Overview

Katten has a long and distinguished history of advising successful entrepreneurs, the businesses they build and the people who invest in them. Our Entrepreneurial Ventures practice continues this legacy. We represent clients through all stages of the business life cycle: initial organization, seed capital, follow-on equity and debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, liquidity events and day-to-day matters along the way. We focus on high-growth companies ranging from early-stage businesses to well-known unicorns and leading multigenerational family businesses, with an emphasis on entrepreneurs developing technology-enabled innovations.

Seasoned advice at every stage

We provide clients with pragmatic advice and efficient solutions that complement their drive and creativity and help position them for the future. Extensive experience advising high-growth companies and the entrepreneurs driving them — whether on routine matters or transformational transactions — strengthens our insights.

We pride ourselves on understanding our clients' businesses and solving their problems. Our attorneys are often relied upon as outside general counsel; we are accustomed to answering the question "What would you do?" Clients benefit from our varied network of clients and other relationships, which include:

  • First-time and serial entrepreneurs
  • Family offices
  • High-net-worth investors
  • Institutional investors
  • Experienced executives
  • Owner-operated businesses.
Comprehensive services

Katten helps owners and decision makers understand what works and what doesn't. We draw upon our work in countless successful financings, acquisitions, divestitures and other representations. Our attorneys deliver the right tailored solutions by collaborating across Katten practices and leveraging the considerable resources and strengths of the firm. Our Entrepreneurial Ventures practice extends beyond the United States. We represent foreign companies in US-based investments, and for US-based clients, we structure cross-border financings and sales outside of the United States.

Whether you're an entrepreneur breaking new ground or a business leader extending your success, we help you manage:

  • Corporate governance
  • Employee benefits, executive compensation and equity compensation
  • Equity and debt financings
  • Information and data security
  • Intellectual property
  • Joint venture and licensing deals
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Sales channels and distribution arrangements
  • Securities law compliance
  • Technology transfer
  • Tax planning.
Supporting innovation

We are committed to the next generation of business and thought leaders. Katten helped establish Chicago's 1871 digital community and incubator and proudly supports the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center, Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Family Business Center of Loyola University.

Experience

  • Investment Fund Representations
  • The venture capital arm of a publicly traded energy company in more than 80 venture capital investments in innovative clean energy companies. Investments include a sodium ion battery manufacturer, one of the world's largest networks of EV charging stations, a leading provider of demand-management software services, a provider of energy storage solutions and an enterprise energy manager.
  • The venture capital arm of a publicly traded automobile company in more than 40 venture capital investments in companies ranging from consumer products to innovations in battery and energy production.
  • An investment fund focused on health care and life sciences in a variety of venture capital investments ranging from seed capital to late-stage investments and M&A transactions.
  • An investment fund focused on health care and life sciences in a variety of late-stage venture investments in the US and Asia.
  • An investment fund focused on defense and homeland security investments in a variety of venture capital investments.
  • An investment fund focused on early-stage investments in companies active in highly regulated industries.
  • Company Representations
  • A SaaS company focused on master data governance solutions in venture capital financing, a recapitalization and a sale to a private equity-backed company.
  • A SaaS company focused on sales enablement in several rounds of venture capital and subordinated debt financings, acquisitions on both the US and UK and ongoing corporate and IP matters.
  • A SaaS company focused on management and security of commercial buildings in several rounds of venture capital financing.
  • A SaaS company focused on corporate education and training in a sale to a venture-backed Belgian company.
  • A provider of data and analytics solutions for health care organizations in a sale to a private equity-backed company.

Insights

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Key Contacts
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Recognitions
Recognized or listed in the following:
  • Best Law Firms
    Venture Capital Law
    National, 2024-2025
    Chicago, 2024-2025
  • Chambers USA
    Startups & Emerging Companies
    Nationwide, 2016–2024
  • The Legal 500 United States
    Venture Capital & Emerging Companies, 2021-2024
Award Methodologies