Whether it’s a venture firm looking to make an investment or an emerging company seeking funding, our clients benefit from Tucker Ellis’s substantial experience in the venture capital marketplace. We handle venture financings ranging from thousands of dollars to multimillion-dollar exits. Our solid relationships with leading venture capital firms allows us to provide clients valuable access to a variety of financing resources.
The Tucker Ellis Venture Capital Group routinely advises new and emerging companies in all aspects of their formation, growth, financing, and development. Our representation of venture capital firms includes raising funds, making portfolio investments, and advising them in investment management and disposition. We counsel developing and established companies, as well as investors and traditional venture capital firms, in corporate transactions and securities compliance and in negotiations and the structuring of venture capital, angel, and other institutional investments.
As trusted advisors and business partners, Tucker Ellis takes the time to develop a deep understanding of our clients’ industries and focuses senior-level attention on the issues our clients face. Our experience with growing companies spans many industries, including health and life sciences, information technology, consumer products, manufacturing, and community improvement programs. Our competencies include:
- Understanding the unique needs of emerging companies
- Formation-to-exit experience and capabilities
- Relationships with investors, entrepreneurs, and industry partners
- Innovative pricing structures
Our Venture Capital Group benefits from the close-knit intersection of our experience in corporate transactions and litigation, tax, and intellectual property matters, including an understanding of underlying complex technologies. Our collaborative, multidisciplinary approach allows us to provide creative, specialized solutions for our clients.
Areas of Emphasis
- Structuring venture capital, angel, and other institutional investments
- Acquisition and growth financing
- Incentive compensation
- Corporate governance
- Business counseling
Key Contacts
Christopher J. Hewitt
- Position
- Partner
- Locations
- Cleveland, OH
Jayne E. Juvan
- Position
- Partner
- Locations
- Cleveland, OH
Our Team
Stephen C. Ellis
- Position
- Partner
- Locations
- Cleveland, OH
Christopher J. Hewitt
- Position
- Partner
- Locations
- Cleveland, OH
Evelyn K. Holmer
- Position
- Counsel
- Locations
- Cleveland, OH
Peter A. Igel
- Position
- Partner
- Locations
- Cleveland, OH
Jayne E. Juvan
- Position
- Partner
- Locations
- Cleveland, OH
Robert M. Loesch
- Position
- Partner
- Locations
- Cleveland, OH
Paul J. Malie
- Position
- Partner
- Locations
- Cleveland, OH
Arthur E. Mertes
- Position
- Partner
- Locations
- Chicago, IL
Brian M. O'Neill
- Position
- Partner
- Locations
- Cleveland, OH
Thomas W. Ostrowski
- Position
- Partner
- Locations
- Cleveland, OH
Peter A. Rome
- Position
- Partner
- Locations
- Cleveland, OH
John P. Slagter
- Position
- Partner
- Locations
- Cleveland, OH
- Represented a portfolio company of a U.S.-based medical venture fund in a recapitalization involving the sale of membership interests to, and related financing arrangements with, a Houston-based private equity firm involved in the health and life science market
- Represented a private issuer in private placement and securities matters that raised nearly $200 million
- Represented an early-stage pharmaceutical company in a private placement of its securities to several South Korean venture capital firms
- Represented a manufacturing co-investment fund in its $20-million capital raise
- Represented a U.S. biotech venture fund in its $100-million capital raise with U.K. investors
- Represented a company in the pharmaceutical industry in corporate matters since formation and several private placements of LLC preferred equity units and convertible debt with total capital raised of approximately $35 million
- Represented a biotechnology company in its merger with and into a public company in a transaction valued at approximately $12 million
- Represented a regional manufacturer and distributor of aluminum and vinyl building products and components ($15 million in sales) in a 2017 sale of its business operations to a U.K.-based venture capital firm as part of a platform company add-on
- Represented a biotechnology company for four rounds of venture-type financing aggregating approximately $20 million
- Represented several Chicago-based venture firms and family office investors in Series A and Series B investments into portfolio companies with investment size range of $500,000 to $20 million
- Represented a data analytics company in a Series A investment from a venture capital firm
- Represented a domestic aluminum extruder in a 2014 sale of assets of one of its regional extrusion facilities to a Dallas-based private equity firm as part of a platform company add-on with a transaction value of approximately $50 million
- Represented a venture capital firm in connection with a $2.5 million add-on Series B-2 investment; the firm previously participated in Series A and Series B-1 rounds and is the lead investor in the company
- Represented a venture capital firm intending to engage in the business of developing, commercializing, licensing, and monetizing technology and intellectual property assets – either directly or through one or more affiliates, including, but not limited to, making debt and equity investments – in connection with its initial formation and organization
- Represented an individual investor in the acquisition of a minority interest in a regional fixed base operator in the southwestern United States (prefunding round)
- Represented an investment fund in the acquisition of minority interests (Series A round) in the following businesses: (1) a SaaS service provider to the athletic apparel market; (2) a SaaS medical records provider; (3) an online, web-based printing company; (4) a biotech company based in the Pacific Northwest; (5) an online prescription medicine vendor; (6) an online pet prescription medicine vendor; and (7) a web-based vinyl record retailer
- Represented an energy and environmental sensor company in the sale of a majority ownership position to a venture capital firm
- Represented an aerospace manufacturing and aviation service provider in the sale of certain intellectual property assets to a venture capital firm
- Represented a provider of language interpreters in the sale of a minority ownership interest to a local venture capital firm (Series A)
- Represented a client in a SAFE investment in Supportland, an Oregon-based company that focuses on strengthening neighborhood business districts
- Represented a client in a SAFE investment in a cannabis-processing equipment manufacturer
- Represented an angel investment fund in six deals of $200,000-$300,000 each, some of which were international transactions and many with extensive sidecar investors
- Broker-Dealers
- Corporate Governance
- Corporate Law
- Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation
- Environmental & Renewable Energy
- Financial Services
- Financial Services Litigation
- Health Care M&A Transactions
- Intellectual Property
- Labor & Employment
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Middle Market
- Private Equity
- Securities & Capital Markets
- Tax Services
Key Contacts
Christopher J. Hewitt
- Position
- Partner
- Locations
- Cleveland, OH
Jayne E. Juvan
- Position
- Partner
- Locations
- Cleveland, OH