Emerging businesses and venture capital investors operate in a world defined by high risk and high reward. At Cozen O’Connor, we understand what it takes to succeed in that world because we’re entrepreneurs too. Our firm was launched as a startup in 1972, and many of our lawyers today have first-hand experience as both business leaders and investors. We share the ambition and daring that drive business creation. And we share a commitment to managing risk without compromising reward.
Cozen O’Connor serves a diverse set of clients, including early, mid and late stage venture-backed companies; angel and seed investors; venture capital and private equity funds; and other lenders and debt funds. We provide a full range of corporate services to our clients from corporate formation and financing, to mergers and acquisitions, to regulatory compliance and exit strategies.
For emerging companies, our corporate attorneys serve as critical partners at every stage in the life cycle of a growing business. Early-stage companies confront rapid and constant change at a point when their corporate structure is often still nascent. Cozen O’Connor attorneys work with emerging leaders to establish viable internal structures and support day-to-day operations. We recognize that early-stage companies have limited resources and have demonstrated willingness to invest upfront in such clients’ future growth. To mid- to late-stage companies, we offer strategic advice about how to expand and respond to the challenges of a global marketplace.
For investors, our attorneys are not simply scribes, but active participants in the conception and execution of deals. Our legal advice is based on a comprehensive understanding of each client’s unique investment model as well as the array of investment options. We position ourselves to help identify investment opportunities, negotiate competitive terms, and provide insight into the businesses and industries that investor-clients underwrite. We pair financial savvy with knowledge of market terms and conditions. A good lawyer doesn’t just close the deal—a good lawyer helps find the right deal to close.
Cozen O’Connor is unusual in that we have been consistently advising emerging businesses and venture capital funds for more than twenty years. While other firms serving this sector have come and gone with the changing economic times, we have stayed in this arena from day one. Our clients benefit directly from the depth of our experience as well as the breadth of our networking capacity. Over the years, we have developed close professional relationships with investors, executives, lenders, collaborators, and customers, and making strategic introductions on behalf of clients is a fundamental part of the service we provide. For new and growing companies, these connections can be a critical competitive advantage.
SERVICES
Businesses
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Counsel clients on corporate formation and governance procedures
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Perform strategic networking
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Arrange equity and debt financing
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Support access to domestic and foreign capital markets and compliance with securities laws
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Negotiate mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and alliances
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Provide corporate counsel on accounting, taxes, labor & employment, and employee benefits
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Advise on IP protection and licensing, and negotiate science and technology transactions
Investors
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Structure major investment deals
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Arrange complex financings that guard the interests of company and investor
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Form strategic collaborations
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Create deal flow through strategic networking and investment counsel
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Advise on IP protection and litigation
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Support corporate and regulatory compliance
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Devise exit strategies from previous investments
CLIENTS
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Entrepreneurial, family-run, and venture-backed companies
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Early-stage companies
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Mid- and late-stage companies
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Angel and seed investors
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Venture capital and private equity funds
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Subordinated and mezzanine debt funds
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Secured lenders
TEAM
Our emerging business and venture capital team includes Chambers-ranked attorneys in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and securities law. Collectively, they have a diverse range of experiences, from business planning and capital-raising to initial public offerings and management buyouts. Our most seasoned attorneys have prior professional experiences as entrepreneurs, in-house counsel, and certified public accountants that give them insight into the needs of clients, and they are frequently asked to speak to the media and deliver academic lectures on venture capital, entrepreneurship, and related legal topics.
In this fast-paced, hyper-competitive field, timing is everything. That is why Cozen O’Connor attorneys are responsive to clients around the clock. We understand the costs of delay and share our clients’ sense of urgency. Regardless of how complex the matter or how late the hour, when opportunities or problems arise, our attorneys are available to provide clear legal guidance.