Several of our technology lawyers have long-term experience as both in-house and outside general counsel for technology companies, in addition to their domain expertise in technology law.

Working side by side with technology CXOs, we have learned to understand technology markets and business strategies, to prioritize legal issues to match our clients' business goals and to navigate company life-cycle events such as entity selection and structuring. We also handle capital formation; help founders recruit executive talent and transition their own roles as the company grows; deal with lenders, investors, customers and the press; implement employee incentive plans; and address the special tax, regulatory and employment-law needs of technology companies.

Together, we have:

• Designed the crucial initial structure of technology start-ups, advising on entity selection, capital structure, acquisition of core intellectual property rights from founders and others, regulatory requirements and tax planning
• Helped emerging technology companies raise capital from their inception through angel and venture financing into public companies. Our experience includes assisting in the formation of the first major Internet bank, obtaining financing for emerging start-ups, and taking Internet companies through IPOs. One of our earliest technology start-ups is now in the Fortune 500. Our relationships with venture capital funds, investors and strategic partners can serve as an important resource to our clients where appropriate
• Negotiated mergers, stock and asset acquisitions and industry roll-ups on behalf of both buyers and sellers, from family businesses to large public companies
• Tailored exit strategies for company founders, including executive succession, ESOP, LBOs and other management buy-outs, IPOs and acquisitions, and related tax and estate planning
• Negotiated, established and represented joint ventures and strategic alliances in technology-based industries from information technology and e-commerce to health care and biotechnology
• Structured and implemented a wide variety of equity-oriented employee incentive plans, including stock option plans and agreements, stock appreciation rights plans, phantom stock plans, and stock purchase plans, qualified and non-qualified deferred compensation plans and agreements, and other employee benefit plans designed to motivate and retain key employees