Well-rounded M&A, capital markets and venture capital attorney will expand Venable’s technology transactions practice and ties to emerging companies; looks to build out VC platform on East and West Coasts.
NEW YORK (September 7, 2011) – In another noteworthy addition to its work on behalf of emerging companies, Venable LLP has added experienced corporate and venture capital attorney Anthony Saur as a partner to its Corporate group in New York. He arrives from the New York office of DLA Piper.
Mr. Saur represents companies and investors in a broad range of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, public offerings and venture capital financings. His clients have ranged from early-stage start-ups to mature multinational corporations.
He has been particularly active in the venture capital space, representing investors in dozens of funding deals, from preferred investments to multi-stage bridge financings. He has also advised VC-backed portfolio companies in their respective debt and equity raises. Among Mr. Saur’s industry sweet spots are technology, software and life sciences.
His securities experience includes major public offerings as well as large private placements. Mr. Saur was a senior attorney on one of this year’s highest-profile IPOs for a high-end artisan tea and accessories retailer, which debuted well above its target share price. He has also worked on numerous follow-on public offerings and successful proxy contests in the technology, retail and energy industries.
In addition to the deal work, Mr. Saur advises executive leadership and boards of directors on corporate governance matters, from regulatory compliance to fiduciary duty and disclosure requirements. He has supervised numerous annual meetings and proxy processes for private and public companies.
Among his notable representations include:
- A high-end artisan tea and accessories retailer in its $120 million initial public offering, touted as one of the most successful IPOs of the season by SeekingAlpha.com and TheStreet.com;
- A provider of online entertainment and programming in its $280 million sale to a subsidiary of one of the largest global internet retailers;
- A semiconductor/fingerprint sensor company in its $82.5 million IPO.
- An energy-asset acquisition company in its $50 million IPO. Mr. Saur represented the same company in a successful proxy defense against a takeover attempt by a former CEO, and in the eventual sale of its assets;
- A privately held IT company in its $180 million sale to a public company;
- A regional airline in its $113 million primary public offering and $147 million secondary public offering;
- A gold mining company in a $100 million follow-on public offering;
- Advising over 15 privately held tech, biotech and other emerging companies on buyer- and target-side merger and acquisition deals of up to $50 million in value;
- A leading pharmaceutical company in its purchase of a manufacturer of animal and livestock immunodiagnostic tests.
At Venable, Mr. Saur reunites with two noted technology transactions lawyers, James Nelson and William Russell, who also joined the firm’s New York office this past year from DLA Piper. Mr. Nelson and Mr. Russell represent parties in a wide range of tech deals, including business outsourcing, patent licensing, distribution, venture funding, web hosting and e-commerce initiatives, supply management and IT services – they regularly work with early-stage and established private companies in life sciences, medical devices, telecom, manufacturing, retail and other sectors.
“Tony’s arrival is a terrific enhancement to our corporate practice and a great complement to the tech transactions that Bill and Jim are handling,” said Edmund O’Toole, managing partner of Venable’s New York office. “Tony brings solid deal experience, including M&A assignments, public offerings, venture funding and equity investments. His strength advising VC-backed firms meshes especially well with the pipeline we continue to build with entrepreneurial companies. We’re looking for Tony to capture a greater share of the emerging-company market and to work with clients on both the East and West Coasts as the deal economy continues to gain momentum.”
Mr. Saur commented: “I am extremely impressed by the scale and depth of Venable's corporate practice. The firm has developed a great technology transactions capability, especially with the addition of Jim Nelson and Bill Russell. I’m looking forward to helping grow the group’s stature in the critical area of venture capital, especially at a time when the environment for investing, M&A deals and especially public offerings is gaining renewed vigor. This is a great time and a great place for me to move my practice into a higher gear.”
Mr. Saur received his J.D. from New York University Law School (2002) and his B.A. from University of Michigan (1999).
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