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Daniel I. DeWolf

Member / Chair, Technology Practice; Co-chair, Venture Capital & Emerging Companies Practice

[email protected]

+1.212.692.6223

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Daniel is a leading authority on growth companies and venture capital law — and has worked on pioneering online capital-raising methods since the Internet’s beginning. He is immersed in the national and international ecosystem of emerging companies and investors focused on start-ups. He has also been a member of NYU Law School’s faculty since 2003, where he teaches venture capital law. Earlier, he co-founded and served as managing director of an early stage venture capital firm based in New York City.

Daniel is Chair of Mintz's Technology Practice Group and Co-chair of the firm’s Venture Capital & Emerging Companies Practice Group. In addition to his active legal practice, he is an adjunct professor of law at the NYU Law School. Daniel is also Editor of MintzEdge, an online resource for entrepreneurs that includes useful tools and information for starting and growing a company.

Before joining Mintz, Daniel was head of venture capital funds and a managing director of SoundView Technology Group, Inc. (formerly Wit Capital), a technology-focused investment bank. Prior to joining SoundView, he was head of the corporate and new media and e-law practice groups at one of the leading New York firms representing early stage and technology companies.

Daniel has more than 35 years of corporate transactional experience, both as a lawyer and as a businessman, and has been an advisor to many emerging and developmental stage companies. He is a board member of several technology companies and was a co-founder and Managing Director of Dawntreader Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm.

Additionally, Daniel is an author of a leading treatise on venture capital called Venture Capital: Forms and Analysis (Law Journal Press, 2007).

viewpoints

This issue of TechConnect covers liability considerations for directors of Delaware public benefit corporations and profiles FinTech company Templum.
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Templum Inc., is a leading innovative financial technology company focused on the development of new market infrastructure for the digital asset sector. Templum Markets LLC, their captive broker-dealer and alternative trading system, offers issuers a platform for the initial sale of their digital assets and provides both issuers and investors a centralized platform for secondary trading.
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Upcoming events - TechConnect Industry News - November 2018
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This article explains why the “cryptocurrency” label can be misleading, and suggests we use “virtual currencies,” “security tokens,” and “utility tokens” instead.
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Platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter have created celebrities with huge loyal followings – in some cases, millions or even tens of millions of followers – who have never appeared in a Hollywood movie or TV show. These influencers instead generate content – videos, photos, tweets, and the like – on the social media networks, and that content is shaping popular culture among younger consumers and attracting significant advertising dollars.

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While many of the issues involved in various transactions are similar, every single transaction that we get involved in is nuanced and different in some way from other similar transactions. Pattern matching is important, but each successful enterprise is successful in a unique way. Building an enterprise requires a balancing of the economic interests of the various parties. The founders may want to control their destiny or be captains of industry, in addition to making outsized returns. Investors will be laser focused on those returns but may also be interested in promoting activities that involve sustainability or technical breakthroughs. Employees will be hoping for financial rewards but may also want to be involved in cutting-edge technologies and a flexible workplace. Finally, the board of directors needs to monitor the enterprise and provide relevant advisory insights. Getting this right is so much more than processing a form; it requires deep domain knowledge of the industry sector and a good sense of the people involved. It is similar to why the best doctors examine a patient before prescribing medication. Knowing the context of the situation truly matters and one size never fits all.

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Inspired by his own experience forgetting the correct notebook for an important meeting, Rocketbook co-founder Joe Lemay set out to find a modern solution for note taking in 2014. After testing out electronic pens and smart tablets, which were ultimately disappointing, Lemay teamed up with Jake Epstein to develop a new product, a reusable cloud-connected paper notebook called Rocketbook.

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Mintz attorneys are often asked as to why we don’t simply provide “forms” on our website that can be downloaded and used. Our simple answer is: THE FORM IS ALWAYS WRONG!
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In this issue we focus on a number of basics for building growth enterprises. We lead off with a terrific podcast on the importance of assembling a strong board of directors. We follow with an article on a new securities law that permits the aggregation of up to 250 investors in a single investment vehicle so long as the entity has no more than $10 million in capital contributions. This new law will be particularly useful to online platforms that aggregate angel and seed investors to invest in start-ups. We then discuss the importance of stock options and creating a culture of ownership, another basic in creating a valuable company. We conclude this issue with two innovator profiles: BioLabs@NYULangone, a new shared wet lab space located in New York’s SoHo neighborhood, and RainFocus, which provides a software platform for delivering insights and marketing messages at large-scale conferences and events.

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One of the critical keys to a successful venture is aligning the interests of the employees and management with the interests of the shareholders/investors. After all, perhaps the greatest asset of a company is its people. Without a competent and motivated workforce, a venture is unlikely to succeed no matter how great an idea or business concept is involved.
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News & Press

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A Mintz team led by Corporate Members Jim McKnight and Joe Ronca advised Altamira Technologies Corporation on its acquisition of Virginia Systems & Technology, Inc. This strategic acquisition expanded Altamira’s capabilities and national security customer portfolio, while winning “Deal of the Year” in the “Under $50 Million” category at ACG National Capital’s 22nd Annual Corporate Growth Awards.

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BOSTON – Mintz has earned top rankings in the 2023 edition of Legal 500 United States guide. The firm is recognized in 14 practice categories, and 59 individual attorneys are also recognized in the guide, some in more than one category.

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Through its creative partnership with legal tech provider Clara, Mintz provides founders with a cost-efficient way to start a US business. Utilizing Clara’s platform, Mintz created templates that enable users to form Delaware companies and prepare all necessary documents while additionally helping founders to meet all legal requirements.

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My Startup World covered Mintz's collaboration with legal tech provider Clara and quoted Members Dan DeWolf and Sam Effron.

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Law360 covered Mintz's partnership with legal tech provider Clara. The move allows Clara to enter the U.S. market.

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Chair of the firm’s Technology Practice, and Co-chair of the firm’s Venture Capital & Emerging Companies Practice Daniel DeWolf was interviewed by FinTech Tv's Vince Mollinari about the state of the international venture capital market and potential opportunities for Congress to implement economy driving legislation.

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Mintz has acted as deal counsel to Altamira Technologies Corporation in its acquisition of signals intelligence mission business, Virginia Systems & Technology (VaST).

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Mintz Member Daniel DeWolf co-authored an article featured in The Deal exploring the top five ways to accelerate the growth of emerging companies.

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Antler Innovation U.S. LLC has selected Mintz as its law firm partner of choice to support its portfolio companies in the U.S. as it expands its presence and foothold in America’s emerging growth ecosystem. With more than 500 portfolio companies globally valued at $2 billion, Antler is helping to professionalize early-stage investing by bringing new capital, a large global community of co-founders, and a broad set of industry expertise to support fast-growing companies from the earliest stages. 

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Mintz Member, Chair of the firm’s Technology Practice, and Co-chair of the firm’s Venture Capital & Emerging Companies Practice Daniel I. DeWolf appeared on FINTECH TV’s Digital Asset Report to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the private marketplaces, digital transformation in the private marketplaces, and venture capital activity and indicators.
Daniel DeWolf, Co-Chair, Venture Capital and Emerging Companies, and Megan Gates, Co-chair of the Securities & Capital Markets Practice Group, authored this VC Experts Blog piece discussing how the world of raising capital has been evolving over the last several years.
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Mintz was recently named the exclusive legal sponsor of AREA, a real estate technology venture accelerator program based in New York City. As a sponsor, the firm will offer in-kind legal services to real estate technology startup companies participating in the intensive three-month program.
Daniel DeWolf, Co-chair of Mintz’s Venture Capital & Emerging Companies and Technology Practices, and Associates Sam Effron and Rachel Gholston, authored this VC Experts Blog piece providing a clear overview of the best practices businesses can implement when using electronic signatures.
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Events & Speaking

Moderator
Moderator
Mar
19
2020

Investing in Energy Transformation [Event to be rescheduled]

Briefing on Power, Technology and Security Strategies

Mintz, 666 Third Ave, New York, NY

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Speaker
Jul
30
2019

TechGC Roundtable

San Francisco, CA

Moderator
Jun
19
2019

Private Tech Investing Success Stories for Family Offices

Mintz, Chrysler Center, 666 Third Avenue, New York

Speaker
Apr
10
2019

TechGC Roundtable

New York, NY

Speaker
Apr
3
2019

The First Most Important Decision for the Entrepreneur: How to Choose the Right Corporate Entity for Your Startup

BioLabs@NYULangone

BioLabs@NYULangone, 180 Varick St., 6th Floor, New York, NY

Speaker
Speaker
Speaker
Mar
15
2018

Legal Clinic

NYC MediaLabs

Co-chair
Oct
27
2017
Speaker
Mar
17
2017

Corporate Formation Workshop

NYC Media Lab

New York, NY

Moderator
Nov
3
2016

The Changing World of Raising Capital

MintzEdge and Columbia Technology Ventures

New York, NY

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Daniel is a leading authority on growth companies and venture capital law — and has worked on pioneering online capital-raising methods since the Internet’s beginning. He is immersed in the national and international ecosystem of emerging companies and investors focused on start-ups. He has also been a member of NYU Law School’s faculty since 2003, where he teaches venture capital law. Earlier, he co-founded and served as managing director of an early stage venture capital firm based in New York City.

Recognition & Awards

  • Recommended by The Legal 500 United States for Venture Capital and Emerging Companies (2015 – 2017; 2021 – 2022, 2024)

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Daniel is a leading authority on growth companies and venture capital law — and has worked on pioneering online capital-raising methods since the Internet’s beginning. He is immersed in the national and international ecosystem of emerging companies and investors focused on start-ups. He has also been a member of NYU Law School’s faculty since 2003, where he teaches venture capital law. Earlier, he co-founded and served as managing director of an early stage venture capital firm based in New York City.

Involvement

  • Adjunct Professor at NYU School of Law
  • Guest Lecturer, High-Growth Corporate Transactions, Cornell Law School at Cornell Tech
  • Judge, Harvard Business School Business Plan Contest
  • Member, Advisory Council to the Public Policy Committee of the Angel Capital Association
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Daniel I. DeWolf

Member / Chair, Technology Practice; Co-chair, Venture Capital & Emerging Companies Practice

New York