BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON, DC (Mar. 10, 2008) - Venable LLP partner Charles J. Morton, Jr., a member of the firm's Business Transactions Practice Group, has been appointed to the board of directors of the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO).
Mr. Morton, based in Venable's Baltimore office, has acted as a member of the board since his original appointment by Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley in September 2007. He is the only lawyer on TEDCO's current 15-member board.
Similar to the investment committee of a private venture capital firm, state-funded TEDCO helps transfer and commercialize innovations from Maryland-based universities and research labs by providing emerging technology companies and university researchers with seed funding and technical assistance.
Entrepreneur Magazine's 2007 "VC 100" list named TEDCO the nation's most active investor in early seed-stage technology companies for the fourth year in a row. With a budget of approximately $5 million, TEDCO provided funding to 28 Maryland companies in fiscal year 2007.
"I am flattered to have been confirmed and look forward to contributing to TEDCO's important work," Mr. Morton said. "TEDCO is a remarkable catalyst for the Maryland economy, bringing jobs, investment and prestige to the state."
A significant focus of Mr. Morton's practice is the representation of entrepreneurs and those who invest in their companies. His clients also include banks, private equity firms and small business investment companies (SBICs) which provide financing to early-stage private companies - the type of companies in which TEDCO invests.
Mr. Morton currently serves as President of the Maryland Chapter of the Association of Corporate Growth. He also teaches an undergraduate entrepreneurial course focused on tech transfer at Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Morton recently authored a chapter on how to represent growing technology companies in Technology Law Client Strategies: Leading Lawyers on Strategizing for Cases, Resolving Disputes, and Effectively Working With Clients. The book was published by Aspatore Books in 2007 as part of the Inside the Minds™ catalog. Mr. Morton has published more than 100 articles on various business-related issues and is regularly featured as a speaker at conferences and seminars.
Mr. Morton was named as one of Maryland's Legal Elite by Baltimore Smart CEO Magazine in 2005 and 2006. He was also named Innovator of the Year by The Daily Record in 2002. He has held leadership roles in the American Bar Association, the Maryland State Bar Association and the Bar Association of Baltimore City. He received his J.D. from the Maryland University School of Law in 1990.
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The Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), an independent entity, was established by the Maryland General Assembly in 1998 to facilitate the creation of businesses and foster their growth in all regions of the State. TEDCO's role is to be Maryland's leading source of funding for seed capital and entrepreneurial business assistance for the development, transfer and commercialization of technology. TEDCO connects emerging technology companies with federal laboratories, research universities, business incubators and specialized technical assistance. For the fourth consecutive year, TEDCO was recognized as the most active early seed-stage investor in the nation in the July 2007 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine. For more information on TEDCO and its programs and resources, visit www.MarylandTEDCO.org.