At Williams Mullen, we define our private equity and venture capital practice broadly to address all the different types of transactions in which equity is sold in transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering. While Williams Mullen has a flourishing securities and corporate practice serving our clients who report publicly, we also know that the vast majority of capital raised in the United States is raised through exempt offerings and have focused for decades on serving this space. We are proud of our status as an acknowledged national leader in representing clients seeking and providing the types of funding that accompany transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering.
At Williams Mullen, we define our private equity and venture capital practice broadly to address all the different types of transactions in which equity is sold in transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering. While Williams Mullen has a flourishing securities and corporate practice serving our clients who report publicly, we also know that the vast majority of capital raised in the United States is raised through exempt offerings and have focused for decades on serving this space. We are proud of our status as an acknowledged national leader in representing clients seeking and providing the types of funding that accompany transactions by an issuer not involving any public offering.
By definition, our practice covers those transactions normally defined as being in the “private equity” and “venture capital” space. Our lawyers routinely help private equity and venture capital sponsors form their funds, conduct their own private placements, and then invest that capital in portfolio company acquisitions and minority investments. We help our investor clients and clients seeking investments to formulate innovative strategies for structuring financings, acquisitions of private and public companies (including unsolicited acquisitions), going private transactions, stock for stock acquisitions, spin-offs, split-offs, split-ups, acquisitions of minority interests as well as traditional private placements of equity, debt, and convertible securities.
Once financed, our firm provides ongoing counsel to our private equity clients including general legal counseling, corporate governance matters, add-on acquisitions, and divestitures.
We also help early-stage, mid-stage and later-stage companies as they prepare to find capital to finance their needs and, when they are ready to do so, assist them in capital financing transactions. Sources of these funds can be institutional investors, such as venture capital firms and mezzanine funds, private equity groups, “angel” investors and investors who cross the venture capital/angel divide.
We also regularly introduce our clients to curated investment banking firms to help them raise capital or explore strategic alternatives and work closely with these clients and their investment bankers to complete those transactions.
We guide our clients through comprehensive legal and regulatory due diligence examinations of the target company and, when representing a client seeking capital, we similarly assess its business model and risk profile with the goal of matching the client with appropriate investors or with investment banks.
As important as it is to find a good investment, it is equally important to implement an effective exit strategy. Our experience includes the full spectrum of exit transactions, and we assist our private equity clients in recapitalizations, mergers and consolidations, asset sales, stock sales, and initial public offerings. During the exit transaction, we address negotiation and transaction strategy; structure; indemnity risks; and legal compliance with securities, corporate, and other laws.
No matter the transaction type, we draw on our experience in the areas of finance, intellectual property, tax law, real estate law, labor and employment law, environmental law and other areas as appropriate to properly structure a transaction suited to the investment while providing flexibility for future opportunities.
Our attorneys are also active in publishing and lecturing on private equity-related topics and in developing private equity and venture capital organizations, like 757 Angels, the first angel group in the Hampton Roads area and one of the fastest growing groups in the nation. Our leadership in the private equity industry enables us to understand the needs of all our clients, whether they are attracting or investing capital or exploring strategic alternatives.
Our key areas of service include:
- Counseling on federal and state securities law issues.
- Fund financing, including market partnership agreements, capital raises and follow-on investments.
- Introductions to sources of capital and investment banking firms.
- Comprehensive assessments to ensure funds comply with regulatory requirements.
- Facilitating investment into and sales by portfolio companies of buyout and venture capital funds as well as teams of angel investors.
- Quarterbacking the broad, daily needs of our clients.
News
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11.02.2023
Williams Mullen Nationally Ranked in 20 Practice Areas by Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” 2024
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11.03.2022
Williams Mullen Nationally Ranked in 16 Practice Areas by U.S. News - Best Lawyers ‘Best Law Firms’ 2023
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08.18.2022
123 Williams Mullen Attorneys Listed in 2023 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©
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11.04.2021
Williams Mullen Nationally Ranked in 16 Practice Areas by U.S. News - Best Lawyers 'Best Law Firms' 2022
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08.23.2021
124 Williams Mullen Attorneys Listed in 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©
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06.09.2021
Laura Windsor Named to 2021 Class of ‘Influential Women of Law’ by Virginia Lawyers Weekly
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11.05.2020
Williams Mullen Nationally Ranked in Practice Areas by U.S. News – Best Lawyers ‘Best Law Firms’ 2021
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08.20.2020
116 Williams Mullen Attorneys Listed in 2021 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©; Most Total Lawyers in Virginia
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04.07.2020
CARES Act: New SBA Affiliation Guidance Provides No Relief to Startups and Portfolio Companies under PPP and EIDL
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04.03.2020
CARES ACT: Will SBA Affiliation Rules Cause Startups and Portfolio Companies to be Ineligible for PPP and EIDL Loans, and is Relief on the Way?
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11.07.2019
Williams Mullen Nationally Ranked in 13 Practice Areas by U.S. News – Best Lawyers ‘Best Law Firms’ 2020
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08.15.2019
119 Williams Mullen Attorneys Listed in 2020 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©
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08.06.2019
Energy Attorneys Jim Guy and Garland Carr, Corporate Attorney Cathy Zhang Join Williams Mullen
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07.25.2019
Williams Mullen Adds Three Corporate Attorneys
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04.25.2019
30 Williams Mullen Attorneys, 12 Practice Areas Recognized in Chambers USA 2019
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02.28.2019
Amish Patel Selected to the North Carolina Bar Association Leadership Academy
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11.01.2018
Williams Mullen Ranked Nationally in 15 Practice Areas by U.S. News – Best Lawyers 'Best Law Firms' 2019
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01.23.2018
Williams Mullen Represents Groome Transportation in Equity Investment by Cortec Group
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11.01.2017
Williams Mullen Ranked Nationally in 14 Practice Areas by U.S. News – Best Lawyers’ “Best Law Firms” 2018
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10.06.2017
Williams Mullen Helps Cary Street Partners Close $18.9 Million Financing
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09.21.2017
Williams Mullen Helps ivWatch Secure Licensing and Distribution Agreement with Global Manufacturer
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08.14.2017
114 Williams Mullen Attorneys Listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2018
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06.07.2017
Williams Mullen Helps ivWatch Close $14.8 Million Round of Funding
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03.28.2017
John Paris Featured in Inside Business Quarterly Article About 757 Angels
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11.03.2016
Williams Mullen Ranked Nationally in 15 Legal Practices by U.S. News – Best Lawyers ‘Best Law Firms’ 2017
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08.24.2016
John Paris Discusses Angel Investing and Startup Stories on Tomorrow's Tech Podcast
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08.15.2016
100 Williams Mullen Attorneys Named 2017 Best Lawyers in America
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06.22.2016
FAA Issues Final Rule for Businesses to Use Drones
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05.05.2015
Venture Capital Guide
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05.05.2015
Founder’s Handbook
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05.01.2015
Tom Frantz and John Paris featured in Virginia Business for involvement in Hampton Roads economic development
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02.24.2015
John Paris discusses crowdfunding with the Tidewater Review
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02.06.2015
Williams Mullen Continues to Lead in Unmanned Systems with Addition of Respected Geospatial Attorney Kevin Pomfret
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09.23.2014
John Paris discusses "The Quest for Cash" at panel
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08.02.2013
Williams Mullen helps Entigral Systems Secure Financing
Events
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S. Tarpley Ashworth, Jr.
Partner- Phone:804.420.6413
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James T. Bailey
Partner- Phone:804.420.6358
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Gregory R. Bishop
Partner- Phone:804.420.6930
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Jenny H. Connors
Partner- Phone:804.420.6582
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Benjamin C. Crumpler
Partner- Phone:757.629.0716
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David L. Dallas, Jr.
Partner- Phone:434.951.5707
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Anne E. Domozick
Partner- Phone:757.473.5438
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Thomas R. Frantz
Partner- Phone:757.473.5306
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J. Conrad Garcia
Partner- Phone:804.420.6910
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Philip H. Goodpasture
Partner- Phone:804.420.6904
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Alyson M. Harter
Partner- Phone:804.420.6217
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Meagan J. Kalantar
Partner- Phone:757.473.5315
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Jessica J.O. King
Partner- Phone:803.567.4602
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Otto W. Konrad
Partner- Phone:804.420.6093
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Samuel M. Kroll
Partner- Phone:757.473.5328
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David M. Lay
Partner- Phone:804.420.6519
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Gary D. LeClair
Partner- Phone:804.420.6473
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Lee G. Lester
Partner- Phone:804.420.6583
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Benjamin A. McCall
Partner- Phone:804.420.6218
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Scott C. Miller
Partner- Phone:757.629.0647
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Richard D. Palmieri
Partner- Phone:804.420.6499
- Email:Email
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John M. Paris, Jr.
Partner- Phone:757.473.5308
- Email:Email
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Laurence V. Parker, Jr.
Partner- Phone:804.420.6467
- Email:Email
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Amish Patel
Partner- Phone:919.981.4023
- Email:Email
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David F. Paulson, Jr.
Partner- Phone:919.981.4003
- Email:Email
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Kevin D. Pomfret
Partner- Phone:703.760.5204
- Email:Email
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Scott H. Richter
Partner- Phone:804.420.6221
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Ken Shevlin
Partner- Phone:434.951.5719
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Aaron G. Spencer
Partner- Phone:919.981.4032
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J. Forbes Thompson
Partner- Phone:202.327.5070
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Edward R. "Ned" Turnbull
Partner- Phone:804.420.6605
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Amanda M. Weaver
Partner- Phone:804.420.6226
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Andrew W. White
Partner- Phone:804.420.6243
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Trevor D. Wind
Partner- Phone:804.420.6323
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Laura D. Windsor
Partner- Phone:804.420.6466
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Xiang "Cathy" Zhang
Senior Associate- Phone:804.420.6378
- Email:Email