Throughout my career, I have represented startups in technology and life sciences, from inception to exit, whether through a sale, merger, or IPO.  I was one of the first attorneys to create a venture fund with an entrepreneur-only group of investors, whose contribution included providing significant mentoring and operational advice to the portfolio companies.  I also was instrumental in creating and working with a number of incubators and accelerators, including MassChallenge, LabCentral, and TechStars.  My association with these organizations included judging, mentoring, pro bono legal assistance—both for the startups, and the accelerators themselves.  I serve as an advisor to my startup clients, and generally arrange for all of their legal needs across specialties.  I also assist with a variety of business contacts, including commercial and investment banks, accountants, and consultant.  I have a special niche for European companies that are coming into the US, having a European background and many connections in various countries throughout Europe.

I chose to work with emerging growth companies because I like working with entrepreneurs, because they are risk takers, who need to balance risk with return—which is an area that I enjoy and in which I can be very helpful.  I get vicarious pleasure out of seeing my clients succeed and to see that my contribution makes a big difference.  Finally, I am a dilettante techie and life science nerd who is constantly refreshed in learning about new innovation and its application to various social needs.

I practice at Foley because Foley has an entrepreneurial spirit—which is rare among law firms.  This means that our lawyers understand the style and requirement of early stage companies and can offer practical, yet expert, advice.  We also have such a wide variety of specialists that we can provide a one-stop shop for startups and early stage companies, which is very important for them.  It allows their founders to focus on what they do best—develop the product and market—and leave the legal stuff to us.

I am passionate about companies that want to make a real difference to people—whether through a new therapeutic or medical device, or by introducing disruptive consumer or B2B products that make life more productive and enjoyable.  I also love classical music and bicycling.  And I also love my dog.

When I am not in the office I take very long (and very fast) walks with my wife, travel to distant places, and ride my bike.

Admissions

• Massachusetts
• New York
• District of Columbia