Skip to Main Content.

Venture

Practicing at the intersection of business innovation and law.

Our venture capital team represents emerging technology, tech-enabled and life science companies from concept to exit. We assist founders with formation, capital raising, building the team, and commercializing and protecting intellectual property assets. We invest time to understand each client’s business in order to provide better legal solutions tailored to the company’s stage, strategy and environment. We also remain committed to staying abreast of current trends and future industry developments.

Our team is consistently recognized for delivering excellent client service, being uber-responsive, digging deep and finding answers quickly—not just during periods of stability, but in times of uncertainty and disruption as well. By leveraging the insights gleaned from our experience across a wide range of industries, we help ensure our clients close financings on competitive terms with clear sight of the implications of raising capital for the company and its stakeholders along the entire journey.

Key Contacts

A man is smiling while dressed in a blue suit and white shirt against a plain white background.
Vance V. VanDrake III

Partner

Cincinnati, OH

A man wearing glasses, a navy suit, a white shirt, and a striped tie is smiling against a plain white background.
Zachary D. Bahorik

Partner

Cincinnati, OH

How We Help Clients

Emerging Company Representation

As trusted advisors, our venture capital attorneys act as liaisons between company leadership and Frost Brown Todd’s broader team of attorneys focusing in distinct areas of the law. Through cross-disciplinary collaboration, we offer the full range of services integral to a successful business operation, with a focus on empowering innovative, high-growth companies. Our team has notable depth in the following areas:

  • Formation
  • Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation
  • Intellectual Property, Licensing and Joint Development
  • Privacy and Data Security
  • Due Diligence Preparation
  • Capitalization Table Management
  • Seed, Venture and Growth Capital Financings
  • Corporate Governance
  • Tax
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Real Estate

In addition to our legal services, our programs allow us to extend discounts to firm clients for key services required for venture-backed companies, such as 409A valuations, equity management, and Directors & Officers and Errors & Omissions insurance.

Investor Deal Representation

Investing in seed to late stage companies is a high-risk journey. It helps to work with a team that knows the industry, applicable rules and what to look for. We have experience representing angel groups, venture capital and private equity funds. Our work representing investors on new investments includes an assessment of the capitalization structure, formation documents and ensuring the company’s intellectual property is protected. We are also experienced in a variety of divestiture transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, management buyouts and private equity sales. We strive to be trusted team members to our venture capital clients.

International Investor Representation

Through our International Services Team, we counsel foreign businesses on a wide range of issues as they enter into and grow in the U.S. Our venture capital attorneys help foreign institutional investors close equity and debt finance transactions involving U.S. based startups and emerging companies. We are cognizant that our international work crosses jurisdictional lines, languages, and cultural norms. Our Foreign Desks and membership to Multilaw, a global network of local counsel firms in over 150 markets worldwide, enable us to provide international clients with seamless, thoughtful representation in cross-border business transactions and other investment opportunities.

Related Insights

Horizontal color image of businesswoman - unrecognizable person - working with digital tablet in large futuristic factory. Woman standing on top of a balcony, holding touchpad and checking inventory of a manufacturing company on touchscreen tablet. Focus on futuristic machines in background, businesswoman's hands holding black tablet defocused.
Guide to Preventing Staffing Agency Form I-9 Violations

December 3, 2025 | Presidential Administration Impacts

Many staffing agencies have Form I-9 compliance issues, which could create liability and chaos for y...

Frost Brown Todd Advises Avaz on Strategic Acquisition by PRC-Saltillo

December 2, 2025 | Experience

Frost Brown Todd (FBT) advised Avaz Inc., a global assistive-technology company known for its multil...

Human resources analytics and recruitment concept with global network, digital icons, and data interface for modern workforce solutions. 3d Rendering
Form I-9 Tips to Avoid Fines: A Guide to Compliance

November 24, 2025 | Presidential Administration Impacts

Form I-9 compliance is essential to any successful business. The Form I-9 is a document used for ver...

A robotic arm performs a welding operation on a metal assembly in an industrial environment.
Navigating Private Equity in Manufacturing

November 21, 2025 | Publications

Private equity is reshaping the industrial economy at an unprecedented pace. In Navigating Private E...

Washington DC, USA - A sign on the exterior of the building housing the US Department of Homeland Security in central Washington DC, USA.
Know Your Rights Dealing with ICE: A Compliance Guide to Immigration Enforcement

November 20, 2025 | Presidential Administration Impacts

ICE has a goal of 3,000 arrests a day, which could mean thousands in fines and criminal charges for ...

Rachel Carson Bridge
Frost Brown Todd’s Derrick Maultsby Jr. Recognized Among Pittsburgh Magazine’s 40 Under 40

November 18, 2025 | Press Releases

Frost Brown Todd’s Derrick Maultsby Jr. has been named to Pittsburgh Magazine’s 2025 “40 Under...

Weld sparks in the tube
Guide to Distressed Acquisitions in U.S. Manufacturing

October 6, 2025 | Publications

Despite some bright spots, the landscape for U.S. manufacturing remains challenging. While supply ch...

Businessman touching to tick correct mark in checklist to remind work task progressive for project develop management and tracking concept.
Three Critical Legal Mistakes Startup Founders Can’t Afford to Make

September 30, 2025 | Publications

This article was published in collaboration with Bounce Innovation Hub, a nonprofit organization sup...

Veteran Energy Transactional Attorney John Thomas Joins Frost Brown Todd as Partner

September 17, 2025 | Press Releases

Frost Brown Todd (FBT) is pleased to announce that John Thomas has joined the firm’s Houston offic...

Frost Brown Todd Advises Garage Beer on IP Strategy Amid Explosive Growth

September 9, 2025 | Experience

Frost Brown Todd (FBT) is advising Garage Beer, a rapidly emerging brand in the light beer category,...

Stay ahead of the law.

Subscribe to receive email updates and choose your topics.