Howard Rice attorneys work closely with emerging companies and venture capital funds to provide a broad range of services and advice in the core areas of finance, people, partnerships and intellectual property. Our team has represented emerging clients in all stages of development from founders to late-stage companies filing for an IPO. We represent leading venture funds, as well as major institutional and individual investors that have invested in almost every blue-chip venture and private equity firm in Silicon Valley.
We act as strategic partners for our emerging company clients, helping them find and secure financing, recruit and retain human capital, and develop, protect and commercialize intellectual property. We provide extensive experience in structuring and closing venture capital deals, corporate and strategic investments, angel rounds, bank debt and equipment leasing transactions, technology licensing, mergers and acquisitions and public offerings.
Whether representing companies or venture capital funds, we focus first on understanding the business of our clients so as to deliver uncompromising solutions that are fully aligned with our clients' objectives. By working closely and collaboratively with our clients, we are involved in all aspects of our clients' business and can provide incisive counsel where it matters the most. Our high ratio of directors to associates enables us to focus our expertise and creativity in crafting both efficient and successful outcomes that empower our clients to succeed.
Corporate & Finance - choice of legal entity; corporate formation; founders' agreements; angel and venture capital financings; strategic corporate investments; joint ventures
Public Offerings - initial public offerings; follow-on public offerings; S-3 shelf registrations; PIPEs transactions; 144A debt financings
Mergers and Acquisitions - buy-side and sell-side transactions; spin-outs
Employment - employment and consulting arrangements; employment and labor counseling and compliance; equity incentive plans; executive compensation counseling
Product Development & Distribution - intellectual property acquisition, including proprietary information and inventions, development and professional services agreements; strategic collaborations and licensing; manufacturing, distribution and hosted application transactions
Technology Infrastructure - equipment purchasing and leasing; telecommunications, bandwidth, colocation, managed hosting and content delivery agreements
Real Estate - acquisitions, dispositions, financings, commercial leasing joint ventures, construction projects, workouts and restructuring, environmental matters, complex litigation
Litigation - commercial disputes; product liability; appellate litigation; securities litigation; internal investigations and compliance reviews; defense of government investigations
Representative Engagements
Grouper Networks, Inc., assisted the company with its formation and two subsequent venture financings, and advised the company with respect to intellectual property and strategic partnering issues.
Urchin Software Corporation, in connection with its sale to Google, Inc. (now Google Analytics).
Walden VC, in connection with numerous investments, including Pandora, Blue Lithium, Snocap, Niku Corporation, MeeVee, Inc. and VitalStream.
The Roda Group, in connection with numerous investments in emerging companies.
Aberdare Ventures, in connection with its investments in biotechnology companies, including Posit Science Corporation and Ample Medical, Inc.
PBwiki, Inc., in its preferred stock financing with Mohr Davidow Ventures and as primary outside counsel.
Vocera Communications, Inc., in a number of venture capital financings with Venrock Associates, Vanguard and others, as well as strategic technology representation.
Rheodyne LLC, in connection with the formation of the company, the design of their original investment strategy and Rheodyne's eventual sale to IDEX Corporation for $80 million.
PlanetOut Inc., in connection with its initial public offering in late 2004, which put the company on the map as the first gay and lesbian company to become a public company, and current primary outside counsel.
TriVascular, Inc., represented the company in its initial formation and in subsequent matters including several rounds of venture capital financing, bank financing, strategic corporate investments, acquisition of key technology, clinical trial agreements, an international product distribution arrangement and recent acquisition by Boston Scientific Corporation.
Transmeta Corporation, in negotiation of strategic technology agreements with IBM, Fujitsu, Texas Instruments, Toshiba, ADL, Inc. and Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
InfoGear Technology Corporation, in connection with its initial technology spinoff, private financings and sale to Cisco Systems, Inc.
Joint Juice, Inc., in connection with several financings with Lurie Investment Fund and Nestle USA, Inc.
Sensys Networks, Inc., in connection with several financings, including with ComVentures and Horizon Ventures.
Radiata, Inc., in connection with its sale to Cisco Systems, Inc.
Size Technologies, Inc., in connection with various financings, including with Cross Point Venture Partners, Osprey Ventures and Selby Venture Partners, and its sale to First Data Corporation.
Kagoor Networks, Inc., in connection with various financings, with ComVentures, VantagePoint Venture Partners, and Siemens, and in connection with its sale to Juniper Networks, Inc.
