Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Geoffrey M. Ossias has joined the firm as a partner and Head of its Arizona Emerging Companies and Venture Capital (ECVC) practice. Geoff will split his time between the firm’s offices in Phoenix and Palo Alto. He joins the firm from DLA Piper.
Geoff represents growth-stage companies driven by technology in such industries as e-commerce, healthcare, biotech, financial services, renewable energy and other sectors. He guides companies in mergers, acquisitions and other key transactions and in investments made by venture capital and private equity firms. Geoff works with clients ranging from pre-formation startups to middle-market companies envisioning exit strategies.
“Geoff is a well-known and highly respected ECVC advocate who will provide exceptional strategic counsel to our clients – those just entering the market to those seeking exit strategies,” said Buddy Arnheim, Co-Chair of Perkins Coie’s ECVC practice. “He is a trusted advisor to clients and substantively strengthens our nationally recognized ECVC team; I am delighted to welcome him to Perkins Coie.”
In addition to guiding growth-stage companies through strategic transactions (including debt and equity offerings, mergers and acquisitions, exclusive license arrangements, restructurings and the resolution of complex corporate governance matters), Geoff has significant experience representing venture capital and private equity funds in fund formation and new investments. He also provides counsel for IPOs, secondary offerings and related reporting requirements. Earlier in his career, Geoff spent three years as senior advisor with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporate Finance in Washington, D.C. Prior to his work with the SEC, Geoff was an entrepreneur in the Bay Area, successfully co-founding two companies there, including MyPoints.com, Inc., a leading email marketing firm which went public in 1999 (Nasdaq: MYPT) and was later sold to an affiliate of United Airlines. As an active player in the tech startup community, Geoff sits on the board of directors of Arizona Tech Investors, the leading angel investor group serving startups in the Phoenix area, and advises Coplex, a leading startup accelerator.
“Geoff is a significant addition to our Phoenix office and the firm’s expanding ECVC practice,” said Jessica Everett-Garcia, Perkins Coie’s Phoenix Office Managing Partner. “His deep experience advising growth stage companies at all levels of financing and support enhances the firm’s reputation as a ‘go to’ resource for legal counsel in the state’s growing startup and tech space.”
Geoff earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of California Hastings College of the Law, received his M.J. from the University of California at Berkeley, and received his A.B from Vassar College.
Perkins Coie is a recognized national leader in technology and venture capital transactions, representing both companies seeking financing and venture capital firms seeking to invest. The firm’s attorneys handle hundreds of venture capital deals representing both emerging growth companies and investors each year with teams of ECVC attorneys centered in eleven offices. As a full-service firm, Perkins Coie not only counsels emerging growth companies on matters such as formation, financing and exit strategies, but also advises its clients on matters such as patent prosecution, brand strategy, privacy and data security, licensing and regulatory compliance for disruptive business models.
Perkins Coie is a leading international law firm that is known for providing high value, strategic solutions and extraordinary client service on matters vital to our clients’ success. With more than 1,000 lawyers in 19 offices across the United States and Asia, we provide a full array of corporate, commercial litigation, intellectual property and regulatory legal advice to a broad range of clients, including many of the world’s most innovative companies and industry leaders as well as public and not-for-profit organizations.
Source: www.perkinscoie.com
