Elliot Dater

Elliot Dater is counsel in the Business Services Department, chair of the Firm’s Emerging Companies Practice and a member of the Firm’s Corporate and International Practice Groups. He concentrates his practice in business counseling, transactions, mergers, acquisitions and dispositions, commercial contracts, including licensing and distribution transactions and the representation of Israeli clients in the United States.

Mr. Dater’s corporate and transactional practice includes representation of issuers and investors in the technology, life sciences and angel investing industries in a variety of exempt offering transactions, from friends and family, through seed and angel investments to venture capital transactions. His work involves business planning for entrepreneurs, corporate structuring, due diligence and investment review and the drafting and negotiation of transaction documents for clients. Mr. Dater has also been involved in cross border merger in acquisition transactions in the technology, life science, food and insurance industries. Mr. Dater has also represented cross border venture capital funds in their formation work as well as private equity companies in cross border and domestic acquisitions.

Mr. Dater also has experience in representing technology and life sciences companies in negotiating production and licensing agreements as well as in distribution and sales agent agreements. He has also advised clients in the disposition of closely held family businesses as well as landlord and tenant side commercial leasing. Mr. Dater also advises defense and homeland security industry clients in compliance with export regulations, as well as contract negotiation and regulatory compliance for defense companies in certain highly regulated defense foreign assistance programs. Mr. Dater has also represented an applicant for a Pennsylvania medical marijuana dispensary permit in the corporate structuring and financing of its business.

News & Publications

Community & Pro Bono

Through the Allegheny County Bar Association’s Small Business Assistance Program, Mr. Dater has represented a non-profit community religious organization with respect to a contract to renovate its community center. He also assisted other attorneys in the Firm in an immigration asylum application for a minor applicant.

Mr. Dater has served and continues to serve as a mentor in a variety of University of Pittsburgh Innovation Institute programs, including the Randall Big Idea Competition, the Technology Showcase, the First Gear Program and the Fourth Gear Program.

Mr. Dater is on the Steering Committee of the Stone Soup Network, a creation of the David Berg Center for Ethics and Leadership at the University of Pittsburgh. The Network seeks to draw together individuals, businesses and organizations to build a more sustainable food system.

An Adjunct Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Mr. Dater teaches Law & Entrepreneurship, which addresses the legal issues faced by technology and life sciences startup companies throughout their lifecycle. Mr. Dater has served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business where he co-taught a Global Research Practicum on Israel and Innovation. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor in the College of Business Administration where he taught Business Law.

Education

University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 1987
University of Michigan, B.A., Political Science, 1983

Languages

Hebrew- fluent

Bar Admissions

Pennsylvania
New York

Professional Affiliations

Allegheny County Medical Marijuana and Hemp Committee, Member

Representative Matters

Mergers and Acquisitions

Represented an international food company in its acquisitions of U.S. based food companies and in its subsequent joint venture with a Fortune 50 food company.
Represented a large Israeli insurance company in its acquisition of a U.S. based insurance company.
Represented a Pittsburgh area manufacturing company in the sale of substantially all of its assets.
Provided strategic advice to an Israeli life sciences client in its sale to a publicly traded ingredients company.
Served as U.S. counsel to Israeli technology companies in their exit transactions with U.S. companies.

Early Stage Investing

Represented a group of angel investors a Series B investment in a Pittsburgh area medical device company.
Represented a group of angel investors in a KISS investment in an early stage materials company.
Represented an applicant for a Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana dispensary license in an investment transaction.
Represented a digital media and advertising company in its seed stage investment.
Represented a variety of early stage companies in the U.S. and Israel in seed stage, convertible note and Series A venture capital financings.
Represented a number of Israeli companies in forming their U.S. subsidiaries in anticipation of investment and exit transactions.

Defense and Homeland Security

Advised a regional homeland security technology company with respect to export regulation compliance.
Advised a number of Israeli and U.S. companies with respect to compliance with the DSCA Guidelines for Direct Commercial Contracts.

Counsel