Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP’s Business and Technology Practice focuses on the legal needs of technology companies across all stages of development – from business formation and early lines of credit; to private placement and public capital; to strategic introductions taking the business to the next level through, for example, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions; to strategic tax planning; to growth through cross-border transactions and business immigration issues; to complex intellectual property capture and commercialization; to the business of growing public companies and the representation of mature transnational corporations; to handling sophisticated multi-jurisdictional offensive and defensive litigation – anywhere your business leads you.
Entrepreneurial Spirit
A common characteristic of technology businesses today is that these companies are run by highly motivated entrepreneurs with significant prior life experience and success in their fields of choice. This is not a first job. We are a good fit for companies not interested in being pillaged for big fees or ignored by legal counsel in favor of the “bigger” client relationships. We share your entrepreneurial spirit. Proactive, common sense representation is our business philosophy. Many of our lawyers have significant job experience in the “real world” before choosing law as a career, have served in government or possess graduate degrees in addition to their law degrees.
Latest Technology and Strategic Locations
The Firm was founded over seventy years ago in 1935. Today, the Firm continues its strength by attracting lawyers of the absolute highest quality. Almost 200 lawyers strong, we place great importance on hiring and retaining the very best and brightest – lawyers, paralegals and support personnel. We do not strive to number in the 1,000s. We invest notably more in the vital areas of training, technology and systems. We use the latest technology – just like you. Investments like these enable our clients to benefit from high quality legal services at a cost lower than available from our competition. Better to serve the needs of our clients, Schnader has offices strategically situated in major business centers and capital markets including New York, New York; Washington, D.C.; San Francisco, California; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Wilmington, Delaware; and Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
International Reach
While the Firm’s portals are domestic, our practice increasingly reaches a broad spectrum of international, multinational and cross-border work, including multinational transactions, counseling, litigation and dispute resolution in a wide array of disciplines. Our international attorneys have worked with businesses and individuals throughout the world, partnering as appropriate, with trusted counsel on the ground, on matters as diverse as offshoring arrangements, licensing, financing, transportation, real estate, international tax, trade regulation, expatriate and other cross-border employment and human resources issues and, of course, the acquisition, sale and restructuring of multinational businesses.
We offer seamless integration of services across time zones to provide continuous service virtually anywhere in the world.
Client Centric Teams
The Firm’s organization is based on a "client-centric" approach to managing the law practice. One size does not fit all. For each client relationship, we assemble a small team of lawyers from our various practice groups – tailored to meet the requirements of the project at hand, and that team builds a close working relationship with the client. The multi-office, multidiscipline team approach affords our clients the appropriate mixture of responsiveness, cost-effectiveness and experience. We support and become integral to your corporate planning and strategic thinking. We listen to your wants and needs, your budget and your time requirements. We identify areas where legal focus is essential. This enables us to provide unparalleled client service tailored to your specific needs as they arise for a reasonable cost in today’s legal market.
Raising Capital
Schnader has substantial experience in representing venture capital funds, private equity funds, investment bankers and corporate investors. We represent investment funds both in formation and the raising of investment capital, inside and outside the United States, as well as in the structuring of their investments in their portfolio companies. We have represented venture capital lessors, bridge lenders and lead investors in group investment settings. Schnader is also experienced in the representation of “angel” investors who participate in start-up and early-round investments.
We have represented numerous entities as recipients of venture capital and are experienced in the mediation of the demands and rights of various rounds of financing, including negotiation of acceptable economic priorities, operating controls, preferred stock super majority triggers and registration rights.
Schnader sponsors and participates in a variety of organizations where capital formation may be facilitated, such as the MIT Enterprise Forum, the Greater Philadelphia Venture Group, Eastern Technology Council and the Pittsburgh Technology Council. Schnader also sponsors high profile events such as the Mid-Atlantic Venture Fair, one of the largest and most prestigious venture fairs on the East Coast.
Breadth of Knowledge and Experience
Our Business and Technology Practice applies its broad experience to a wide range of applied technologies including: (i) information and communications technology, such as computer systems, software, integrated circuits, data storage and equipment, nanotechnology, Internet services, networking, telecommunications including wireless, and IT distribution; (ii) consumer products and services; (iii) energy; and (iv) health care and life sciences, such as biotechnology, pharmacology, medical devices and personal health records. Our clients consist of private and public companies including limited liability companies; general and limited partnerships; venture capital and other investment funds; investment advisors; financial institutions and other businesses. In servicing the business and technology marketplace, our key practice areas include: Corporate and Securities; Taxation; Intellectual Property; Employee Benefits and Labor and Employment; International; and Litigation Services. This concerted attention enables Schnader to provide the highest quality of legal service in practice areas central to the success of companies operating within the business and technology marketplace.