Michael Helmer is a partner in DLA Piper's Corporate and Securities practice. Mr. Helmer focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance (including venture capital and private equity financings), contractual matters, corporate governance and general corporate counseling.  Mr. Helmer also acts as outside general counsel to numerous companies.

As an M&A lawyer, Mr. Helmer has extensive experience in over 20 years of practice representing numerous purchasers and sellers in a wide variety of acquisition, sale, merger, joint venture and other business combination and divestiture transactions. These matters include tax free reorganizations, asset transactions, bankruptcy "Section 363" asset sale transactions, management buyouts and exit transactions for founders. In venture capital, he has represented both companies and funds in equity, convertible debt and bridge financing transactions, including seed, angel, early, expansion and mezzanine round financings. In later stage private equity transactions, he has represented companies (including special committees) and investors in joint ventures, leveraged recapitalizations, special dividend transactions, dispositions and PIPE offerings for numerous emerging and established entities.  Mr. Helmer provides general corporate representation including advice to boards of directors and management concerning corporate governance matters, and structuring and incentive compensation arrangements financing and M&A transactions.

Prior to joining DLA Piper, Mr. Helmer was a partner at another international law firm and Managing Partner of Thacher Proffitt & Wood's New Jersey office. While attending law school, he was an officer in the Commodity Finance Department of The Chase Manhattan Bank.

New Jersey Business News named Mr. Helmer as one of its top attorney "Deal Makers". He has also been recognized as a New Jersey Super Lawyer.

Mr. Helmer has served as an Adjunct Professor at Seton Hall University Law School teaching Corporate Finance.  He is a frequent panelist on topics involving venture capital, mergers and acquisitions and financings and other issues affecting emerging companies.