Neil Nathanson
With more than 30 years of experience, Neil helps new and growing companies achieve their business goals.
Neil Nathanson is a startup lawyer who advises some of the Pacific Northwest's hottest startup companies. He also represents more established emerging growth companies in venture, angel, crowdfunding, and other private and public equity and debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, securities law, and corporate governance.
Neil collaborates with professionals across the firm to deliver the key legal services expected by a startup. These include trademark, patent and other intellectual property procurement, technology licensing, and other commercial contracts. His guidance also encompasses hiring, compensation, option plans and other employee issues, and compliance with privacy and security regulations. In addition, Neil represents venture capital funds, strategic investors, angel investors, and private equity firms on their investments in tech startups.
Areas of focus
Education & Credentials
Education
- Stanford Law School, J.D., 1992
- University of Michigan, M.S., Computer Science, 1984
- University of Michigan, B.S., Economics and Computer Science, with high distinction, 1982
Bar and Court Admissions
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Oregon
Related Employment
- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC, Palo Alto, CA, Associate, 1993-1997
Clerkships
- Hon. Saundra Armstrong, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
Professional Recognition
Listed in Best Lawyers in America: Corporate Law; Venture Capital Law, 2007-2024
Listed in Oregon Law & Politics, "Oregon Super Lawyers", 2006-2007, 2015-present
Impact
Professional Leadership
- VertueLabs Impact Summit, Emcee, 2018, 2019
- Oregon State Bar Association (Business, Computer and Internet, and Securities Regulation Sections); Member Business Law Section Checklist Committee and author of Venture Capital Financing Checklist
- TechAmerica Oregon, Emerging Business Committee, Chair, 2006-2007
- Technology Association of Oregon (formerly Software Association of Oregon)
- Oregon Entrepreneurs Network, Angel Oregon chair, 2015
- Oregon Venture Fund
Community Involvement
- Royal Rosarians
- Entrepreneurs Foundation of the Northwest, Board Member
- Portland Public Schools Foundation (formerly Portland Schools Foundation), Volunteer
- American Jewish Committee, Portland Chapter, Board Member, 2005-2008
- Jackson Soccer Club Volunteer
Insights
News
Professional Experience
Emerging Companies
AppFog, Inc.
Represented AppFog in formation, venture capital financings and sale of the company to Savvis, Inc.
BraveCare, Inc.
Represented BraveCare in formation, angel financings and venture capital financings.
Clinicient, Inc.
Represented Clinicient in venture capital financings.
Endeavour Capital
Represented Endeavour in its investments in Zoomcare.
FleetNurse, Inc.
Represented FleetNurse in formation and angel financings.
Inovise Medical Inc.
Represented Inovise Medical in venture capital financings and technology spinout.
Janrain, Inc.
Represented Janrain in venture capital financing and acquisition of Arktan, Inc.
Megh Computing, Inc.
Represented Megh Computing in formation, angel financings and venture capital financings.
Oregon Venture Fund
Represented OVF in preferred stock investments.
Phoseon Technology
Represented Phoseon Technology in corporate formation, venture capital financings and general corporate matters.
RFPIO, Inc.
Represented RFPIO in venture capital financing.
SagaCity Media Inc.
Represented SegaCity Media in company formation, initial and preferred stock financings, acquisitions and general corporate matters.
SheerID, Inc.
Represented SheerID in formation, angel and venture capital investments.
Sightbox Inc.
Represented Sightbox in formation and angel financings.
SmartForest Ventures, LLC
Represented SmartForest Ventures in venture capital investments.
Vesta, Inc.
Represented Vesta in investment in HangIt, LLC.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Cascade Microtech Inc.
Represented Cascade Microtech in its sale of substantially all of the assets of a subsidiary.
Chockstone Inc.
Represented Chockstone in its sale to Heartland Payment Systems.
Climax Engineered Materials LLC
Represented Climax Engineered Materials in its acquisition of Kinetics.
Coastwide Laboratories
Represented Coastwide Laboratories in its sale to Corporate Express.
Envoy iCon
Represented Envoy iCon in its sale to PlaceWare.
Kentrox, LLC
Represented Kentrox, LLC in its acquisition of Applied Innovation and in its management buyout.
Micro Power Electronics Inc.
Represented Micro Power Electronics in its acquisition of SelfCharge.
NaturalPoint, Inc.
Represented NaturalPoint in its acquisition by Planar Systems.
Phoseon Technology
Represented Phoseon Technology in the sale of a product line to Viscom.
SagaCity Media Inc.
Represented SagaCity Media in its acquisition of publications from HPJ Media.
Sightbox, Inc.
Represented Sightbox in its acquisition by Johnson & Johnson.
Templex Inc.
Represented Templex in its sale to a leading technology company.
Warn Industries, Inc.
Represented Warn Industries in its sale to Dover Resources.
WebTrends Inc.
Represented WebTrends in its sale to NetIQ.
VF Corporation
Represented VF Corporation in its $110 million acquisition of Lucy Activewear Inc.