Heller Ehrman Venture Law Group is one of the premier emerging technology practices in the country. With more than 100 attorneys in 9 cities throughout the United States, Europe and Asia, we combine senior-level counseling and extensive industry knowledge to help emerging technology, life sciences, clean technologies and energy companies grow and prosper. We work in partnership with clients to build and represent deal-intensive emerging growth companies, both public and private, as well as with the venture capital and investment banking firms that support them.

We provide emerging companies with focused business and legal advice from incorporation through initial public offering, acquisition and beyond. We concentrate on general corporate counseling, venture financing, public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, technology transactions, employment, executive compensation and tax. As a leader in structuring and negotiating venture capital financings, we possess strong relationships with leading U.S. institutional, seed and angel venture capital investors and play an active role in bringing together entrepreneurs and investors. Many of our attorneys have backgrounds in computer science, the life sciences, engineering, mathematics, market research, accounting and finance. As our clients grow and mature, they can benefit from the power of Heller Ehrman's distinguished corporate and litigation practices to protect their interests and resolve their legal and business problems.

Facts About Our Practice

• Represent more than 400 emerging private and public technology companies.
• Ranked fourth nationally in raising capital for venture-backed clients in 2007 by Dow Jones VentureSource.
• Named 2008 Technology Law Firm of the Year by UK Technology Innovation & Growth Forum.
• Consistently ranked among the top 25 U.S. law firms for M&A activity by Thomson Financial, including in the first quarter of 2008.
• Strong relationships with major institutional, seed and other venture capital investors.
• Broad experience representing companies and investors in thousands of venture capital financings.
• Recognized as a market leader in initial public offerings for life sciences and technology clients.
• Extensive experience in corporate governance and Sarbanes-Oxley.
• Complementary tax, executive compensation, employment, IP licensing, patent and trademark practices.

Our Capabilities

Capital Markets

Heller Ehrman's capital markets practice was formed to assist our clients in finding and securing the funding they need to grow and prosper. Drawing upon the resources of our attorneys and professionals from across the firm's offices in the United States, Europe and Asia, our capital markets practice leverages our strong relationships with the venture capital and investment banking communities to help raise funds through public and private offerings of equity, debt and equity-linked securities.

Corporate Counseling and Securities

We counsel clients on the formation and initial capitalization of their business. Our attorneys guide clients through all stages and types of public and private financings, from early seed and angel investments through later stage financing and public offerings. Furthermore, we leverage our relationships with leading institutional, seed and angel venture capital investors to assist clients in obtaining funding.

Intellectual Property

Our team of legal and scientific professionals provides strategic guidance to clients striving to build, maintain and protect patent portfolios, trade secrets and other proprietary assets. We obtain and maintain trademarks, trade names and copyrights. Our IP litigation team prosecutes and defends complex patent, copyright, trade secret and trademark cases across a variety of industries and technologies.

Mergers & Acquisitions

We handle all types of mergers and acquisitions. We possess a deep understanding of the business trends and transactions in the technology and life sciences worlds. Our integrated team of M&A attorneys work together to solve the complex issues raised in business combination transactions, including those relating to intellectual property, tax, labor, employee benefits, real estate, regulatory and environmental law.

Global Technology Transactions

We represent clients in the structuring, documentation and operation of joint ventures, licensing, collaborations and other strategic alliances. Our attorneys structure and negotiate intellectual property transactions and help ensure our clients are properly rewarded and protected. We participate on both the idea and money sides of ventures between small and large companies, often handling complex corporate partnering arrangements between multiple parties.

Compensation and Benefits

We regularly assist clients with equity compensation design and operation, employment agreement negotiation, executive tax planning, securities law compliance, merger and acquisition compensation planning and negotiation, and corporate governance with respect to equity compensation.