Venture Capital

Venture capital counsel, investment and exits.

Whitepeak Law advises venture capital funds and founders on structuring their investments, negotiating shareholders' agreements, and managing exits.

Practices

Areas
of practice.

VC investment structuring

Advice to venture capital funds on structuring their investments: choice of instruments (ordinary shares, preference shares, warrants), term sheet drafting, legal due diligence, and documentation negotiation.

Shareholders' agreements and governance

Drafting and negotiation of post-investment shareholders' agreements: pre-emption rights, tag-along, drag-along, anti-dilution, information rights, and board representation.

Portfolio monitoring

Support to funds in managing their portfolio: subsequent financing rounds, restructurings, secondary transactions, management of underperforming investments, and enforcement of contractual rights.

Disposals and exits

Management of exit processes: disposal to a strategic or financial acquirer, stock exchange listing, competitive sale process, and enforcement of drag-along or liquidation preference provisions.

Clients

The clients we advise.

Venture capital funds

Support throughout the investment cycle: due diligence, structuring, documentation negotiation, portfolio management, and exits.

Corporate venture and family offices

Advice to corporate investors and family offices investing in innovative companies: investment structuring, minority shareholder rights, and governance.

Founders dealing with VC investors

Advice to founders facing venture capital investors: term sheet analysis, protection of founder rights, negotiation of governance and liquidity mechanisms.

Innovative companies in regulated sectors

Fintechs, blockchain companies, and regulated platforms whose VC fundraising rounds require particular attention to licensing and compliance constraints.

Approach

A practice driven by decisions.

Mastery of the VC ecosystem

The venture capital market has its own rapidly evolving practices and standards. Whitepeak Law is familiar with these market practices and advises clients in light of ecosystem norms.

Senior attention on every matter

Every matter is handled by the founding partner. First point of contact, last reviewer. No delegation of judgment on matters that are structurally important to the client.

Cross-disciplinary coordination

Coordination with tax advisors to optimise the structure of financial instruments and exit tax implications, and with fundraising advisors to align the financial and legal dimensions.

Paris Bar·UCLA School of Law·MIT Sloan School of Management·White & Case·Allen & Overy·Former Partner, Beaubourg Avocats

Your venture capital transaction.

Confidential initial consultation to analyse your situation, qualify the key legal issues, and define the best approach for your investment or fundraising.

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