Portfolio Companies and Investors

Portfolio Company Management

Maximizing the efficiencies and quickly handling the many issues associated with portfolio company management is something with which our attorneys are particularly capable. Our firm has a long history as corporate counsel to some of the most notable companies in the United States. As portfolio companies move through their life cycle, we are able to assist them at every step of the way. We have familiarity with clients of every size, from start-up to the Fortune 100. Drawing on the considerable strengths of Private Equity Practice attorneys, and other practice groups within our firm, we assist private equity clients and their portfolio companies as they face challenges and make decisions related to:

Corporate organization

• Establishment and structuring of operations, both foreign and domestic
• "Seed" financing Tax-advantaged structuring
• Equity and/or debt financing
• Bank financing
• Private placements
• Securities matters
• IPOs
• Sarbanes-Oxley compliance
• Lease transactions
• Employment agreements
• Executive and employee compensation, including stock option plans
• Protection of global intellectual property rights
• Research and development contracts
• Licensing and distribution
• "Senior partnering" and "strategic alliances"
• Joint ventures and reorganizations
• Mergers, acquisitions and purchases and sales of assets
• Restructurings
• Comprehensive regulatory advice regarding areas such as domain names, content liability, privacy, consumer and data protection, spamming, framing, and digital signature authentication

Our firm’s track record in this area is truly special. We have been selected as one of the best corporate law firms in the United States by Corporate Board Member Magazine (2001-2007), and are regularly named the number one corporate law firm in Dallas (Corporate Board Member Magazine, 2007).

Representation of Limited Partners and Other Investors

Members of our Private Equity Practice act as counsel for university and other endowment funds, pension plans, other institutional investors and family offices in structuring and negotiating their investments in all types of private equity funds. In light of our extensive experience with the formation of such funds, and our team’s integration with attorneys around the firm and industry who regularly practice in this space, we are absolutely current on the latest developments, deal terms and structuring tools to which each potential investor should have access.

Our work in this area includes analyzing and negotiating fund documentation, and also working on specific projects such as structuring private equity investment programs and protocols, forming captive investment vehicles and the like.