Introduction

The Emerging Growth and Venture Capital group at DLA Piper represents companies and investors in venture financing and private equity transactions. The group is among the most experienced in the venture community. Key statistics include:

• By volume of deals in 2008, we rank 1st in the world, according to Private Equity Analyst.
• Since 2006, DLA Piper has represented clients in more than 1,500 venture capital transactions, totaling over $20 billion in value.
• In 2008 alone, we completed over 563 financings, including angel deals and venture capital transactions, both investor side and company side.

Comprehensive Venture Services

The group’s experience covers every major venture investment segment and enables us to offer sophisticated, integrated services to venture funds and their portfolio companies, domestically and internationally. Our comprehensive venture services platform includes:

• Representing portfolio companies – helping innovative emerging growth companies and entrepreneurs build business relationships, find investment capital, manage IP and grow their businesses, from early-stage seed funding to mergers and acquisitions or other exit strategies
• Representing venture capital firms – helping focused, experienced VCs identify, advise, operate and invest in promising companies in the US and internationally
• Representing strategic corporate and institutional investors – advising on investments in emerging growth companies and private equity funds as well as representing corporate venture clients in spin-outs and intellectual asset management programs
• Fund representation – advising fund managers on core functions, including fundraising, capital formation, organizational structure, internal governance and operational issues and domestic and international portfolio investment transactions
• Fund formation and post-formation – representing VC funds, private equity funds, buy-out funds, accelerator or incubator-type arrangements, subordinated debt and mezzanine funds, distressed securities funds, funds-of-funds, offshore funds, leveraged investment funds, cross-over investment funds (mixed public and private), secondary interest funds and hedge funds and managed investment advisor account programs
• Venture IP – advising VCs and venture funds on all IP matters, including patent/technology due diligence, IP development and protection and strategic IP asset management
• Venture Pipeline – a valuable service that we provide that strategically links start-ups with venture capitalists

Established Relationships in the US and Worldwide

We have established relationships within the venture capital community that date back to the earliest days of VC investing when entrepreneurs first launched companies driven by innovative, nascent technologies. What began more than 30 years ago in a handful of markets, such as Silicon Valley and San Diego, has become a national practice that stretches from California to Northern Virginia. Collectively, we have a powerful network of business relationships with VCs, entrepreneurs and executives that extends across the US and around the world.

Practical Intellectual Property Advice

Our lawyers have advanced scientific degrees, and more than 60 of them are admitted to practice before the US Patent and Trademark Office, allowing DLA Piper to offer VCs and companies comprehensive patent enforcement, due diligence, IP counsel and defense services.

Global Services and International Experience

DLA Piper is one of a handful of firms with an established corporate practice that can effectively represent VCs investing abroad and portfolio companies going global. With lawyers in nearly 30 countries around the world, we offer clients the advantage of hiring one firm with experienced local counsel to handle international matters.

In addition to working with clients in close proximity to our offices, we have extensive experience representing VCs and companies doing business in, or from, such rapidly developing markets as India, Israel and China, where investment is spawning new products and services, manufacturing and R&D.

Whether we are guiding a new, emerging growth company through its first round of venture capital funding or advising an established venture fund on transactional matters, our clients rely on our relevant and practical experience to resolve their business challenges.