Technology

As a growing technology company, your prospects are exciting and your challenges are unique – from securing funding, protecting IP, and navigating the regulatory environment, to differentiating yourself in the marketplace, managing customer acquisition and scaling your business. We get it. We are proud to bring a comprehensive, coordinated approach that interconnects business, new technologies and the law.

At Goodwin, we share your entrepreneurial spirit. We developed Founders Workbench, a free online legal advisory resource to help entrepreneurs navigate many of the legal and organizational challenges commonly faced by start-ups and emerging companies. We partner with you to grow your business and realize your potential more effectively – with a combination of legal experience and business savvy that can scale with management teams from the earliest stages of development through mature public company. We support clients at all stages of the corporate life cycle with legal advisory related to company formation, IP protection, licensing, commercial agreements and venture financing to IPOs, M&A, corporate governance, board matters and more.

With 180+ lawyers dedicated to the industry, we have one of the largest and most recognized technology practices in the United States. Consistently rated in the top five most active of all law firms for venture capital, IPOs and M&A, we draw on our deep experience and network of clients and investors to provide the most effective and efficient counsel for today’s emerging companies.

As credit markets change, we’ve been able to leverage longstanding client relationships through our Private Equity Practice to help our technology clients find appropriate financial partners. Our Tech Companies Practice also includes members of our Intellectual Property Group, who counsel companies in business, IP and due diligence matters. In addition, we offer expertise in company formation, tax, and mergers and acquisitions. Having all of these specialties seamlessly coordinated within one firm makes it easier for clients to effectively execute business strategies while reducing cost and risk.

We meet the needs of clients at every stage of development. And we look forward to helping the next generation of companies succeed in the global marketplace.

IPO Vital Signs

#1 Most Active counsel for issuer IPOs across all industries in 2015

PitchBook

Ranked Top 5 law firm for venture capital financings for the past two years

Chambers USA

Ranked leading firm by Chambers USA

Companies seeking to grow, increase liquidity for their investors or reduce their cost of capital regularly turn to Goodwin. We have one of the most active capital markets and public company practices in the United States, serving as outside counsel to public companies in a range of industries and who are listed on both U.S. and non-U.S. exchanges. We combine deep industry knowledge with broad technical expertise across all equity and debt securities and alternative investment structures. Over the past five years, we have advised clients in nearly 300 public offerings with an aggregate value approaching $30 billion. Our practice and lawyers are consistently recognized by industry publications as one of the most active and innovative advisers for capital markets transactions and public companies.

Goodwin’s clean technology and energy practice focuses on entrepreneurs, operating companies, and investors who are pioneers in the clean tech and energy markets. We’re currently counsel to over 500 technology-based clients, including some of the leading wind, solar and biofuels companies and represent 200 venture capital and private equity firms, leveraging relationships with investors on behalf of our clients.

Goodwin’s Debt Finance practice represents borrowers, private equity sponsors and lenders in a broad range of financing transactions. Our Debt Finance lawyers work closely with the firm's Private Equity, Technology Companies, Capital Markets, and Financial Restructuring groups structuring, negotiating and documenting domestic and cross-border debt financing arrangements, including secured and unsecured senior, mezzanine and subordinated debt facilities, acquisition-financing transactions, working capital facilities, as well as loan workouts and restructurings.

On the borrower side, Goodwin represents private equity firms and their portfolio companies, leading public and private companies and start-ups in a wide variety of business industries. On the lender side, Goodwin’s clients include domestic and international banks, insurance and finance companies, mezzanine lenders, business development companies and other institutional investors.

Goodwin’s technical expertise, geographic footprint in key industry markets, and depth of experience allows us to offer unprecedented service to help our clients capitalize on opportunities and meet the challenges of this evolving industry. Our digital currency and blockchain technology practice is supported by well-established teams of nationally recognized lawyers with expertise across many areas affecting digital currencies including ICOs, corporate and securities laws, venture financing, regulatory, intellectual property, banking compliance, SEC and criminal defense, private equity, securities litigation, real estate, corporate M+A, investment funds, and privacy and cybersecurity.

Whether the count is 10 employees or 10,000, companies throughout the United States depend on Goodwin for strategic and effective advice on all aspects of ERISA and executive compensation programs. We work with clients and investors in a range of industries, both public and private, including technology and life sciences companies, banks and other financial services companies, REITs, hospitality companies, teaching hospitals, and private equity and venture-backed companies. As a real testament to the reputation our practice has in the market, we are frequently hired by boards and compensation committees as special compensation counsel even when we do not serve as their general counsel.

The financial services industry is experiencing an unprecedented technology revolution. Recent studies predict that worldwide IT spending for financial services will reach $500 billion before decade’s end, and FinTech investment has tripled globally since 2008.

The increased complexity of financial products, stringent oversight and regulation, and the need to improve profitability and streamline processes are driving financial institutions and financial services participants to deploy a growing range of finance-related software. As one of the only law firms with market-leading technology and financial institutions practices, Goodwin has been advising clients in the FinTech sector for over a decade and has extensive experience working with both established and emerging businesses in virtually all market segments.

Investors, founders and companies in growth equity investments face challenges and opportunities across all sectors and stages of development. Goodwin’s industry-leading Growth Equity Practice provides innovative, insightful guidance across the spectrum of investments. From investing in emerging growth companies to large, highly structured, leveraged transactions in established, profitable enterprises, our growth equity lawyers have a practical and commercial approach to driving successful transactions. Our growth equity practice draws from the best of our market-leading middle market buyout and venture capital practices to structure transactions that result in long term and effective partnerships between investors, entrepreneurs and management teams and frequently involve liquidity for existing owners.

Intellectual property assets represent significant value for businesses in the United States. For some clients, these assets represent an entire career or a body of research; for others, they're a 100-year-old trademark, or a newly acquired license. Whether it’s structuring transactions or resolving high-stakes property disputes, we understand the unique needs of each client, and anticipate how those needs will change over time. With superior experience– from scientists who’ve worked in the field, to litigators with International Trade Commission and federal court experience – we’re privileged to represent national and international companies in a broad cross-section of industries.

Whether your litigation involves winning a case – or helping your company survive – you need the skills and experience of a sophisticated litigation practice. Goodwin’s litigators provide you with results-oriented representation, drawing on talents of more than 350 trial lawyers, engaged in high-profile cases across the country.

Goodwin lawyers have deep experience guiding clients through both public and private mergers and acquisitions transactions of all types including leveraged buyouts, tender offers, spinoffs, divestitures and go-privates (both in the U.S. and abroad). Our lawyers bring a distinctive combination of regulatory and transactional expertise, characterized by a high degree of tax and financial sophistication, and a commercial negotiating style that is essential for success. We blend technical know-how and specific industry experience to get deals done quickly and efficiently. We draw on a firm-wide network of specialists in tax, intellectual property, real estate and executive compensation to help clients find practical, innovative solutions to their problems.

Protect your company’s potential by starting off on the right foot. Goodwin’s full-service team advises on company formation and growth matters including incorporation, founders agreements, venture financing, intellectual property, licensing, employee contracts, benefits and beyond. We represent over 1,200 emerging companies and 200 venture capital and private equity firms. This extensive company and investor client base allows us to leverage relationships and deep market knowledge on behalf of our clients.

As businesses today face an increasingly sophisticated threat environment compounded by aggressive regulatory enforcement, companies need a partner who can help mitigate risk and respond to the unthinkable. Our Privacy + Cybersecurity practice is one of the longest-standing of any AmLaw 50 firm. Dating back to the late 1990s and established formally in 2004, our practice is fully integrated and leverages the firm's core strengths, with the group's lawyers coming from our technology, financial institutions, licensing, litigation, regulatory and appellate practices. Our unique approach, focusing on client needs and value, enables us to engage specialists whose experience is framed by a holistic understanding of clients' greatest risks in this threatening environment.

Few firms offer the breadth of practice that we bring to private fund managers and investors. We understand the issues specific to different types of funds and offer advice that comes from a wealth of experience across industries and global markets. Our lawyers work in all the key industries, including, real estate, venture capital, private equity, infrastructure, natural resources and hedge funds, raising funds worldwide that range from less than $50 million to over $12 billion. The depth and breadth of our experience allows us to provide our clients with the most current market terms for their industry as well as access to cutting-edge developments across industries.

We handle every stage in the life cycle, and we provide fund managers with the sophisticated level of counsel required for forming, advising and operating private investment funds. Within fund formation, we take a creative approach, starting with not only the specific objectives of a particular fund but also an assessment of how the fund fits within the client’s broader business goals. We then help fund managers determine the best structure and terms to achieve those goals.

More than 100 public companies trust Goodwin to serve as their counsel in a variety of corporate and litigation matters. We are primary outside counsel to public companies in many different industries, of all different sizes, and listed on both U.S. and non-U.S. exchanges. We help clients achieve their business strategies; meet high standards of transparency in disclosure, corporate governance and executive compensation; manage effective investor relations programs; and build credibility through disciplined interaction with capital markets participants, security holders, regulators, employees, ratings agencies, the media and the public at large. We integrate with experts from our M&A/Corporate Governance, ERISA & Executive Compensation, Securities Litigation and Tax Practices to provide full service representation for our public company clients.

Complex tax issues often arise in structuring strategic, commercial and financial transactions and investment products. To find practical solutions to these challenging issues, clients rely on Goodwin’s tax lawyers to advise on the full range of international, federal and state tax issues. Clients seek us out not only to address their tax issues on a transaction, but also to help them gain a competitive advantage by creating structures designed to solve the tax issues faced by the counterparties.

Licensing and other technology transfers represent a critical component of any comprehensive intellectual property rights management program. These transactions can generate significant economic value and other competitive advantages when effectively structured and executed.

The most successful venture capital investors stay ahead of the curve. They make smart investments on solid terms with promising companies. Goodwin has a team of over 180 lawyers nationwide who handle early and growth stage venture deals, providing dedicated representation to over 1,200 emerging companies and entrepreneurs and 200 venture capital and private equity firms. Our extensive company and investor client base allows us to leverage deep knowledge of market terms and relationships on behalf of our clients.

Capital Markets

CleanTech

Crowdfunding

Debt Finance

Digital Currency + Blockchain Technology

ERISA + Executive Compensation

FinTech

Growth Equity

Intellectual Property

Litigation + Dispute Resolution

Mergers + Acquisitions

New Company Formation