acquisition (Summer 2004)
• Co-author, “The New World of Director Nominations,” Wall Street Lawyer (April 2004)
• Co-author, “Final SEC Rules Concerning Additional & Revised Form 8-K Disclosure Requirements,” Gray Cary Corporate Securities e-Alert (March 2004)
• Co-author, “The Second Shoe: The SEC’s ‘Other’ Nomination Initiative and Proposed Rule 14a-11, ”The Corporate Governance Advisor (January/February 2004)
• Co-author, “The SEC’s Director NominationInitiative: Final Disclosure Rules Updated,” The Corporate Governance Advisor (January/February 2004)
• “Signed Term Sheet, LOI or MOU May Contractually Obligate Parties to Negotiate in Good Faith,” Gray Cary Corporate Securities Alert, April 2002 (reprinted in California Lawyer, July 2002)
• “SEC Provides Relief for Backlog of IPOs,” Puget Sound Business Journal (April 20, 2001)
• “Equity Investments in Clients: Ethics and Practice,” Washington State Bar Association, Business Law Newsletter (Winter 1999)
• “Decreasing the Costs of Jurisdictional Gridlock: Merger of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission,” University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform (1995)

Seminars

• "Company Formation and Financing," a presentation for the University of Washington Bioengineering Department's class, Introduction to Technology Commercialization, November 2008
• "Whose Best Interests? Leading with Integrity in the Age of Diverse Shareholders," moderated the panel discussion at Seattle University's Sixth Annual Directors Training Academy, June 2008
• "2008 Venture Capital Financing Conference," a program sponsored by The Seminar Group, March 2008
• "Company Organization," a presentation for the University of Washington Bioengineering Department's class, Introduction to Technology Commercialization, November 2006
• "2006 Venture Capital Financing Conference," a program sponsored by The Seminar Group, June 2006 (co-chair)
• "Under the Microscope: Corporate Leadership in the Age of Shareholder Scrutiny," a panel discussion at Seattle University's Fourth Annual Directors Training Academy, June 2006
• "Corporate Governance Update," a presentation for the 26th Annual Northwest Securities Institute, a program hosted by the Washington State Bar Association, February 2006
• "Proxy & Annual Meeting Preparation Workshop," a program hosted by DLA Piper and Bowne, February 2006
• "Company Organization," a presentation for the University of Washington Bioengineering Department's class, Introduction to Technology Commercialization, November 2005
• "2005 Venture Capital Financing Conference," a program sponsored by The Seminar Group, June 2005 (co-chair)
• "Corporate Governance Update," a presentation for the UCLA Directors College, May 2005
• "Sarbanes-Oxley: Does It Matter?" a presentation for the UCLA Directors College, May 2004
• "When Does it Make Sense to Go (or Stay) Public? A Discussion on the Public vs. Private Debate," speaker at Grant Thornton/GrayCary/Silicon Valley Bank sponsored seminar, November 2003
• "Venture Capital Financing," Continuing Legal Education Seminar hosted by The Seminar Group, June 2003
• "Legal Issues in Entrepreneurship," University of Washington Center for Technology Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition’s Resource Night, March 2003
• "Compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002," Continuing Legal Education Seminar hosted by the Northwest Securities Institute, February 2003
• "Private Placements and Offerings Overview," Securities Issues Impact on Business Transactions Continuing Legal Education Seminar, January 2003
• "Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and Related Corporate Governance Issues," a program sponsored by Kroll Inc., December 2002
• "Different Stokes for Different Folks," moderator of panel discussing the various business objectives and strategies of successful start-ups, Entrepreneur University, Northwest Entrepreneur Network, November 2002
• "The Sarbanes-Oxley Act – One Year Later: Impact of Sarbanes-Oxley on the Smaller Issuer" National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) seminar, October 2003
• "Conversion, Antidilution, Redemption, Pay-To Play and Other Preferred Stock Features," New Venture Capital Financing Continuing Legal Education Seminar, June 2002
• "Legal Aspects of Forming and Running a High-Tech Business," University of Washington Software Entrepreneurship Graduate Class presentation, November 2001
• "The IPO Value Journey," Ernst & Young program, July 2001
• "Purchase and Sale of a Small Business," Continuing Legal Education Seminar, March 1999

Prior Experience

• Associate, Graham & James/Riddell Williams (1996-2000)