Private Equity At Vascoe Valdes LLP, we understand the unique needs and objectives of private equity and venture capital funds. With a team of attorneys focusing on the full range of public and private debt and equity vehicles and their investment activities, we bring a sophisticated and efficient approach to structuring funds and their investments. Our comprehensive understanding of the market, trends, and issues positions us as integral members of our clients' teams, working collaboratively to achieve their objectives. As a multidisciplinary law firm, our full range of legal services for private equity and venture capital clients strengthens our competitive edge. Drawing on the experience of attorneys and professionals in multiple practice areas, we can customize our team according to your legal needs.   When a private equity client - whether a buyout fund, venture capital fund, fund-of-fund, pension fund, university endowment, or other public or private institution - is grappling with the ever-increasing pressures of corporate governance reform, we have attorneys on hand who can work specifically with that client on corporate compliance issues. As one of the leading intellectual property (IP) law firms in the country, we have highly skilled intellectual property attorneys on our team who have worked with our private clients in recognizing, evaluating, and protecting their intellectual assets.       Focused Fund Experience to Meet Your Private Equity and Venture Capital Needs   Our Private Equity & Venture Capital attorneys address the entire range of our fund clients' legal needs, including formation, fund administration, transactional, and regulatory matters. From business, securities, tax, and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) issues to IP, banking, communication, insolvency, and employment concerns, we are well-versed in the structuring and offering of domestic and offshore funds.   We create the appropriate vehicles for private equity funds, fund-of-funds, angel funds, early and late stage venture capital funds, mezzanine funds, hedge funds, turnaround and distressed debt funds, and employee co-investment funds, among others. Our knowledge is not limited to U.S.-based funds; we have significant know-how in structuring funds in non-U.S. jurisdictions.       Fund Sponsors   We represent fund sponsors in the creation and fund-raising efforts of a wide variety of fund types and sizes, including geographically focused and international fund vehicles; emerging managers; and experienced sponsors who have created multiple funds. We are at the forefront of issues such as preferred return, carry terms and calculations, additional public disclosure of fund results, management fee variables, and changes in clawbacks, among others. With our considerable technical experience, our attorneys and our fund clients can promote and close funds in a wide variety of market conditions.   The added value provided by strategic partners who source deals, provide industry insight, and contribute management expertise has proven critical to the long-term success of private equity funds. Therefore, we have honed our experience in developing co-investment vehicles to support a fund's overall objectives, as well as the strategic partners' interests. Our experience ranges from complex investment programs to tax and estate planning investment structures for fund principals, officers, and employees. The ultimate goal of our co-investment vehicles is to maximize after-tax returns and personal wealth management objectives for these groups.       Fund Investors   Our Private Equity & Venture Capital attorneys can serve a wide array of investor clients such as: ·         Private pension plans ·         Financial institutions ·         University pension funds ·         Foreign entities and individuals ·         Insurance companies ·         Religious and charitable organizations ·         High net worth individuals ·         Family offices We have proven methods for quickly analyzing fund terms. When coupled with our extensive experience serving a variety of private equity funds, our attorneys efficiently guide investor clients' initiatives and counsel them on market trends and issues surrounding particular funds.       Comprehensive Legal Services and Industry Savvy to Support Your Growth   After the closing of the fund, we continue to closely participate with our clients in connection with portfolio investments. Our tightly integrated team approach ensures continuity between Vascoe Valdes LLP attorneys and clients. Unless requested otherwise, the same team of transactional lawyers is available to handle all deals for a specific client. Yet, if required, we can deploy a task force of professionals to address due diligence, business, financial, or regulatory issues, whether driven by the characteristics of a unique industry; national, regional, or local regulatory or political constraints; or technological considerations. As counsel for promising businesses, we also make introductions to our private equity clients, both in the venture investment and buyout areas.   Depending on the nature of the fund investments, the Vascoe Valdes LLP attorneys working most closely with a client can call upon the knowledge of our business, tax, ERISA and pension, real estate, finance, international, employment, and other practices. We know that different types of transactions require different analytical skills. We are capable of meeting our clients' needs, whether they involve venture capital investments ranging from seed to later round and mezzanine stages; controlling equity investments in public and private companies; PIPE investments; buyout transactions; or initial public offerings.   Of course, the exit strategy is just as important as the initial investment in a portfolio company. Our merger and acquisition attorneys and securities lawyers are highly sensitive to the specific needs of private equity clients as they create the optimum structure for a liquidity event, be it a merger, sale, or IPO.       Creating and Protecting Intellectual Property Assets   Vascoe Valdes LLP continues to be recognized as a leading provider of intellectual property services. With lawyers in our IP Department and Emerging Technologies, we have integrated our IP capabilities to deliver an innovative lifecycle of IP services to protect and add value to our clients' IP assets. We provide the critically important services of securing patents and trademarks, providing product clearance and patent opinions, licensing and tech transfer agreements, and IP due diligence for corporate transactions. When and if those assets are in jeopardy, we handle the patent, trademark, and other IP enforcement proceedings using our skilled and experienced IP litigators. Our team develops IP management strategies that complement each client's overall competitive strategy.       Understanding Complex Regulatory Issues That Affect Your Success   Our firm's status as one of the leading law firms in securities law, compliance, and corporate governance enables us to advise our private fund clients on a wide range of increasingly complex regulatory, tax, and other legal issues that affect private funds and their sponsors and investors.   We advise clients on the most complex issues arising under the Securities Act, Securities Exchange Act, and Commodity Exchange Act; the Investment Advisers Act and Investment Company Act; rules of the NYSE, NASDAQ, and other self-regulatory bodies; and state securities laws. We understand the goals and perspectives of the regulators administering those laws, an understanding that is critical to our effective work on behalf of our fund clients.   Our investment management practice provides ongoing counsel on compliance issues affecting investment advisors, broker-dealers, and commodity pools, including the following areas: ·         ERISA ·         Privacy regulations ·         Sarbanes-Oxley ·         USA PATRIOT Act We understand the regulatory environment affecting our fund clients' limited partners, as well as their target investments. Our tax practitioners are deeply versed in the latest U.S. and international fund formation techniques and vehicles; innovative equity structures for portfolio company founders and management teams; the most efficient merger and acquisition techniques; and the lore as well as the law of creative, but conservative, tax strategies. Our ERISA lawyers are up to date on the concerns of fund investors from for-profit and non-profit spheres and are adept at integrating these requirements into appropriate fund structures. Most importantly, all of our tax and ERISA attorneys understand the importance of balancing complex and creative structuring ideas with pragmatic business needs. They put business objectives first and foremost in their planning of optimal fund vehicles and transactional structures.       Delivering Perspective Through National Industry Teams   Through our integrated industry team approach, we take a comprehensive view of our clients' industries and bring together the right practitioners and competencies to address their needs. Vascoe Valdes LLP stands ready to deploy industry teams for our fund clients with the right people, at the right time to analyze, structure, and close deals.       Our Proactive Approach Provides Value-Added Results From Formation to Closing   We understand what our clients truly care about because we remain constantly alert to new concerns whether raised by our clients, by the market environment, or by regulatory authorities. We also know what our clients consider insignificant or counterproductive. We maintain a close relationship with our clients and an in-depth understanding of the legal and business world in which they operate, to assist them in navigating a road that maximizes value with acceptable risk parameters. Our guiding principle is that our advice should be proactive, accurate, value-added, business driven, and timely. In practice, this means the proper analysis of the transaction at its outset, the early identification of potential risks, and rigorous project planning and timelines.   We welcome the opportunity to put our team to work for you.