PRACTICE
Emerging Companies and Venture Capital
Overview
Our Emerging Companies and Venture Capital practice group provides comprehensive legal services to startups, high-growth businesses, venture capital investors, strategic investors, family offices, angel investors, fund sponsors, and funds across industries and all stages of the investment lifecycle.
Our team advises on entity formation, financings, capital raising, venture capital fund formation and structuring, investment structuring and management, intellectual property protection, regulatory compliance, privacy and data protection, commercial transactions, employment and equity compensation matters, tax structuring, and corporate governance.
Whether assisting entrepreneurs launching new ventures, management teams scaling successful businesses, investors pursuing venture capital opportunities, or sponsors forming and managing venture funds, we help clients structure practical legal and business solutions that support growth, financing, risk management, and value creation.
Drawing on the Firm’s Corporate, Securities, M&A, Tax, Employment, IP, Privacy, Regulatory, and UK teams, the ECVC group offers partner-led, business-focused counsel for clients operating across U.S., UK, and cross-border markets.
Experience
Our Emerging Companies and Venture Capital practice supports founders, emerging companies, investors, and funds through every phase of the company and investment lifecycle, including formation, early commercial contracting, seed and venture financings, governance, equity incentives, fund formation, investment structuring, M&A, strategic exits, and outside general counsel support.
We work closely with entrepreneurs, investors, management teams, and fund sponsors to understand their business objectives and deliver practical, efficient guidance. Our approach combines senior legal judgment with business experience, allowing us to support both fast-moving startup matters and complex venture-backed or cross-border transactions.
Representative ECVC capabilities include:
Startup formation, founder arrangements, equity splits, and governance
Seed, Series A, growth equity, and other venture financings
SAFEs, convertible notes, preferred equity rounds, and strategic investments
Venture capital fund formation, fund structuring, investment structuring, and fund management support
Outside general counsel support for startups, SMBs, and venture-backed companies
Technology licensing, commercial contracts, and IP commercialization
Privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, and AI-related commercial issues
Tax, employment, equity compensation, ESOP, and executive compensation support
M&A, strategic exits, carve-outs, and cross-border transactions
UK/U.S. venture and emerging-company matters
We will provide matters only if they are anonymized or supported by written client permission. Current working categories and examples include several fundraises in the $1M to $10M range and Delaware flips for non-US startups raising US financing.
Practice Contacts
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Said Ertekin
Partner | Corporate
Co-Chair, Emerging Companies and Venture Capital
New York -
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Kenneth Liao
Partner | Corporate
Co-Chair, Emerging Companies and Venture Capital
Princeton | New York -
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Will Parker
Partner | Corporate
Co-Chair, Emerging Companies and Venture Capital
London
