Corporate - Venture Capital | Overview

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Our Venture Capital Practice advises growing companies and entrepreneurs as well as angels, super angels and seed and venture capital funds. We provide strategic and commercial advice to supplement our legal expertise and appreciate that early stage companies often need a more personal level of service.

Whether acting for founders, investors or the investee company, our approach to client relationships is that we are not just there to "paper the deal" but to be strategic partners and business advisers.

We have a genuine enthusiasm for, and commitment to, this area and are actively involved with organisations and initiatives to support the development of growing businesses. We have established links to providers of capital for growing businesses as well as access to entrepreneurs and, if asked to do so, we can make introductions where appropriate.

Specialist Advice

Our practice encompasses:

• Investment/Commercial - Structuring, drafting, negotiating and advising on all relevant investment documents (from both investor and investee perspectives). These include subscription and shareholders' agreements, articles of association, convertible loan documents and finance and security documents. We also have a broad range of commercial experience dealing with a full spectrum of relevant agreements (including terms and conditions of business, technology acquisition and licensing agreements, franchise and distribution agreements, content license agreements and IP licences and assignments).
  
• Tax - Advising both investors and entrepreneurs on how best to structure an investment tax efficiently. We also have expertise in share incentive arrangements, including advice on the availability of, and tax advantages associated with, enterprise management incentive (''EMI'') options (to incentivise key employees) and the enterprise investment scheme (''EIS'') (to give tax relief to investors).
  
• Employment - Entrepreneurs' service agreements are often reviewed at the fundraising stage and new service agreements are put in place or existing ones are amended. We are able to identify any key issues that arise and, whether acting for the entrepreneur or investor, produce clear and effective agreements.
  
• Intellectual Property and Technology - IP rights are often the key assets of early stage companies. We regularly advise growing companies in relation to a wide range of IP and technology related issues including: undertaking trade mark and brand clearance searches to identify any potential issues relating to the company's chosen brand; trade mark and domain name registrations; advising on other types of IP protection that might be available, such as patents and design rights; and advising in relation to ownership of IP rights created for the company by employees and third parties. We also give growing businesses expert advice on enforcing and exploiting their IP rights.
  
• Tax and Legal Planning for Business People - We advise individuals on personal taxation issues and assist with lifetime and estate tax planning. We have extensive experience with wills, trusts, administration of estates and other private client issues as well as devising personal tax planning structures.
  
• Industry Expertise: Our clients are predominantly but not exclusively from media, entertainment and communications sectors enabling us to provide strategic advice from a position of strength.

What the Directories Say About Us

"Harbottle & Lewis LLP is well known for its deep roots in the media and entertainment industry, and its venture capital team specialises in advising growing companies and entrepreneurs in the sector, although its investor practice is also gaining some traction." The Legal 500, 2010

Contact

For further information please contact Tony Littner.