Emerging Companies / Venture Capital (EC/VC)

Empowering Innovation, Accelerating Growth

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Scale’s EC/VC Team is dedicated to empowering startups, emerging growth companies, and venture capital investors of all sizes to thrive in today’s competitive market. Our experienced attorneys bring a wealth of industry knowledge and legal expertise to support our clients through every stage of the emerging company lifecycle.

We provide robust support by guiding entrepreneurs through corporate formation, helping them select the optimal legal structure and preparing foundational documents. Our expertise extends to setting up and maintaining cap. tables, ensuring clear and accurate representation of ownership stakes and investor rights. We also design, implement, and administer equity incentive plans for the issuance of  stock options, restricted stock units, and other equity compensation arrangements to attract and retain top talent.

Corporate governance is a cornerstone of our practice. We guide corporate clients and portfolio companies in implementing best practices and maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements, fostering sustainable growth and stability. When it comes to exit strategies, whether through mergers and acquisitions or initial public offerings, we adeptly guide our clients through these transformative events, maximizing value and minimizing risks.

Our team also represents investors in all stages of debt, SAFE, and equity financing transactions. We provide comprehensive support, from initial investment structuring to closing, ensuring that our clients' interests are protected and aligned with their strategic goals. Our attorneys conduct thorough due diligence, negotiate term sheets, and draft investment agreements that safeguard our clients' investments and foster long-term partnerships with portfolio companies.

Many of our attorneys have been trained at top-tier white shoe law firms, where they honed their skills on high-stakes transactions and complex legal matters. They joined Scale to offer a more efficient and hands-on legal service. Our clients receive personalized attention from senior attorneys, ensuring a higher level of engagement and responsiveness.

Furthermore, many of our attorneys have significant in-house experience, providing them with a practical, grounded perspective that is invaluable to our clients. This firsthand knowledge of the internal workings of businesses allows us to offer advice that is not only legally sound but also aligned with the operational realities and strategic goals of our clients.

We work closely with our clients, gaining a deep understanding of their goals and challenges. This client-centric philosophy ensures that our legal solutions are not only sound but also aligned with our clients’ strategic business objectives. We pride ourselves on being more than just legal advisors; we are strategic partners committed to our clients’ success.

Team Members:

Partners

Counsel

Associates

Brian Elliott

Josh Banerje

Channah Rose

Trey Calver

Dori Karjian

Tyler Hayden

Doug Mitchell

Chuck Kraus

Justin McAneny

Kristen Smith Dayley

Scott Wiegand

Steven Forbes

Meet The Team

Full Attorney List

Legal Insights

DIY Law: Beware of the Legal Template

Many companies use contract templates in their day-to-day operations. When drafted properly and tied to the appropriate use case, templates can be a tremendous time and money saving resource. As outside general counsel to companies of all sizes, the review of existing contract templates comes up quite often. Some clients are looking for an upgrade, while others may be seeking a quick, validating green light or help with a contract negotiation utilizing a template as the foundation. Unfortunately, many templates do not accomplish the intended purpose, or worse. 

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Under the Corporate Transparency Act, Companies Face New Requirements in 2024

In the ever-evolving landscape of financial regulation and corporate transparency, the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) has emerged as a pivotal piece of legislation. Enacted in 2021 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, the CTA will require most new and existing legal entities operating in the United States to file reports with the federal government regarding their beneficial owners. The CTA goes into effect on January 1, 2024, and its key provisions are described below.

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Why D&O Coverage is Important

Like many legal issues, D&O coverage is often the last thing on the mind of a start-up founder. Nevertheless, addressing early on whether your company needs D&O coverage will likely pay large dividends down the road, while also protecting your hard-earned investment in the near-term. It’s just one more area where every start-up could use the help of a good, experienced general counsel. If you have questions about D&O insurance or would like to discuss risk mitigation strategies for your company, please contact Robert Gans at rgans@scalefirm.com.

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